National Basketball Association

Jayson Tatum's 50-point night powers Boston Celtics past Washington Wizards

Published May. 18, 2021 11:49 p.m. ET

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Undermanned? No problem.

The No. 7 seed Boston Celtics were without All-Star guard Jaylen Brown, but it didn't matter, as they ran past the No. 8 Washington Wizards for a 118-100 play-in game victory on Tuesday.

The Celtics have officially punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Let's take a look at how the Celtics secured the victory.

Key performer: Jayson Tatum

The Celtics' best player shined when the lights were the brightest, scoring 50 points to lead his team to victory.

Tatum exploded for 23 points in the third quarter to effectively put the game out of reach for the Wizards.

This kind of performance has become the norm for Tatum this season.

That's not a bad tone to set for the Celtics this postseason.

Turning point: The third quarter

After trailing 54-52 at halftime, the Celtics opened the third quarter with a 17-2 run, with Tatum and Kemba Walker scoring every point to turn a two-point deficit into a 13-point lead.

The Celtics rode that momentum to a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter, which they didn't relinquish the rest of the game.

Wild card: Kemba Walker

Most of the discussion around the Celtics this season has been the play of All-Star forwards Tatum and Brown, but with Brown injured, the former All-Star Walker reminded the Wizards and the world what he is capable of.

Walker scored 29 points and was plus-17 for the night, steadying the Celtics at the point guard position and providing veteran poise for the young team.

Did you know? 

Tatum made a little bit of history Tuesday.

He can claim the first 50-point game in Play-In Tournament history after his dominant performance against the Wizards.

He put his name in the same conversation as Larry Bird with his 50-point outing.

The Celtics will now make their 13th postseason appearance in the past 14 seasons.

Twitter's take:

The conversation, of course, centered around Tatum.

What's next: The Celtics have secured the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and will face the 2-seed Brooklyn Nets in the first round.

The Wizards will face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday to determine who gets the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

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National Basketball Association

Boston Celtics

Washington Wizards

Jayson Tatum

Kemba Walker