Jayson Tatum answered his critics, has Celtics on verge of NBA title

Even though the Boston Celtics were winning, Jayson Tatum was facing pressure to show why he's one of the best players in the game. Tatum's struggles have been masked by Boston's depth, but Game 3 was finally a night he put his best on display.  

In an effort to quiet his critics, Tatum scored 31 points in 42 minutes to guide the Celtics to a 106-99 victory and a commanding 3-0 series lead. He also added six rebounds and five assists. 

Wednesday night marked Tatum's first game with 30 or more points since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers on May 25. Prior to Tatum's 31-point performance, he only scored 34 total points in the first two games of the series. 

Some could point to the fact the Celtics have won every game of the NBA Finals no matter how Tatum has played, putting together an effort like Game 3 will do wonders for his place among the best in the game today. 

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla tried to calm the talk of how his individual stars were playing after Game 2, saying "everybody that stepped on that court tonight made winning plays on both ends of the floor" after Boston's win on Sunday. 

But that didn't do much to calm down the narrative centered around which Celtics' player is truly No. 1 on the team. 

"Frustrated? I don't know. Have I heard it? Absolutely," said Tatum in response to Charles Barkley's question about the media criticism directed his way through the first two games of the NBA Finals. 

Tatum capped off the 2024 regular season by making the All-NBA first-team for the third straight year. He's also a five-time All-Star at only 26 years old. 

However, when you play for the historic Celtics, you will be judged under a microscope. The expectations are always high, but the pressure has been mounting ever since Boston lost in the NBA Finals in 2022 and then failed to return in 2023.  

While Tatum has received his fair share of recognition, his co-star Jaylen Brown has been on a mission to prove why he deserves accolades as well. 

Despite averaging similar numbers, Brown has never made an All-NBA first-team. In fact, Brown, who's one year older than Tatum, has only earned one All-NBA honor — a second-team selection in 2023.  

Brown's mission then caused the conversation to shift, with some asking if Brown is underrated and actually the better player. Brown added more fuel to that fire by being named the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

It was Brown, not Tatum, being praised and being treated as the No. 1 star on the team. Brown's MVP also came despite Tatum recording multiple 36-point games in the series. Brown actually won the MVP vote 5-4 over Tatum. 

Entering the NBA Finals, it was Tatum, not Brown, dealing with pressure to step up and ensure Boston wins the franchise's 18th championship. And after being a bit "off" in Games 1 and 2, Tatum used Game 3 as a way to remind everyone what he's capable of.