Boston Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum exploded for a career-high 41 points on Saturday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, and he broke out of a personal shooting slump in the process.
Not only was Tatum efficient — shooting 16-of-22 from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc — but he also scored all of his points in just three quarters before sitting the remainder of the game with the Celtics up big.
The third-year man out of Duke was pleased with the performance, though he also suggested he wants to make a habit of good performances such as these, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN:
“Obviously, it feels good for sure, but, you know, I never get high or too low if I play well or I don't,” Tatum said. “I feel like I have a long way to go. The guys I look up to, they have nights like this more often than not. Obviously, it feels good, but I just want to try and do it more often and be consistent. Just continue to get better.
“Tonight, I have to forget about it and move on to the next one.”
Sounds like the mindset of a veteran.
Tatum's season has been something of a mixed bag. He is averaging a career-high 21.3 points while also getting up over 18 shots per game. However, the Celtics youngster currently running the lowest effective field goal percentage (.496) of his career while making under 47 percent of all 2-pointers.
While he struggles to find an offensive rhythm at times, Tatum has shown tremendous growth on the defensive end of the floor. The 21-year-old is averaging 1.4 steals and close to a block per game while also ranking eighth in Defensive Win Shares, according to Basketball Reference. His overall impact has been huge for Boston.
Jayson Tatum helped the Celtics snap their three-game skid on Saturday, and he will hope to build on his individual brilliance as the season approaches its midway point.
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