Tatum draws comparisons to Bird after 40-point triple-double

CHICAGO – Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics got off to a slow start and battled the Chicago Bulls early.

But the defending NBA champions rallied for a 123-98 victory Saturday night, with Tatum’s 43-point, 16-rebound and 10-assist performance earning five-time All-Star comparisons with former Celtics great and Hall of Famer Larry Bird.

Tatum’s third career triple-double was the first for a Celtics player that included 40 or more points since Bird scored 49 points with 14 rebounds and 12 assists against Portland in a 152-148 double-overtime victory on March 15, 1992, according to the team. .

Tatum stressed that winning is the most important thing, but a little icing on the cake isn’t bad.

“Larry Bird is probably the greatest player to ever wear this uniform,” Tatum said. “So any time you do something in the same sentence as him, it’s something special, even if you never reach that peak.”

Bird finished with 59 triple-doubles in his 13 seasons with Boston. According to the Celtics, Tatum’s was the first for the team to include 40 or more points and 15 or more rebounds. Tatum’s effort also counted as his sixth straight double-double and 14th this season.

Tatum got rolling in the second quarter, then scored 18 points in the third as Boston used a 19-8 run to open a 93-77 lead heading into the fourth. He finished 16-for-24 from the floor and hit 9 of 15 3-point attempts. Two free throws rounded out his scoring streak.

“As a basketball player, you feel the rhythm, the ball finds you,” Tatum said. “You’re just active everywhere and probably in the third quarter.

“Joe (Mazzulla) just challenges me every night just to step up my teammates and figure out ways to dominate all over the court. Obviously tonight I’m going to score a lot and get rebounds. It just looks different on a given evening.”

The game was tied at 42 midway through the second quarter, after which the Celtics and Tatum found an offensive rhythm. Boston led 61-54 at the half and used an 8-0 run to open a 12-point lead at one point. Tatum and the Celtics took charge in the third after the Bulls had closed to within five points.

“He went outside of what we usually do, and that’s a testament to him,” Mazzulla said. “Just his shot-making, his decision-making, his ability to rebound. I thought he kind of controlled the whole game.”