Jayson Tatum Reaches 3,000 Playoff Points in Celtics Win
Jayson Tatum reached 3,000 playoff points in the Celtics’ Game 3 victory on Friday, then followed it Sunday with 30 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and five 3-pointers in Game 4. The Boston forward is stacking milestones while working back from the Achilles injury he suffered last June in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Tatum Joins Celtics Legends
Tatum became the fourth player in Celtics history to score 3,000 playoff points, joining Larry Bird, John Havlicek and Kevin McHale. That list alone puts him in a narrow part of the franchise record book, with his latest output arriving while Boston keeps leaning on him for high-volume production in the postseason.
He also became the fifth player in NBA history with at least 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in the playoffs. The only others in that group are Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Bird, a lineup that shows how far Tatum has climbed across multiple postseason categories rather than in scoring alone.
Game 4 Added More History
Sunday brought another line that stands out on its own: 30 points, 10 rebounds and five 3-pointers in a playoff game. Tatum became the second forward in NBA history to do that, and LeBron James is the only other player to hit that combination.
The performance fit a stretch that has already been productive since Tatum returned from injury. In his 16 regular-season games after the Achilles setback, he averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds, then carried that level into the playoffs with the Game 3 milestone and the Game 4 all-around line.
Boston’s Postseason Load
The Celtics have seen Tatum’s role expand beyond scoring as he keeps accumulating playoff numbers at a pace matched by only a few names in league history. For Boston, the immediate takeaway is simple: he has already passed one major postseason marker and added another the next game, with his return from injury now tied to a resume that includes Bird, Havlicek, McHale, Johnson, James and Durant.
