Jayson Tatum has been having an MVP-caliber season for the Boston Celtics. He has had multiple explosive scoring games this season and on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets, he dropped 41 points in a win. The game as his eighth game this season scoring at least 40 points and it moved him into a tie with Paul Pierce for the third-most 40 point games in a season as per ESPN's Stats&Info page. Pierce achieved that feat during the 2000-01 season. Larry Bird is the Celtics all-time leader in most 40 point games in a season with nine during the 1984-85 season and 11 during the 1987-88 season.

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Jayson Tatum was named to his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance and this season he was voted in by fans, media and players as a starter. Tatum's first 40 point game of the season came in only the Celtics third game of the year when he dropped 40 against the Orlando Magic in a win on Oct. 22. He dropped a season-high 51 points against the Charlotte Hornets in a win on Jan. 16. Tatum's career-high in points is 60 which he reached against the San Antonio Spurs on April 30, 2021.

Overall this season, Tatum has been averaging a career-high 30.6 points per game, 8.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steals with shooting splits of 46.2 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from the three-point line and 86.8 percent from the free-throw line. Behind Tatum's stellar play, the Celtics are 40-16 and in first place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are a full game up ahead of the second place Milwaukee Bucks. It's safe to say that Tatum will carry on the Celtic legacy left by Larry Bird and Paul Pierce.