Tatum’s career-high 53 help Celtics top T-Wolves 145-136
BOSTON — The only regret Jayson Tatum had about his first career 50-point game was that his 2-year-old son wasn’t there to see it.
But the All-Star has a solution for that.
“It just means I’ll have to do it again someday,” Tatum said. “He’ll be there next time.”
Tatum scored a career-high 53 points — including 18 in the fourth quarter and overtime — and the Boston Celtics held on to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 145-136 on Friday.
It was the first 50-point game for the 23-year-old, who eclipsed his previous high of 41. Jaylen Brown had 26 points, and Marcus Smart added 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds to help Boston post its fourth win in five games.
“Scoring 50 is a big thing in this league and especially at this age,” Tatum said. “It’s a night I will always remember. First 50-point game and we got the win on top of that. … Every win right now is big. So we’ll
take it.”
The last time a Celtics player scored 53 points in a game was Isaiah Thomas in Boston’s win over Washington in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 2, 2017.
Boston erased what was a 17-point deficit in the third quarter and led by as many as eight in the fourth before Minnesota rallied to send it to OT.
The Celtics surged again at the start of the extra period and took a 135-129 lead on a 3pointer by Kemba Walker. Minnesota got within 135-132 on a three-point play by D’Angelo Russell, but Boston outscored the Timberwolves 10-4 the rest of the way.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Russell finished with 26 points and Anthony Edwards added 24.
“I thought we fought hard. We gave ourselves some chances,” Russell said. “At the end of the game, all you can ask for is a chance.”