The Boston Celtics rallied back from a 32-point deficit and won a high-octane overtime thriller 143-140 against the San Antonio Spurs, thanks to a jaw-dropping 60 points from Jayson Tatum.
Tatum knocked down 20 shots from the floor, including five 3-pointers, and added another 15 points from the free-throw line en route to his 60 points. Tatum shot 5-for-7 from downtown, and 20-for-37 overall. He also added eight rebounds and five assists.
Tatum joins Bradley Beal and Steph Curry as the only three players to score 60 or more points in a game this season. In early January, Washington Wizards star Beal set a career-high with 60 points, while Curry dropped 62 points for a career-night with the Golden State Warriors.
| MOST POINTS IN GAME THIS SEASON |
| POINTS | DATE | OPPONENT | |
| Steph Curry | 62 | 1/3/2021 | Portland |
| Bradley Beal | 60 | 1/6/2021 | Philadelphia |
| Jayson Tatum | 60 | 4/30/2021 | San Antonio |
Tatum, the former third overall pick from the 2017 NBA Draft, averages a career-high 25.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season.
He’s been on a tear during his last 11 games, in which the Celtics went 8-3. He scored 32 or more points six times, and he scored 44 or more points three times in the last three weeks.
Tatum Ties Larry Bird
The 60 points from Tatum ties a single-game team record with Larry Bird. Bird torched the Atlanta Hawks for 60 points back in 1985.
“Tying a legend like Larry Bird? Impressive feat, considering the company,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.
Tatum, who turned 23-years old two months ago, becomes only the second youngest player in NBA history to score 60 or more points in a game. Devin Booker, who was 20 at the time, holds the NBA record for youngest player to score 60-plus points in a game.
Tatum also became the first member of the Celtics to scored multiple 50-point games in the same season. In early April, he lit up the Minnesota Timberwolves for 53 points.
Dropping 60 for the Comeback Celts
The San Antonio Spurs are a bubble team that cannot afford to lose any games in the final weeks of the season. The Celtics hosted the short-handed Spurs, who came out of the locker room fired up for this Friday night showdown. The Spurs went on a heater and couldn’t miss a shot by shooting a blistering 71.4% from the floor in the first half.
The Celtics got off to a horrendous start and only scored 16 points in the first quarter. Tatum scored 14 points, but the rest of the team combined for just two points.
The Spurs opened a 32-point lead in the first half and led by 29 at halftime. The Celtics hunkered down and stopped the bleeding in the second half before they unleashed one of the sickest comebacks of the season. The Celtic were still down by 13 points at the start of the fourth quarter, but forced an overtime session.
“The best part was just coming back and winning and seeing everyone contribute,” said Tatum.
Tatum scored 24 points in the first half on 9-for-17 shooting. He shot 11-for-20 in the second half and overtime.
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