Jayson Tatum’s Increased Responsibility Leads To First Triple-Double

Jayson Tatum has had to wear a lot of hats this season, especially in games like Monday night’s against the Chicago Bulls when the All-Star forward had to step up as a primary playmaker.

The Boston Celtics were without starting point guard Kemba Walker and another core ball handler in Marcus Smart during the 102-96 loss, and it showed prominently during a stagnant stretch in the third quarter.

But Tatum was facilitating well from the jump, and by the time he started scoring a bit more, an off night resulted in the first triple-double of his career.

“I wasn’t scoring like I normally do so I was trying to impact the game as much as I could in other ways to try to help us get a win tonight,” Tatum said in his postgame media availability. “I had too many turnovers, obviously didn’t shoot well. Just a tough night. You know, one of the nights you wish you could have back.”

It was the fourth quarter when the 23-year-old turned a night that should have been remembered for his 3-for-17 shooting performance with four turnovers into a productive showing.

He’s the second-youngest player in Celtics franchise history to record a triple-double, too.

“Just know I just got to do a little bit more,” Tatum said of these shorthanded games. “You know, I know I’m expected to do a little bit of everything on every given night, and I think it’s just emphasized a little bit more when those guys are out.”