Jayson Tatum is one player who has a little bit of everything in his game. Such players have started becoming hard to find with the league shifting increasingly towards the small-ball approach. However, Tatum has shown that he can adapt his game and provide match-winning performances.
That is exactly what he did against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night as he led his side to an incredible victory in overtime. He smashed a career-high 53 points in this game as he led from the front. The 23-year-old was on fire in this game and could do no wrong.
🤯 53 POINTS FOR JAYSON TATUM 🤯@jaytatum0 reaches a career high and scores the most @celtics points since Larry Bird to power Boston in OT! pic.twitter.com/70sOxa8Lab
— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2021
The Boston Celtics stitched together an incredible fightback in the third quarter to make the game interesting. However, the Timberwolves pushed back and took the game to overtime. Coach Brad Stevens was especially pleased after the game. He said, “It was a lot like I recall with Isaiah [Thomas] on so many occasions. He just wouldn’t let us lose. When we were coming back in the third, you could see he had it.”
Jayson Tatum rallies his troops towards the victory
It was a combined effort from everyone on the team to get this crucial victory. The Minnesota Timberwolves tried hard to keep up with the Celtics. However, they were left distraught by the sublime shot-making of Tatum. Apart from him, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart also contributed heavily towards the victory.
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 9: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dunks the ball in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Brown finished with 26 points to his name. He also racked up three assists and five rebounds during the course of the match. Smart scored 24 points and eight assists for his side.
In the post-game press conference, Coach Brad Stevens said, “Tatum was super special tonight and that’s coming off a heavy minute night the night before. Don’t mistake his quiet demeanor for not being a competitor. He was a competitor.”
The Boston Celtics are seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. At the moment, they are in the qualification spots for the playoffs. Moreover, Brad Stevens and his men will take some much-needed confidence from this game.
