The Boston Celtics came up just short against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon, but Jayson Tatum showcased his superstar potential.

Tatum scored 41 points — including 36 combined points between the second and third quarters — and he earned the respect both of his opponents and fellow teammates.

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said Tatum has indeed reached “superstar level.”

Tatum pulled out all the stops on Sunday, aggressively taking the ball to the rim while also showing confidence in his perimeter jumper.

The former Duke star made 4-of-7 triples and also converted on 13-of-15 free-throw attempts. He was so dominant that the Lakers were eventually forced to commit multiple defenders to the cause, oftentimes leaving the likes of Brad Wanamaker or Gordon Hayward (who struggled mightily) all alone.

Tatum eventually came up just short on his effort at a game-winning jumper for the Celtics, committing an offensive foul on Lakers swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Nonetheless, his efforts did not go unnoticed, with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis offering words of encouragement after the final horn sounded.

The 21-year-old continues to ascend to the ranks of the elite. He made his first All-Star team this season and has dominated amid a series of injuries to key players.

This month has been especially spectacular for Tatum. He came into the contest averaging 28.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in eight February contests, with the Celtics winning seven of those games.

Although Tatum came out on the losing end of the stick on Sunday, he is the kind of player capable of making the difference in a playoff series.

Teammates will do well to feed Jayson Tatum the ball when he has the hot hand, with even Jaylen Brown acknowledging the level he is playing at right now.