Jayson Tatum Shines with 43 Points, Celtics Beat Bulls 123-98

Jayson Tatum put on a historic performance as the Boston Celtics cruised to a 123-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. The 26-year-old recorded his third career triple-double, finishing with 43 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. This remarkable feat tied him with Celtics legend Larry Bird, who was the last Boston player to record a 40-point triple-double, doing so in 1992 against Portland. Tatum’s achievement also helped the Celtics, the defending NBA champions, rise to second place in the Eastern Conference.

Reflecting on the milestone, Jayson Tatum expressed his admiration for Bird, calling him “probably the best player to ever wear this uniform” and noting that any accomplishment alongside Bird’s name is “something special.” In other NBA action, LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-99 win over the Sacramento Kings, scoring 32 points. The Kings had a chance to tie the game late, trailing 101-99 with 12 seconds remaining.

However, after Anthony Davis missed two free throws for the Lakers, the Kings failed to secure the rebound and committed a foul on Austin Reaves. Reaves made both free throws, sealing the Lakers’ victory. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat squandered a 22-point lead in the final quarter, allowing the Orlando Magic to storm back for a 121-114 win. In the West, Steph Curry put up 31 points leading the Golden State Warriors to a 113-103 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Despite their best efforts, the Timberwolves couldn’t overcome Curry’s dominant performance. Tatum’s historic night highlighted a busy Saturday of NBA action with key performances from stars like LeBron and Curry and dramatic finishes across multiple games.