Jayson Tatum’s opening stretch to the 2026-27 season has already landed him in rare Celtics company.
According to Dick Lipe of NBC Sports Boston, Tatum is the first Boston player since Paul Pierce in 2008 to take at least 54 free throws across a four-game span. It’s a striking marker of just how often he’s forcing defenses into tough decisions, and it adds another layer to an offensive game that already leans heavily on scoring and playmaking.
That trend showed up again on November 1 against the Orlando Magic. Tatum poured in 32 points and handed out seven assists in Boston’s 108-97 road win, knocking down 15 of 17 from the line. The victory was Boston’s fifth straight, and the Celtics’ official game recap noted that Tatum matched Orlando’s entire team in made free throws.
The Pierce connection gives the stat a little extra weight in Boston. Pierce, the former captain, was a central figure in the Celtics’ run to the 17th NBA championship in 2008.
Pierce also had praise for the current group. On NBC Sports Boston’s Pregame Live with Brian Scalabrine, Eddie House and Tom Giles, he said, “I expect this group to be very competitive.”
He pointed to the Knicks, 76ers and Pistons as teams that could make the Eastern Conference race difficult, and he described the conference as wide open without a clear favorite.
For Tatum, the early signs are loud and clear: he’s attacking, getting to the stripe and stacking up production in a way that’s putting him in the same statistical neighborhood as one of Boston’s all-time greats.
In Other News...
Jayson Tatums Regret Adds To Celtics Questions About Loyalty
The Celtics relationship with Jaylen Brown has been under a microscope ever since the trade chatter started swirling around him, and a new layer has only made the old questions louder. According to NBA writer Chris Mannix, Jayson Tatum later looked back on that period and regretted not being more publicly supportive of Brown while the rumors were building, a detail that adds some texture to a partnership that has long been judged as much by body language as by box scores.
Browns move to the 76ers changed the conversation around Bostons core, especially after a stretch in which the Celtics were also tied to other big-name speculation. Tatums silence, or apparent lack of awareness, during the rumor mill now sits awkwardly beside the public comments both players have made since, leaving the impression that the bond between Bostons two stars was not as straightforward as it once seemed. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Mazzulla Loved What Jayson Tatum Did In Celtics Win
Jayson Tatum kept the Celtics steady in their 108-97 win over the Magic, putting together a night that mixed scoring, playmaking and control. He finished with 32 points, four rebounds and seven assists, and even with an 8-of-19 shooting line from the field, he kept finding ways to put pressure on Orlando and give Boston the kind of half-court presence it needed.
Afterward, Joe Mazzulla singled out Tatums poise and aggressiveness, clearly pleased with the way his star attacked the game. The free-throw line was a big part of that edge, and it fit with the broader theme of Tatum dictating the action rather than waiting for it to come to him. For a Celtics team looking for that kind of assertive rhythm, it was the sort of performance that stood out beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Fifth Straight Win Is Raising An Awkward Center Question
Bostons five-game start has given the Celtics plenty to feel good about, but the latest win over Orlando also offered a clearer look at one of the rosters trickier questions. The defense and rebounding held up well, and the center rotation again became a point of interest as the team kept rolling without losing its edge on the glass or at the rim.
Mitchell Robinsons minutes did not look as seamless as Boston would have hoped, especially compared with the way Neemias Queta and Luka Garza fit into the flow of the game. For a team trying to sort out how its big-man rotation best supports everything else it does, the early success has only sharpened the conversation about which center combinations actually make the most sense. [Read more 🡒]