Jayson Tatum turned in a career game as the Boston Celtics dominated the Chicago Bulls 123-98 at United Center on Saturday night. The five-time All-Star scored his third triple-double of his career by adding 43 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The historical performance made Tatum the first Celtics player to score 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a single game. He also made nine three-pointers, which made him tied with James Harden as one of the few players ever to record such a line of statistics in NBA history.
Although the opening quarter was a slow three points, Tatum picked it up in the second with 13 points, which he carried over into the third quarter by putting up 18 more. His consistent dominance would eventually allow the Celtics to pull away from an abysmal Bulls offense that shot just 37.9% from the field.
Kristaps Porziņģis scored 22 points, and Jaylen Brown added 19 as part of Boston’s strong show from beyond their initial loss to Chicago. They also dominated in the paint, scoring 62 and grabbing 58 rebounds as well as 25 points second-chance.
For Chicago, Nikola Vu ević scored a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists but his efforts were not enough to extend Chicago’s three-game winning streak.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla praised Tatum, pointing out his often-overlooked consistency and talent. “People take him for granted because he makes greatness look effortless,” said Mazzulla.
Tatum’s MVP-caliber performance sets a high bar as the Celtics head to Orlando to face the Magic on Monday, while the Bulls host the Milwaukee Bucks.
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