With the 2021 Eastern Conference No. 7 seed on the line, Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum suited up and played “Ironman” on Tuesday night, when he went for a nuclear 50 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks (and just two turnovers) in a 118-100 win over the Washington Wizards.

In a game-high 41 minutes, the St. Louis native erupted behind 14-for-32 shooting from the floor, 5-for-12 shooting from the arc, and 17-for-17 from the stripe while also going a game-best plus-25 while on the floor.

So, even though “play-in” games apparently don't count toward official stats for NBA records, Tatum's performance — particularly his efficiency — is among some of the best efforts in league playoff history.

And that's just among Celtics players.

According to official NBA records, 27 players have posted a combined 42 games of 50 points or more during the NBA playoffs, and only six players have more than one 50-point playoff game in history:

Tatum's talent, and 50-point effort, stirs memories of past performances. So, who had the best 50-point playoff games of all time?

No. 5: Russell Westbrook on April 19, 2017, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets, 2017 Western Conference Quarterfinals

Hurl the jabs, lobby the insults, “Stat-padder”, “Westbrick”, it doesn't matter. Russell Westbrook just produces. And though he doesn't have an NBA Championship ring to show for his efforts just yet, not all careers end with piles of exotic jewelry, nor would those piles define true success.

In any case, Westbrook had such a prolific performance during the 2017 playoffs, when he recorded what still is the only 50-point triple-double in NBA postseason history.

During a 115-111 loss to the 3-seed Houston Rockets, Westbrook finished with 51 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in 41 minutes. It wasn't the most efficient 50-point game, as he shot 17-for-43 from the floor and just 2-for-11 from the arc, but it kept the 6-seeded Thunder in contention for the entire contest.

The rim and backboard betrayed Westbrook in the pivotal fourth quarter, when he notched 15 points, but on 4-for-18 shooting from the floor — and Houston escaped with a 2-0 series lead. It's strange now to go back and look at the box score, too, as that OKC roster had Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Enes Kanter, Jerami Grant, and Doug McDermott in the fold.

Still, it was Westbrook's game to win or lose — and he nearly won.

No. 4: Elgin Baylor, April 14, 1962, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, 1962 NBA Finals

Wilt Chamberlain finished with three 50-point, 20-rebound playoff lines in his career (and two 50/30's), and former Phoenix Suns great and current television GOAT Charles Barkley shot 75% in his 50-point playoff push during the opening round of the 1994 Western Conference Playoffs.

But during Game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers forward Elgin Baylor rolled up a solid 61 points and 22 rebounds against the Boston Celtics, in what wound up becoming one of the best rivalries in NBA history.

Baylor's 61 points, still an NBA Finals record, came on 22-for-46 shooting from the floor and 17-for-19 from the stripe in a 126-121 victory over the Celtics. Boston would go on take Games 6 and Game 7, with Bill Russell snagging an NBA Finals record 40 rebounds in a 110-107 overtime win in Game 7.

The Lakers would lose to Boston in the Finals in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1969, but Baylor's performance stands the test of time.

No. 3: Bob Cousy, March 21, 1953, Boston Celtics vs. Syracuse Nationals, 1953 Eastern Division Semifinals

Somebody had to put up the very first 50-point playoff performance, and that belongs to Boston Celtics legendary point guard Bob Cousy.

“Cooz,” a 13-time All-Star who's still kicking strong at 92 years old, finished his career averaging 18.4 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.2 rebounds. But on March 21, 1953, he put together an all-time performance: 50 points and two assists in a 111-105 quadruple-overtime win over the Syracuse Nationals in Game 2 of the Eastern Division Semifinals.

What makes Cousy's performance even more special is that of all 50-point playoff performances in NBA history, his 30-for-32 effort at the free-throw line and his 66 minutes played are both tops.

Perhaps scoring 30 of 50 points on free throws is a bit droll, but he still shot 10-for-22 from the field (45.5%) to push Boston into the next round after sweeping the best-of-three series.

No. 2: Jerry West, April 23, 1969, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, 1969 NBA Finals

The 4-seed Celtics had player-coach Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, and Bailey Howell. The top-seeded Lakers had Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. Seven future Hall-of-Famers on the court all at once, with the young, whip-snap Lakers the favorite to beat the aging men in Kelly green.

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And in Game 1 of the 1969 NBA Finals, it looked as if the favored Lakers were going to win it all. West finished with 53 points, 10 assists, and three rebounds in 46 minutes — shooting 21-for-41 from the floor and 13-for-15 from the stripe. A basket from Chamberlain and two clutch free throws from West with four seconds to go helped secure a 120-118 win to go up 1-0.

But in an epic series that was decided by a total of 39 points through seven games (three of which came by one possession), it was Boston that came away with the title — becoming the first team in NBA history to win a Finals Game 7 on the road.

West's Game 1 performance proved to only be a preview of what he was going to do for the Lakers against the Celtics, where he averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. He put together a 40-point triple-double in Game 7 despite a seriously pulled hamstring. And to this day, West is still the only NBA Finals MVP to claim the championship award in a losing effort.

No. 1: Michael Jordan, April 20, 1986, Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics, 1986 Eastern Conference First Round

Yes, it came in a losing effort — as Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, and Bill Walton all scored in double figures to hold off the Bulls in overtime, 135-131.

But in the NBA record eight times Michael Jordan scored 50 or more points in a playoff game, his first wasn't just his best — but the best.

During Game 2 of the opening round in the 1986 Eastern Conference playoffs, Jordan ripped off 63 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 22-for-41 shooting (53.7%) and 19-for-21 from the charity stripe with zero attempts from behind the arc. It's a scoring record that still stands, with Lakers Hall-of-Famer Elgin Baylor (61, 1962) and current Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell (57, 2020) coming the closest.

Jordan had missed 64 games during the season after breaking his foot early in the year and was famously held to a minutes restriction upon his rapid return. In the playoffs, that minute restriction was lifted, and though the Celtics went on to sweep the series in three games…the legendary NBA chapter of “MJ” was born.