The Truth has spoken.
Jayson Tatum's ascension to NBA superstardom has been on the cards for a while and the 2022 playoffs are leaving no doubt, that the 24-year-old has arrived as one of the best players in the league.
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Following the Boston Celtics' 109-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3, BeanTown legend Paul Pierce took to Twitter with his take, believing that Tatum "maybe surpassing Kevin Durant in the NBA hierarchy."
I think Jason Tatum maybe surpassing Kevin Durant right before our eyes in the NBA hierarchy
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) April 24, 2022
On the surface, it's quite the take from Pierce, given the series is still not over, but with the Celtics holding a commanding 3-0 series lead and Tatum putting up 29.7 points, 8.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game on .429/.360/.867 shooting splits and dominating on both sides of the ball, he's certainly making Pierce's point.
In Game 3, Tatum was a juggernaut, recording 39 points, six assists, five rebounds and six steals, with his final swipe icing the game as he went coast-to-coast for a dunk.
JAYSON TATUM'S 6TH STEAL GIVES HIM 39 POINTS AND SEALS THE @celtics WIN!
— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2022
They go up 3-0 in Round 1 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GkFVYEQxdG
With his line tonight, he became just the third player in NBA history to reach those marks in a playoff game, (since steals have been tracked), joining Michael Jordan and Rick Barry.
He is also the first Celtics player with at least 30/5/5/5 in a playoff game since Dave Cowens in 1976, per NBA History
While his offensive production has been off the charts, the story of the series has been the Celtics neutralizing Durant on the other end, with Tatum playing stellar defense through the first three games.
In Game 2, he held Durant to 0-of-7 shooting when matched up as his primary defender and in Game 3, Durant was limited to just 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while turning the ball over five times. He only attempted one field goal in the final quarter (playing all 12 minutes) and tonight was his lowest-scoring playoff game since Game 2 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals.
Sure, Tatum has got the jump on Durant so far in this series, but as a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, one-time regular season MVP, six-time All-NBA First Team selection and four-time scoring champion, Durant's resume speaks for itself.
With a potential sweep on the horizon, Tatum and the Celtics look like one of the best teams in the postseason so far. But taking Durant's mantle among the top 1-2 small forwards in the league will still take plenty more work from Tatum.
