Across NBA history, there have been a number of legendary performances by NBA stars visiting Madison Square Garden, and on Saturday night, Jayson Tatum added his name to that list. After dropping 37 on the New York Knicks on Opening Night earlier this season, Tatum one-upped his season-opening performance with a 40-piece in Saturday night’s 131-104 win.
With his first points of the game, Tatum set the tone early by dunking on Precious Achiuwa. From that moment, everyone should have known it was going to be a special night.
Things got better for Tatum but worse for Achiuwa when Tatum hit him with a filthy behind-the-back, step-back shot, which caused Achiuwa to stumble while trying to guard him.
When asked postgame what his mentality was entering the game, Tatum mentioned bouncing back from the loss against the Mavs, as well as some inspiration from a celebrity spectator.
“We lost [the] last game and finding out that KP was out right before the game knowing it was going to be a challenge. I saw Denzel Washington sitting courtside so I was excited by that,” Tatum said.
What was even more impressive was when New York got its rhythm in the third quarter and cut the lead to three points. Tatum (and Derrick White) went to another level and fueled the team to a 19-3 run to re-establish a double-digit lead.
Tatum scored 19 points in the third quarter — his most in any quarter this season — to silence MSG. He was asked if the longer stretches being on the court played a factor in his big scoring outburst.
“Usually they come when I play the whole quarter or a longer stretch. You see some free throws in, maybe a couple in transition, and then the tougher shots feel a little bit easier,” he said.
Jayson Tatum has logged 7 career games of making at least 7 threes and 7 FT, which ties him with Kobe Bryant for the 7th-most such games in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/YUazSLrqqh
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) February 9, 2025
Not only does playing longer stretches help Tatum get into a rhythm offensively, but playing on a stage like MSG also plays a role.
“Besides Boston, it’s probably the best place to play. They got all the celebrities, but they also have an edge about them. They know basketball, they’re passionate, they’re chanting and cheering the whole time. It’s a special place to play,” Tatum said.
When Tatum mixes up his offense and doesn’t settle for long-range threes, he’s one of the best scorers in the league. Tatum knocked down seven three-pointers, got to the line nine times, and made every shot look effortless. The best part about his offensive game was he took what the defense gave him and he made them pay.
In addition to putting on a show, Tatum passed both JoJo White and Dave Cowens to become the ninth-highest scorer in Celtics history.
After informing Joe Mazzulla of Tatum being in the top 10, he still believes he’s “underrated.”
“I just feel happy for him… I think he’s still underrated. One of the best players out there,” Mazzulla said.
