Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum gave arguably the best performance of his career Sunday afternoon, outdueling the NBA's best player in Kevin Durant and leading the C's to a 126-120 win over the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden.
Tatum dropped 54 points -- tying Larry Bird for the most 50-point games in Celtics history with four -- on 16-of-30 shooting (8-of-15 from 3-point range) with five rebounds and three assists.
In one week, Tatum scored a combined 124 points over three games in wins versus Durant, Ja Morant's Memphis Grizzlies and Trae Young's Atlanta Hawks. It's one of the most impressive stretches for any player this season.
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Forsberg: Best play from Tatum's big night didn't land in box score
Tatum has been so good that a former Duke star and Chicago Bulls draft pick Jay Williams brought up Kobe Bryant's name when discussing the Celtics forward's evolution.
"As much as we talk about Ja Morant, Luka Doncic and all these young players who are going to be the face of the league, we don't really mention the name Jayson Tatum anymore. It blows my mind," Williams said Monday on ESPN Radio's "Keyshawn, JWill and Max" show.
"Last night, for him to have 54 points -- he reminds me so much of Kobe. That's why when we talk about what kind of trades the Lakers should make -- I'm not saying the Celtics would ever go for it -- but there's so much of that in the way he plays. He put on size and frame now. His game is just built to be one of the best."
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Williams later added: "He's always had that mentality. He's always been that dude who wants the ball down the stretch. He's not afraid of the big moments. We see a lot of players shy away from big moments. That's not who Jayson Tatum is."
The Celtics, led by Tatum's dominant play, have won 16 of their last 19 games, and many of those victories came against teams currently in a playoff spot.
Boston enters Monday just 1.5 games out of second place and 4.5 games behind the first-place Miami Heat. They are clicking on both sides of the ball with a top 10 offense and by far the league's best defense (based on defensive rating) since Jan. 1.
The Celtics will be a very tough out in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and if Tatum is going to play anywhere near this level on a consistent basis, reaching the NBA Finals in June is not an unrealistic goal for the franchise.