Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Has Final Chance At Scoring Milestone

Jayson Tatum hasn’t rediscovered his MVP-caliber form since dropping a record-setting 55 points during the NBA All-Star Game in Utah.

Averaging 30.1 points this season, the 24-year-old has averaged just 21 points over the course of Boston’s last three contests since the All-Star break. Minor hiccup? Perhaps. Nevertheless, with the Celtics losing their league-best standing to the Milwaukee Bucks following an ugly loss Monday against the New York Knicks, Tatum has but one game left to add an impressive milestone to his young NBA resume.

With 9,388 total career points to Tatum’s name, he trails Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo for seventh in the NBA’s all-time scoring list before turning 25 years old. However, trails might be an underselling term in this instance. In fact, Tatum would need a breakout night Wednesday when the Celtics face the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden as he sits 40 points from surpassing Antetokounmpo.

So, how far is the milestone from Tatum’s grasp?

Well, while Tatum has 19 40-bombs under his belt, he’s only done so once this season on Feb. 10 against the Charlotte Hornets. Therefore, doing so won’t come easy. And according to oddsmakers, it’s not likely to happen before Tatum turns 25 on Friday.

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Can Reach Milestone In Next Two Games

Feb 27, 2023

Before the Celtics took the floor against the Cavaliers for a third time this season, the line for Tatum’s points total was set at 27.5 with -130 odds to the Over, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. In two previous matchups with Cleveland this season, Tatum has averaged 29 points with 32 on Oct. 28 being his highest.

Here’s the rest of that scoring list:

LeBron James: 13,927 points
Kevin Durant: 12,258 points
Carmelo Anthony: 10,768 points
Kobe Bryant: 10,658 points
Tracy McGrady: 10,420 points
Devin Booker: 9,481 points
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 9,427 points
Jayson Tatum: 9,388 points

More importantly, the Celtics could use a bounce-back win to redirect their momentum with 20 games remaining in the regular season. With two losses to the Cavaliers entering the contest, Boston will look to avoid a season series loss.

Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.