Jayson Tatum scored 23 of his 50 points in the third quarter to propel the Boston Celtics to a playoff berth after defeating the visiting Washington Wizards 118-100 at TD Garden.
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Jason Tatum scored 50 points to lead Boston Celtics past Bradley Beal’s Washington Wizards with a 118-100 victory Tuesday night. This helped Boston secure the seventh seed and a date on Saturday night with the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Beal said there was nothing the Wizards could do to stop him. Beal has seen plenty of impressive performances from Jayson Tatum on a basketball court since the two were kids growing up together in St. Louis.
It was a scintillating all-around performance from Tatum, who reached 50 points for the third time in six weeks. He also went 17 for 17 from the foul line, along with eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 41 minutes. That also included a 23-point explosion in the third quarter that put Boston back in the driver’s seat.
Tatum nearly outscored the Wizards by himself in the third quarter (26-23). The Wizards made a couple of pushes to get back into the game early in the fourth quarter, the Celtics had an answer every time, usually coming from either Tatum or Kemba Walker, who had his own impressive 29-point performance to help carry Boston.
“I don’t know,” Tatum said when asked if performances like this one have officially pushed him into the game’s superstar class. “I guess it helps. I don’t really get caught up in those who think I’m a superstar and those that don’t. What does that really mean? I know that my teammates, I’ve earned their respect. I’ve earned the respect of the guys I’ve played against and the coaches.”
“I believe in myself, and that’s all that matters.”
It has been a season full of ups and downs for the Celtics, who have dealt with players coming in and out of the lineup because of both injuries and COVID-19. That includes All-Star Jaylen Brown, who is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing wrist surgery last week.
But Tuesday night’s game was a reminder of what Boston, which has made the Eastern Conference finals in three of the past four seasons, is capable of when it’s clicking.
