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Jayson Tatum Makes NBA History in Celtics-Bulls

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum made NBA history against the Chicago Bulls.

Joey Linn

Dec 21, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks on during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
Dec 21, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks on during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
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The Boston Celtics fell to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night by a final score of 117-108, but bounced right back on Saturday against the same opponent. Blowing Chicago out, Boston got back in the win column with a convincing victory that was led by superstar forward Jayson Tatum.

Finishing the game with 43 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and nine made threes, Tatum did some of everything for the defending NBA champions. An early-season MVP candidate for the 22-6 Celtics, Tatum turned in one of his best all-around showings on Saturday night against Chicago, and it made NBA history.

Jayson Tatum
Dec 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) warms up before the start of the game against the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

With his final line of 43 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and nine made threes, Tatum joined LA Clippers star James Harden as just the second player in NBA history to post this line or better in a single game (via Basketball Reference’s StatHead). Harden achieved the feat in 2016 with the Houston Rockets when he had 53 points, 17 assists, 16 rebounds, and nine made threes against the New York Knicks.

While Tatum has several incredible performances in his NBA career, this was one of the best.

When adding in true shooting percentage, Tatum's performance on Saturday stands alone as the only such game in NBA history.

StatMuse on X shared the historic line for Tatum:

Alongside Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, Tatum helped lead the Celtics to an NBA championship last season. Many felt the five-time NBA All-Star would enter this season extra motivated after his minutes were limited at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While Team USA won gold, Tatum played the second-fewest minutes on the team.

While Tatum may or may not be extra motivated by how the Olympics went, he is amid one of the best seasons of his NBA career, and Saturday’s performance was another incredible showing.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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