The Boston Celtics are hitting their stride at exactly the right time. And Jayson Tatum is starting to look like himself again.
Less than a month after returning from a torn Achilles, Tatum posted his first triple-double of the season on Wednesday night in a 147-129 blowout of the Miami Heat. It was the kind of performance that serves as a reminder of what this Celtics team is capable of when fully healthy.
The rest of the Eastern Conference has been warned.
Tatum’s Night and What It Means
GettyJayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
Tatum finished with 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists on Wednesday. It was the fifth triple-double of his nine-year career and his first since February 2025. The numbers alone are impressive. The context makes them more so.
This is a player who tore his Achilles in early March and has since helped Boston win 10 of their last 12 games. Since their last loss with Tatum in the lineup, a 102-92 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he has averaged 25.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game. The recovery has been remarkable by any measure.
Jaylen Brown was equally dominant on Wednesday, leading all scorers with 43 points on 17-of-29 shooting. Together, Tatum and Brown scored or assisted on 107 of Boston’s 147 points. That kind of production from two players is difficult for anyone in the league to match.
The Historic First Quarter
The game was effectively decided before the first quarter was over. Boston scored 53 points in the opening 12 minutes, a franchise record and tied for the second-highest-scoring first quarter in NBA regular season history. Only the Warriors’ 55-point first quarter against Portland in April 2023 stands alone above it.
Sam Hauser was extraordinary in the opening period, going 5-for-5 from three while playing all 12 minutes and finishing with 23 points on the night. Brown had 20 points by himself in the first quarter alone. Boston shot 20-for-28 from the field and 11-for-15 from three in those first 12 minutes, leading 53-33 at the end of the period.
Miami never recovered. The Celtics completed a 4-0 season sweep of the Heat with the win.
Where the Celtics Stand
The win moves Boston to 51-25 on the season, three games ahead of the New York Knicks for the second seed in the Eastern Conference with six games remaining. The Celtics hold the third-best NBA title odds behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. With Tatum healthy and the playoffs approaching, the Celtics are hitting their stride at the right time.
Final Word for the Celtics
A triple-double less than a month after tearing his Achilles. Ten wins in twelve games since his return. Tatum is not easing his way back into the season. He is taking it over.
The Celtics are peaking at the right moment. With the playoffs around the corner, that is a problem for everyone else in the East.
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