Despite struggling with his three-point shot, Jayson Tatum was off to a great start to the 2026-27 season. But that changed on Friday night when the shot started falling, and the Celtics’ superstar took his game to another level. Tatum dropped 34 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds while playing just 29 minutes and resting for the entire fourth quarter as Boston smoked the Hornets, 119-80.
It may not have been Tatum’s most impressive stat line of the season, but it was definitely his most impressive overall performance. He shot 9-for-16 from the floor and 5-for-8 from three-point range, proving that when the step-back and side-step threes are going down, there’s absolutely nothing that defenses can do.
Tatum finally got the 3-ball going on Friday night
He hit a couple of shots early, and you could tell he was locked in. He had 18, 4, and 4 after the first quarter, and with the Celtics leading 40-20, the game was essentially over. Even after this game, Tatum is shooting just 28.6% from long distance this season, which shows just how much his stroke has been off.
We’ve seen him start slowly in years past, so this is nothing out of the ordinary and no reason for concern, but it’s a reminder that once he does get going - which he always does - he’s unstoppable. That’s even more true than ever now that he seems to have taken a major playmaking leap, as he’s averaging 8 assists per game, which would easily be a career high.
He’s getting to the basket, he’s getting to the free-throw line, he’s making plays for others. If he gets hot and starts making shots, look out. Despite the Achilles injury, it’s becoming clear that this version of Tatum is the best we’ve ever seen, and he has unlocked a new level that’s making him a legitimate MVP candidate.
Tatum is putting together quite the case for MVP
He may never put up the gaudy stats of Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, or other candidates, but he’s doing just as much for his team this season, and bringing elite defensive play to boot. He’s also doing this while operating off the ball more and allowing the offense to flow and his teammates to gain confidence.
This is everything that Celtics fans could have possibly wanted to see from Tatum, and the fact that it’s already coming together this well and the team is largely dominating opponents is a great sign. There’s still so much room for growth and improvement, and it’s pretty easy to see how the team can have an elite offense and defense.
It’s also promising that so much will naturally be improved by simply making shots, as we saw on Friday night. He’s averaging 28 points and 8 assists per game already, and we know the shooting is going to vastly improve. Things are going to even out, and water is going to find its level. Hopefully, this was the start of that for Tatum, and if it is, look out, NBA.
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