Jayson Tatum's latest historical achievement captures something far greater

Jayson Tatum has a history of torching the Charlotte Hornets when the former Duke Blue Devil returns to North Carolina. That includes a 51-point performance in 2023 as well as three other games where he scored at least 41 points.

And while his alma mater didn't fare as well as on Sunday, suffering a heartbreaking loss in the Elite 8, the Boston Celtics' star forward led his team to a 114-99 win in the "Queen City."

Tatum finished with 32 points and eight assists, both game-highs. He also grabbed five rebounds, registered a rejection, and didn't commit a turnover despite his high usage rate.

The six-time All-Star surpassed 14,000 career points in the victory. He is the youngest player in franchise history to reach that milestone.

Jayson Tatum breathes life into the Celtics' championship hopes

The four-time All-NBA First Team selection looks more impressive by the game. He's still ramping up, and people should continue to give him grace as he works to return to the standard he established before his injury. However, his performance in Charlotte was the best he has looked offensively since returning, in the opinion of this author.

The Hornets switched against the pick-and-roll when they had their starting and more mobile center, Moussa Diabate, on the floor. They also did so when the visitors targeted a favorable mismatch against a perimeter player, like Liam McNeeley.

When the hosts brought the larger and slower-footed Ryan Kalkbrenner off the bench, they had to play in drop coverage. They also threw double teams at Tatum. As Charles Lee spun the wheel, the cerebral veteran carved up whatever coverage his former assistant coach threw at him.

"I thought he did a good job just getting to the spot that he wanted. Saw a bunch of different coverages tonight, he was able to diagnose those," said Joe Mazzulla post-game. "I thought he did a great job on the offensive end, just diagnosing the different coverages and making the play that was necessary."

The 28-year-old forward's three-level scoring was on display. He went to work in the mid-range, attacked the basket, and buried 5/10 threes. Regarding the latter, he showed off his range with multiple makes from 27 feet.

Tatum's long-range success was a great sign as he continues to get his legs underneath him. He uncorked side-step threes, one-dribble pull-ups, and let fans know this contest was over after drilling a three in Miles Bridges' face.

Between that and the combination of slitheriness and explosiveness that he demonstrated, his latest performance was incredibly encouraging when thinking about the level he could be at in the postseason.

And then there were those eight assists. The St. Louis, Missouri, native made Charlotte pay for doubling him, he created two-on-ones, and generated points for his teammates with his ability off the dribble.

It was the latest example of why the Celtics, who secured their 50th win and a spot in the playoffs with Sunday's victory, are to be taken seriously as a team that can win the championship this year.

"We know if we want to win a championship, we need him at a high level," said Payton Pritchard post-game. "So, it's definitely encouraging, but he's getting better and better each game and looking more and more like himself."

As he does so, Boston looks more and more like the team to beat in the East, with its goal of lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy becoming increasingly realistic.