How many 50-point games does Jayson Tatum have? Listing Celtics superstar's top 5 performances
Jayson Tatum is on the fast track to superstardom. The St. Louis native is already a three-time All-NBA selection and is expected to be in MVP discussions throughout the upcoming season. Since entering the NBA as the third pick in the 2017 NBA draft, Tatum has amassed significant postseason experience.
That experience has allowed Tatum to develop his game at a rapid rate. The 6-foot-8 forward is seen as a top-10 player in the NBA. Of course, a big part of Tatum's popularity is his impressive scoring ability and picturesque shooting form.
Throughout his tenure in the NBA, Tatum has produced some impressive performances, racking up five 50-point games to help raise his profile with fans worldwide.
Here are Jayson Tatum's top-5 performances of his career so far.
Jayson Tatum's top-5 performances of his career
#5 51 points against the Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets spent the 2022-23 season nursing numerous injuries and dealing with Miles Bridges' suspension. As such, the Hornets were among the worst teams in the NBA. However, that didn't stop Jayson Tatum from having one of the best scoring nights of his career.
Boston's superstar forward scored 51 points, had nine rebounds and dished out five assists en route to one of the best scoring performances of his entire career.
#4 51 points against the Washington Wizards
Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal are close friends, as they are both from St. Louis. However, that friendship pauses when they take the court against each other. Beal may have been asking Tatum to ease up by the end of their Jan. 23, 2022, contest, though, as the Celtics star forward dropped 41 points in 33 minutes, along with 10 rebounds and seven assists.
#3 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs
Scoring 50 points is a tough feat in the NBA. Scoring 60 is almost unheard of. Yet, on April 30, 2021, Tatum dropped 60 points on the San Antonio Spurs. The budding superstar shot 54.1% from the field, as he torched Gregg Popovich's team to set a new career record in scoring.
#2 54 points against the Brooklyn Nets
On March 6, 2022, Tatum dropped 54 points in a game against the Brooklyn Nets. The contest came while Brooklyn still had their superstar big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
However, Harden wasn't part of the rotation during the game where Tatum caught fire on the offensive end. Nevertheless, scoring 54 points against a Durant-led team is impressive and was another example of how dominant Tatum can be when he's producing at the highest level.
#1 53 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves
On April 9, 2021, Jayson Tatum came alive for his first-ever 50+ points performance. The All-Star forward scored 53 points in 41 minutes of playing time, while also grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out four assists. Tatum shot 64.0% from the field and 60.0% from deep during the game and went 15-of-16 from the free-throw line.
For Celtics fans, Tatum's performance was the first sign that he was ready to take the next step in his development and become the star they'd been hoping for.
Still, at just 25 years old, Tatum has plenty of time and opportunity to beat his own scoring record and produce countless more big-scoring performances.