Jayson Tatum becomes first player in Celtics history to break 30-point scoring average in single season

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum stuffs the ball during overtime of the game against the New York Knicks at the TD Garden on Sunday,March 5, 2023 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)


Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum stuffs the ball during overtime of the game against the New York Knicks at the TD Garden on Sunday,March 5, 2023 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum stuffs the ball during overtime of the game against the New York Knicks at the TD Garden on Sunday,March 5, 2023 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

 

Jayson Tatum made history on Sunday, and he didn’t even play.

Tatum and the rest of the Celtics regulars sat out for the regular season finale against the Hawks, and Boston’s superstar clinched a historic feat by doing so. Tatum became the first player in Celtics history to score 30 or more points per game in a single season, finishing the regular season at 30.1 points per game in 74 games. The previous franchise high was set by Larry Bird in 1987-88, when he had 29.9 points per game.

“Now this is something…” Tatum tweeted of the honor.

Tatum’s 2,225 points are the fifth-most in Celtics history, and the most since Isaiah Thomas scored 2,199 points in 2016-17.

Tatum’s career season was done in 74 games in a year in which he battled through lingering injuries. He dealt with wrist and finger problems, and more recently, a left hip contusion. An MVP candidate early in the season, Tatum’s play regressed after the All-Star break and he seemed to hit a wall.

But Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said on Sunday that he’s been happy with how Tatum’s workload has been managed this season. Stevens said earlier in the season that he and Tatum argued about the star taking some time off and Tatum ultimately played a career-high 2,732 minutes, which included several high-volume games.

“Specifically since the All-Star break, really good,” Stevens said of Tatum’s management. “He’s had a couple of little nagging things that have popped up so he’s missed a couple of games here and there which in the big picture’s not the end of the world.

I think even if you take out the 49-minute game that he played, the minutes are even down a little bit from the start of the year and yet he’s gotten a few of those games that keep you ready because he’s gonna be a big-minute guy in the playoffs obviously. And Jaylen (Brown) as well. So I feel good about us.”

Tatum sat out for Sunday’s game alongside Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon, while the Hawks kept out regulars Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collins. The game was meaningless for both teams as they rested their regulars for the playoffs.

The Celtics could face the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks will visit the Heat in Miami on Tuesday night in the 7-8 play-in game to determine Boston’s first playoff opponent.