Jayson Tatum played his cards well during the 2023 NBA All-Star weekend. Instead of wasting his hot hand during the 3-point contest Saturday night, he elected to show out in the big game.
The Boston Celtics star scored an NBA All-Star record 55 points, as Tatum also shot 10-of-18 from 3-point territory alongside 10 rebounds and six assists.
Team captain Giannis Antetokounmpo selected Tatum with his first starter selection before the game started, and to say that move paid dividends would be an understatement.
Tatum was named Kobe Bryant KIA Most Valuable Player after surpassing Anthony Davis' previous All-Star Game scoring record of 52 points from 2017.
"See your first 3 go in, keep shooting. Stay hot and just kept running" Tatum said, as seen on TNT's live broadcast. "... It means the world. You think of all the legends and great players that's played this game. And in all honesty, records are meant to be broken. So I'll hold it for as long as I can but I'm certain someone will come along in a couple of years and try to break it."
The showing was historic for Tatum. Before the game even tipped off, Tatum became the youngest Celtics player in history to mark four All-Star selections. Then in the third quarter, Tatum decided to aim for the history books once more. He scored 27 points in the third quarter, which was the most ever scored in a single quarter in NBA All-Star Game history, according to Celtics.com reporter Marc D'Amico.
Tatum also became the eighth Celtics representative to bring the MVP honors back to Boston, and the first to do so since Larry Bird in 1982
Needless to say, Team Giannis came up victorious, 184-175, after back-to-back losses versus Team LeBron.
Tatum will get to back business with the Celtics on Thursday night when Boston faces off against the Indiana Pacers. The C's, with their NBA-best 42-17 record, will tip off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. ET.
