Boston Celtics' star Jayson Tatum was phenomenal in the team's 117-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, just days after one of his weakest games of the season.

Tatum scored a game-high 41 points, adding 11 rebounds and eight assists to help Boston improve to 45-18, just a half-game back of the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks.

Tatum got real on his bounce-back performance in the post-game press conference, asserting that even star NBA players have bad days.

“I'm not listening to you guys when I play bad. It's a long season, it's 82 games,” Tatum explained, according to HoopsHype. “Nobody has a great day at work every day of the year. Everybody has bad days, I guess. But you gotta take the good days with the bad days. I never get too high and never get too low. Regardless of what happens, you can't change it, you just gotta get ready for the next one.”

Tatum and the Celtics lost 109-94 to the New York Knicks on Monday night, falling out of top spot in the NBA and scoring less than 95 points for just the second time in 2023.

It had been a long two weeks for Tatum; he had been on the road since the All-Star Game before joining his teammates in Indiana for a road game against the Pacers on Feb. 24.

The win against the Cavaliers was the first home game for the team since Feb. 16.

“After the game, I was fine, I was excited to get home, with the All-Star break and heading straight to Indiana, it was 14 days guys were away from home. I was just happy to get home and get a home cooked meal…I wasn't tripping about last game,” Tatum said.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics will be back home for another two games; they welcome the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night before the Knicks come to town on Sunday night.