Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum continues his strong play less than a month after returning from a torn Achilles. Against the rival Miami Heat on Wednesday, Tatum scattered 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists in 37 minutes. The triple-double was the fifth in the versatile forward’s career and first since February 2025.
Fans reacted to the milestone as Tatum looks to build on even better form for the playoffs. One fan wrote:
“Yo. Them Joker-type numbers.”
Another fan added:
“Bro really tore his Achilles and came back dropping a casual 25-18-11 triple-double like it’s nothing.”
One more fan continued:
“League thought they had a year off.”
Another fan commented:
“Tatum’s league. We just living in it.”
One fan tweeted:
“Tatum on a wheelchair is deada** a better player than Podz. You can’t make ts up.”
Jayson Tatum has had his ups and downs after returning less than a year from a major injury. While some thought the Celtics should have sidelined him for the season, the six-time All-Star suited up to help his team’s surprising playoff push and eventual clinching.
With help from the 2024 NBA champ, the Celtics exploded to a 53-point first quarter against the Heat, which “tied the second-highest total for an opening quarter in NBA history,” according to ESPN.
Boston connected on 11 of 13 shots to start the game and dropped a crippling 24-3 run to end the first 12 minutes. The Celtics were a little sloppy in the next two quarters before sprinting to a 147-129 finish.
While Jayson Tatum isn’t the triple-double machine that Nikola Jokic is, the Celtics have been playing well with “Taco Jay” in the lineup. They are now 10-2 when Tatum is available.
Jayson Tatum, Celtics Unlikely To Catch Detroit Pistons for No. 1 Eastern Conference Seed
The win against the Miami Heat improved the Boston Celtics’ record to 51-25 for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. With six games remaining, they are unlikely to catch the Detroit Pistons (55-21) for the top spot in their conference. Boston also lost the season series 1-3 to Detroit, giving Cade Cunningham and Co. the tiebreaker if they finish with the same record.
Although the No. 1 seed is likely out of their grasp, Jayson Tatum and Co. have to keep winning. They are only 2.5 games ahead of the New York Knicks, which whipped the Memphis Grizzlies 130-119 on Tuesday, in the standings.
Regardless of where they end up, the Celtics have had a remarkable run even before Tatum returned. Four of four NBA.com analysts predicted them to be a play-in tournament team heading into the season. Now, they’ll likely end up with the second-best record in the East.
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