Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Returning to action Tuesday
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Tatum (rest) is available and starting in Tuesday's preseason game against the Raptors, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Boston rested their starters for Sunday's contest against Toronto, but they are expected to play more than they have in previous preseason outings during Tuesday's rematch. Tatum has looked sharp in three preseason games, averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 21.8 minutes.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Resting Sunday
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Coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum (rest) won't play in Sunday's preseason game against the Raptors, Jay King of The Athletic reports.
Tatum played 23 minutes during Saturday's preseason win over the 76ers and posted 16 points (5-11 FG), 10 rebounds and six assists. His last chance to suit up during the preseason will come Tuesday in a rematch against Toronto.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Double-doubles in blowout win
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Tatum had 16 points (5-11 FG, 3-8 3PT, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block in 23 minutes during Saturday's preseason win over the 76ers.
Tatum was in cruise control, taking advantage of a favorable matchup by racking up a double-double in quick time. This was basically a training run for the Celtics, facing off against a vastly undermanned 76ers squad. Tatum is who he is at this point in his career, but he will be looking to expand his game even further as Boston looks to reach the summit once again. He is a safe target in the mid-to-late first round of drafts.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Scores 12 points Friday
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Tatum notched 12 points (4-11 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds and five assists across 20 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
Luke Kornet was the only starter who reached the 20-minute mark in the preseason opener, but when he was out there, Tatum was the clear focal point of the Celtics' offense. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, as Tatum has been one of the most consistent performers in the league over the last few years and is a key cog in Boston's offensive scheme. The final shooting line wasn't pretty, but preseason stats shouldn't matter much. Expect Tatum to be a man on a mission as he aims to lead the Celtics to a second consecutive NBA title in 2024-25.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Double-double in Olympic win
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Tatum amassed 10 points (4-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals across 23 minutes in Team USA's 104-83 win over Puerto Rico in the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Tatum stuffed the stat sheet and led Team USA with a game-high 10 rebounds in its blowout win. The 2024 NBA champion did not appear in the squad's first group-phase win over Serbia; however, he has seen an uptick in playing time over the last two games, which could continue into the Olympic quarterfinals. The 26-year-old accumulated 14 points, 15 rebounds and five assists across 40 minutes in two group-stage contests.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Starting for Team USA
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Tatum will start Team USA's game against South Sudan on Wednesday.
After not appearing in Team USA's 110-84 win over Serbia on Sunday, Tatum will move into the starting lineup Wednesday. Anthony Davis has also been promoted to the first unit, joining Devin Booker, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Tatum with Kevin Durant operating off the bench again.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Agrees to historic extension
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Tatum and the Celtics agreed to a five-year, $315 million supermax extension with a player option Monday, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Tatum didn't win Eastern Conference Finals MVP or Finals MVP but was arguably the Celtics' best player during their championship run and has been rewarded with the largest contract in NBA history. He's still just 26 years old, and on top of being an NBA champion, Tatum has been named to three All-NBA First Teams and five All-Star Games, winning the 2023 All-Star Game MVP. The Celtics have Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday locked up long term and are the early favorites to win the 2024-25 championship.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Does it all in Game 5 victory
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Tatum had 31 points (11-24 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 8-8 FT), 11 assists, eight rebounds and two steals across 45 minutes during Monday's 106-88 win over the Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Tatum had an all-time classic of a game to help deliver Boston banner No. 18 on Monday. The five-time All-Star was the first Celtics player since Larry Bird in 1986 with 20-plus points, 10-plus assists and five-plus rebounds in an NBA Finals game. The 26-year-old averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks across five contests in the Finals. Overall, Tatum was spectacular in the 2023-24 playoffs, averaging 25.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 42.7 percent from the field. The Celtics will look to repeat their success next season, as Tatum and Jaylen Brown will attempt to lead the team to back-to-back titles.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: So-so line in woeful team showing
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Tatum chipped in 15 points (4-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 6-6 FT), five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal across 27 minutes during Friday's 122-84 loss to the Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
The Celtics had a dreadful showing on both ends of the court Friday, as they suffered one of the most lopsided defeats in the history of the NBA Finals. Tatum didn't have a good shooting performance, but his 15-point output aligned with the numbers he'd been posting during the last few games with the exception of his 31-point effort in Game 3. Tatum and the rest of the Celtics will look to bounce back to close out the series Monday at home.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Explodes for 31 points in Game 3
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Tatum ended with 31 points (11-26 FG, 4-13 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one steal over 42 minutes during Wednesday's 106-99 victory over the Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
After relatively poor scoring in Games 1 and 2, Tatum paced the Celtics with 31 points on what was still a poor shooting night for the All-NBA forward. The absence of Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) forced Tatum and Jaylen Brown (30 points) to shoulder more of the scoring load. Tatum was up for the challenge. He is still shooting a poor 35.9 from the field during the Finals, but a 3-0 lead is likely more important to the seven-year veteran. Tatum and the Celtics will look to finish the Finals in Dallas on Friday.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Sniffs triple-double in Game 2 win
