Jayson Tatum stats today: Celtics star flirts with rare 50-point triple-double in loss to Cavaliers

The Cavaliers picked up a huge win over the Celtics on Friday night, coming from behind to beat Boston 123-116. With the victory, Cleveland extended its lead in the Eastern Conference, moving to 49-10 and 7.5 games up on the 42-18 Celtics.

The Celtics gave Cleveland all it had, as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 83 points. Tatum, in particular, had a monster game and almost recorded a rare 50-point triple-double.

Boston’s star had 30 points in the first half, pushing the Celtics to a 10-point lead at the break. However, Cleveland outscored Boston by 15 in the second half, limiting Tatum to just 16 points.

Here’s a breakdown of Tatum’s night despite the Celtics’ loss.

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Jayson Tatum stats vs. Cavaliers

Tatum ended his 40:35 of action with 46 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists, and three blocks, just four points and one assist away from a 50-point triple-double. He hit 19-of-37 attempts from the field, including 4-of-12 from deep, and shot 4-of-5 from the free throw line, capping an efficient scoring night. 

However, Tatum had 30-9-7 at the break, so he slowed down considerably in terms of scoring and playmaking. He remained a solid rebounder all night, but the Cavs put the clamps down on Boston’s offense in the second half, limiting it to just 42 points after a 74-point first half.

Jayson Tatum career high in points

Tatum’s career-high in points is 60, which he recorded against the Spurs on April 30, 2021. In that game, Tatum played 45 minutes and also added eight rebounds and five assists to help the Celtics beat San Antonio 143-140 in overtime.

Jayson Tatum 50-point games

Tatum has recorded five 50-point games in his career, all of which have come since 2021.

NBA Players with 50-point Triple-Doubles

Had Tatum netted four more points and dished out one more assist against Cleveland, he would’ve become just the eighth player in NBA history with a 50-point triple-double. James Harden is the all-time leader with five 50-point triple-doubles in his career, recording all of them in three-year stretch. Right behind him is Russell Westbrook, who has three such games in his career.