Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has simply taken his game to the next level. Tatum has scored 30+ points in each of his last three games leading up to their Wednesday night tilt against the Miami Heat, and he’s been the chief driving force behind the Celtics’ league-leading offense. But unfathomably, Tatum played at an even better level against the Heat.
In 39 minutes of play, Tatum made the life of the Heat defense a living hell. The 6’8 forward dropped a season-high 49 points, to go along with 11 rebounds and three dimes to lead the Celtics to a 134-121 victory over the Heat, pouring even more gasoline into the fire of MVP talks.
Just give Tatum the MVP trophy now….
— King Annoying (@MCalm813) December 1, 2022
Tatum is the clear MVP right now
— Brandon K. Schrute (@_drumrollplzz) December 1, 2022
Like Tatum is so clearly the mvp rn cmon man
— Deha Darko (@GroovyDeha) December 1, 2022
Jayson Tatum the clear MVP so far this season. Son been COOKING.
— . (@bsmoove) December 1, 2022
TD Garden, not to be outdone, showered Jayson Tatum with much-deserved MVP chants, echoing what many of fans on social media think about their fledging superstar. Others took the opportunity to compare Tatum to presumably his biggest rival for the MVP award this season, Luka Doncic.
Doncic was on a heater himself during the Dallas Mavericks’ most recent game, when he tallied 41 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a win over the Golden State Warriors. Should Tatum and Doncic maintain the levels of play they’ve shown thus far, the MVP race will definitely be interesting until the end of the season.
"Luka dropped 41 vs. Warriors"
Tatum: Hold my @Ruffles bag 😂
— ms_afia (@_MsAfiaB) December 1, 2022
Its gonna be a super close MVP race between Jayson Tatum and Luka
— Eric (@eric_leap) December 1, 2022
It’s pretty clear that Tatum and Luka are t2 in mvp race
— • (@30_Burner) December 1, 2022
Tatum and Luka dueling for the mvp is a dream come true
— TST (@TSTerrence_) December 1, 2022
Moreover, NBA Twitter never forgets. Markelle Fultz, who made his return from injury on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, was caught in the crossfire. Fans remember how the Boston Celtics, who had the number one pick in 2017, traded down with the Philadelphia 76ers so they could draft Jayson Tatum instead.
Am I the only one still pissed that the Sixers drafted Fultz over Tatum
— NPhilly (@_Smoove20) December 1, 2022
Philly passed on Tatum for Fultz 🤣
— MT21 (@MThi_59) December 1, 2022
Jayson Tatum is really really fucking good at basketball. Ainge picking him over Fultz might go down as one of the greatest draft decisions of all time.
— JD (@JimmyD86) December 1, 2022
At the end of the day, Tatum’s greatness has elevated the Celtics from good to great. Boston currently has the best record in the NBA at 17-4 with Tatum at the forefront, which may prove to be the difference come season’s end with regards to the MVP race. One thing’s for sure – Tatum has his sights set on a trophy bigger than regular-season validation, especially after coming up short against the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.