Jayson Tatum was a man on a mission in Sunday's game between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.
The Celtics All-Star snapped out of his shooting slump and dropped 31 points in the first half. He shot 11-for-14 from the field and 6-of-7 from 3-point range.
That makes Tatum the first NBA player to score 30 or more points in the first half of a game this season, per stats guru Dick Lipe.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE The performance was an emphatic statement from Tatum, who entered Sunday shooting 0 for his last 20 from beyond the arc. His six first-half 3-pointers were more than he had made in his previous six games combined.
Despite the shooting woes, Tatum has found a way to be among the league's top scorers in 2021-22. He went into Sunday's game averaging 25.2 points, the 10th-highest mark in the NBA.
Tatum finished with 51 points on 18 of 28 shooting (9 of 14 from three) in Boston's 116-87 rout of the Wizards.