The Boston Celtics' exciting overtime win against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden on Thursday night wasn't pretty by any means. In fact, it was one of their ugliest victories of the 2022-23 NBA season.
But winning is all that really matters, and the Celtics finally ended the Warriors' four-game win streak over Boston that began in the 2022 NBA Finals.
How Celtics can benefit from 'chaos' of wild OT win vs. Warriors
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One player who played a crucial role in the C's 121-118 win was Jayson Tatum. It was a struggle at times for Tatum, as he turned the ball over seven times, including a couple late in the game.
But he made a tremendous impact in several areas. In addition to scoring a game-high 34 points, he led all players with 19 rebounds. Tatum chipped in six assists, three steals and shot a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line, too.
His impressive all-around stat line helped him make Celtics history in multiple ways.
- Tatum became the first Celtics player to tally 30-plus points, 15-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists in a game since Paul Pierce in 2002 (via NBA History).
- Tatum joins Larry Bird, Dave Cowens, Robert Parish and Bill Russell as the only Celtics players ever to record at least 34 points and 19 rebounds in a game (via Taylor Snow, Celtics).
Tatum is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season. He's averaging a career-high 31.2 points, along with 8.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He's on pace to become the first Celtics player ever to average 30-plus points for an entire season.
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His stellar play should be rewarded soon with another All-Star selection. Tatum has a strong case to be a starter in the game for the second straight year. The All-Star starters are set to be announced next Thursday, Jan. 26.