Jayson Tatum named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

The NBA announced that Jayson Tatum was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played April 26 through May 2.

It was an impressive four-game week for Tatum, one in which he put up 42.7 points on 54.4 percent shooting from the field and 59.1 percent from three along with 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in the three games he appeared in. The Celtics went 2-1. The headline performance came on Friday night when he scored 60 points to help Boston overcome a 32-point deficit to defeat San Antonio in overtime.

The 60-point outing represents a career-high for Tatum — who had previously set a career-high of 53 exactly three weeks earlier against the Timberwolves — and tied Larry Bird for the most points in a single game by any player in franchise history. Tatum also became the only Celtic to ever produce multiple 50-point games in the same season.

The POW honor was Tatum’s second in the month of April and third of the 2020-21 season. The last Celtic to earn at least three such awards was Kevin Garnett back in the 2007-08 championship season.

“It was a special night,” Tatum said after the best performance of his young career. “Just playing with guys that you enjoying being around, that are genuinely happy for your success. We all celebrate each other. Obviously, to come back and win, this was a great night.”