Earlier this season, Jayson Tatum was derided as selfish and aloof. His effort was questioned and there were doubts about whether he valued winning over individual achievements.
How do you like him now?
The Celtics bested the Grizzlies 120-107 Thursday at the TD Garden behind Tatum's incredible effort. The All-Star dropped 37 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists on the eve of his 24th birthday. To quote Marcus Smart, when Tatum is playing that well, you just need to "stay out of his [expletive] way."
Tatum dominated the fourth quarter, pouring in 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting. The best part is, he only hit one 3-pointer during his run. Tatum did most of his damage inside, attacking the rim again and again.
"We went through some growing pains. New team, new staff, things like that," Tatum said afterwards, via Jay King of The Athletic. "Dealing with Covid, guys were injured, I ain't hit no shots. So guys stopped getting COVID, we got healthy and I started making some shots."
Ja Morant made some shots, too, putting up 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the second half. But the bulk of Morant's damage came in garbage time. The MVP candidate went into halftime with just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Tatum was better, and much more efficient. As Sports Illustrated's Michael Pina notes, he's cut 10 percent of mid-range shots out of his game since November. He's finally throwing around his bulked-up frame. Like so many NBA stars, Tatum is a physical specimen. He's 6-foot-10 and moves like a guard.
There's been a raging debate in Boston over whether Tatum or Morant is the better young star. On Thursday, we got our answer, and 19,000 fans in the Garden went wild. It was the most electric we've seen that building since fans were allowed back last spring.
Those underachieving Celtics are a distant memory now. They've won 13 of their last 15 games and moved into sole possession of fifth place in the East. It's not hyperbolic to say Thursday was their best win of the season. The Celtics knocked off one of the league's best teams without Jaylen Brown, who was sidelined with a sprained ankle.
Al Horford also helped pick up the slack with a vintage 21-15-5 performance. Marcus Smart added 18 points and 12 assists. The victory was quite a way for Ime Udoka to celebrate his coach of the month award.
It's all coming together, and Tatum is the key. The league's best players have a tendency to shock and awe on a nightly basis.
Tatum is now firmly part of that group. He's playing his best basketball right now, and there's no reason to believe he can't get even better.
