Duke basketball: Jayson Tatum can set another postseason career high

Former Duke basketball star Jayson Tatum recorded another double-double on Monday evening as the Boston Celtics rolled.

It’s been a postseason of breaking career highs for Jayson Tatum, and he has the chance to do something he’s yet to do before in Game Six.

Following his double-double in the Boston Celtics’ Game Four loss to the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Tatum and the Celtics knew they needed to come out fighting in Game Five, and that’s exactly what happened.

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Boston took a 25-11 lead into the second quarter and never looked back as its defense held the Raptors to the lowest-scoring quarter throughout the NBA Playoffs.

The Celtics went on to seize a 3-2 series lead thanks to a 111-89 victory behind another double-double from its first-time All-Star with 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block.

While Tatum didn’t have his best shooting night, 5-of-15 from the floor and 1-of-5 from 3-point range, he did put himself in a position to accomplish something he’s never done before in the NBA Playoffs.

If Jayson Tatum records another double-double on Wednesday night in Game Six, it will be the first time in his short postseason career that he has posted three straight double-doubles.

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Tatum has recorded back-to-back double-doubles on multiple occasions throughout his three years in the playoffs, and he is looking to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in those three seasons with a victory.

Not only has Tatum been focused on the task at hand each night on the court, but he’s also honoring those legends that have been lost over the year, remembering his mentor Kobe Bryant with a purple armband on August 24 and last night wearing sneakers remembering Lou Brock.

Brock passed away on Sunday evening and was a standout player for the St. Louis Cardinals, the hometown Major League Baseball team of Jayson Tatum.

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Wearing the throwback colors of the Cardinals, Tatum wrote “R.I.P Lou Brock” on his shoes, honoring the 81-year-old and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer.

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics will look to close out the series and avoid going to a Game Seven on Wednesday night at 6:30pm EST on ESPN.