Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum became the youngest player in franchise history to score more than 50 point in his team’s 145-136 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
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Tatum scored 53 points on an efficient 16-25 shooting from the field, 6-10 shooting from three, and 15-16 shooting from the line.
He also had 10 rebounds, four assists, and a block in 41 minutes played.
The Celtics needed all of Tatum’s 53 points to stave off Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves.
Tatum’s 53 points also marked the first time a Celtics player scored 53 points or more in the regular season since Larry Bird in 1985.
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Former Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas scored 53 points in a playoff game in 2017.
After the game, Tatum described how he felt being compared to the Hall of Fame legend Larry Bird.
“It’s kinda hard to kinda put into words,” Tatum said, via NBA.com.
“Anytime you’re mentioned in any category with someone like that, one of the greatest players ever, is an honor.”
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens compared Tatum to Thomas; who he coached for several years in Boston.
“It was a lot like what I recall about Isaiah on so many occasions, he just wouldn’t let us lose, Stevens said to reporters, via Boston.com.”
The Celtics will look to continue rolling behind Tatum’s stellar play on Sunday (4/11) in an early afternoon contest against the Denver Nuggets.