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Tatum notched 18 points (6-22 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 5-6 FT), nine rebounds, 12 assists and one steal across 45 minutes during Sunday's 105-98 win over the Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Tatum struggled massively from the field and needed 22 shots to score 18 points, but he compensated for the lack of efficiency with an elite showing on both ends of the court. He ended just one rebound shy of a triple-double, and he also became the third player in team history to record at least 18 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists in an NBA Finals game, joining two franchise legends in Larry Bird and Bob Cousy. His subpar shooting percentages could hurt fantasy managers a bit, but that won't matter much if he continues to put up these elite all-around numbers throughout the rest of the series.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Double-doubles in Game 1 win
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Tatum finished with 16 points (6-16 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists and one block across 42 minutes during Thursday's 107-89 win over the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Tatum took a step back on offense behind the impressive performances of both Jaylen Brown (22 points) and Kristaps Porzingis (20 points off the bench), but Tatum delivered a strong fantasy line even though his shot wasn't falling. He snapped a streak of eight consecutive outings with at least 20 points, but he should remain Boston's go-to player on offense, as well as a strong candidate for a bounce-back effort, in Game 2 on Sunday.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Sniffs triple-double in Game 4 win
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Tatum totaled 26 points (11-26 FG, 3-11 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 13 rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 44 minutes during Monday's 105-102 victory over the Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Even though Tatum needed 26 shots to score 26 points, the star forward once again came through when called upon, and he finished just two assists away from recording what would've been his first triple-double since April 21. Tatum has been on an absolute tear of late and has scored 25 or more points in all but one of his last eight contests, so he comes into the NBA Finals with plenty of momentum.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Carries Boston to Game 3 win
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Tatum contributed 36 points (12-23 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 7-11 FT), 10 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and one steal in 44 minutes during Saturday's 114-111 victory over the Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Tatum came through every time the Celtics needed him in this hard-fought Game 3 victory. Aside from leading Boston in scoring, he also finished two assists away from recording a triple-double. Tatum has been improving with each passing round and has been on an absolute tear of late, surpassing the 30-point mark in four of his last six appearances while averaging 31.7 points per game in the current series against Indiana.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Posts 23 points in Game 2 victory
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Tatum posted 23 points (9-20 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and five assists across 42 minutes during Thursday's 126-110 victory over the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Tatum endured a slow start in this game, but he improved as the contest progressed, and the star forward ended with a solid stat line even though his shot wasn't falling, particularly from three-point range. Tatum has surpassed the 20-point mark in each of his last six playoff appearances and should continue to lead the Celtics on offense when the series shifts to Indiana for Game 3 on Saturday.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Drops 36 points in Game 1 win
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Tatum amassed 36 points (12-26 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 10-12 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals in 46 minutes during Tuesday's 133-128 overtime win over Indiana in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Everyone knows what Tatum can do offensively, and he's now scored at least 33 points in three of his last four games. However, it was his defense on Tyrese Haliburton that was ultimately the difference in this game. Tatum was clutch in overtime, and Boston will now head into Game 2 with a ton of momentum.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Nears triple-double in Game 5 win
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Tatum supplied 25 points (9-16 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals across 43 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 win over Cleveland in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Tatum once again led Boston in this round, nearing a triple-double to boost the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum led all Boston players in scoring, assists and steals while hauling in a double-digit rebound mark and coming up one dime shy of a triple-double. Tatum joined Larry Bird as the only Celtics players with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in a playoff game. If Tatum can continue to play at the level he played at in the series vs. Cleveland, Boston will be a tough team to top in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Does it all in Game 4 victory
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Tatum had 33 points (11-25 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 9-9 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, one block and two steals across 44 minutes during Monday's 109-102 win over the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Tatum did a little bit of everything to lead Boston to taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, pacing all players in Monday's contest in scoring and rebounds while shooting a perfect mark from the free-throw line and adding a handful of assists along with a pair of steals. Tatum has scored 25 or more points in three of his four games against Cleveland, turning things up a notch over the last two contests while posting at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five dimes in each game.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Leading scorer in Game 2 defeat
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Tatum tallied 25 points (7-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 9-11 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and one steal over 38 minutes in Thursday's 118-94 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Tatum once again led Boston offensively in Game 2, pacing all Celtics in scoring while handing out a team-high half-dozen assists to go along with a team-best rebound total in a well-rounded outing. Tatum, who also connected on a team-leading total from the free-throw line, has surpassed the 20-point mark in five of his seven games this postseason, adding at least seven rebounds to go with six-plus assists in three outings.
Tatum totaled 18 points (7-19 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks over 35 minutes during Tuesday's 120-95 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Celtics cruised to a 25-point win in the series opener, but Tatum's shooting struggles can't be overlooked, as he had a rough outing and struggled to get things going offensively. The fact that he still came close to reaching the 20-point mark while also posting a double-double goes to show just how immensely talented he is, as he can post above-average numbers even when he has a down night by his standards. Tatum will aim to deliver a bounce-back performance in Game 2 on Thursday.
