Duke basketball superstar etches name next to legend in history books

Former Duke basketball star Jayson Tatum etched his name next to an NBA legend. 

It was the third-largest comeback in NBA history over the last 25 years, and former Duke basketball standout Jayson Tatum was at the center of it.

The Boston Celtics (34-30) trailed by as many as 32 points against the San Antonio Spurs (31-31) on Friday night, and the C’s were booed off the floor at halftime.

However, the displeasure from the fans and spirited locker room lit a spark underneath the Celtics as Tatum capped off his night with 60 points in a 143-140 overtime victory.

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The former Blue Devil was 20-of-37 from the floor, 5-of-7 from 3-point range, and 15-of-17 from the free throw line with eight rebounds and five assists while not committing a turnover in the win.

Jayson Tatum now stands next to Celtics and NBA legend Larry Bird with the most points in a single game in Boston history, and his 60 points were clearly a career-high for the two-time All-Star.

No other Celtics player scored more than 17 points, and the one negative with Tatum’s performance is that he missed the game-winning shot as time expired in regulation.

Jaylen Brown hit the game-winning shot in overtime, but it was Tatum who iced the game at the free throw line for the Celtics.

Duke basketball superstar helps team snap out of cold stretch

The Boston Celtics had lost three straight games with the final month of the regular season approaching, but back-to-back wins over the Charlotte Hornets (30-32) and Spurs have righted the ship once again.

Jayson Tatum dropped 35 points in the victory against the Hornets and will be looking to continue his hot streak on Sunday night against the Portland Trail Blazers (35-28).

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Boston is currently tied with the Atlanta Hawks, and the Celtics would narrowly miss the NBA Play-In Tournament if the season ended today as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Celtics only lead the Miami Heat (33-30), the No. 7 seed, by a half-game.