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Boston’s Marcus Smart, Brad Stevens talk Jayson Tatum’s 53-point game

Justin Quinn
·2 min read
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Jayson Tatum made an impression on his Boston Celtics teammates on Friday night, his 53-point performance becoming an instant classic catapulting the All-NBA forward into the same conversation as greats like Larry Bird, the last Celtic forward to score at least as many points in a regular-season.

For Boston head coach Brad Stevens, it was like another force of nature he once had the pleasure of coaching. “It was a lot like what I recall about Isaiah [Thomas] on so many occasions. He just wouldn’t let us lose, and Tatum was like that like when we were coming back in the third and you can see he had it.”

Veteran guard Marcus Smart weighed in as well.

"We all recognized what Jayson was doing, how he was doing it," explained the Flower Mound native.

"We just wanted to make sure that we can continue to support him whatever way we could. He's making all the right plays down the stretch, and when you've got a player of his caliber that can do those type of things, it's fun to watch."

"It's fun to be a part of, and especially when you know he's making those right plays, it's fun -- like I said -- to play with," he added. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1380926600632483845?s=20

When asked how it felt to be in the rarified air of Celtic greats like Bird after his career night, Tatum struggled to express how much it meant to him. "It's kind of hard to put into words," he offered. We imagine it would be.

"Anytime you are mentioned in any category with someone like that," Tatum explained, "one of the greatest players ever, it's an honor. I just grew up wanting to be in the NBA when I was a kid -- now, I'm living out my dream at a high level."

"It's more than I ever could have wished for," he added. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! [lawrence-related id=48871,48852,48835,48702] [listicle id=48874]

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