Jayson Tatum stakes MVP claim with 33/12/7 as Celtics hand Cavs first defeat

It was Jayson Tatum’s night in Boston as the Celtics handed the Cleveland Cavaliers their first defeat of the season to stay alive in the NBA Cup.

Tatum’s MVP odds shorten to +400 with 33/12/7 vs Cleveland

Heading into Tuesday’s nationally televised showdown, the Cavs aimed to protect the second-best start in league history after winning all of their first 15 games to sit pretty atop the Eastern Conference.

Tatum and the reigning champion Celtics had other ideas though, as the visiting side were slapped with their first loss of the campaign in a 120-117 win for the hosts at TD Garden.

Thanks to a splendid performance from one of the league’s leading MVP candidates, Boston kept their hopes of qualifying for the NBA Cup quarter-finals alive and moved to within 2.5 games of the Cavs in the overall standings.

Tatum recorded 33 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists on the night, shooting 6/10 from outside the arc and 11/22 from the field with two steals on top – and his MVP odds shortened to +400 following the final buzzer.

According to the best online betting sites, there are only two players with better chances at winning the award than Tatum – Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

As evidenced in the StatMuse tweet below, Tatum’s claims are rock solid. He leads the league in total points, 30-point games, games with five or more threes – and his own team in points, rebounds and assists per game.

Jayson Tatum:

— 1st in points
— 1st in 30-point games
— 1st in games with 5+ threes
— Leading Celtics in PPG, RPG and APG

Just dropped 33/12/7 on the best team in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/iVa1Oj4hX4

— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 20, 2024

WATCH: Jayson Tatum drops Georges Niang and hits stepback three

JT, THAT’S TOUGH 😮‍💨

The step-back triple gives the Celtics a 5-point lead heading into the 4th!

🏆 East Group C action
🏀 CLE-BOS on TNT pic.twitter.com/S56OofnmnT

— NBA (@NBA) November 20, 2024

The 26-year-old has been on fire to start the season. He was already regarded as a top-five player in the league following his first championship triumph in June, but now it seems he’s knocking on the door for the top spot.

He looks increasingly relaxed and loose, no longer carrying the heavy burden of public expectation which was placed upon his shoulders from almost the minute he was drafted to the NBA.

In 36 minutes a game this season, Tatum is averaging 29.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game on 39% shooting from three and 46% from the field – as well as 1.4 steals a night too.

Standing as one of the league’s most decorated talents at the age of just 26, Tatum’s resume of a championship, five All-Star selections and four All-NBA honors including three on the First Team could be about to get a whole lot better.

He is one of two players alongside Jokic to be leading his time in points, rebounds and assists per game this season and he undoubtedly deserves the heap of praise and affection he’s receiving.

Once the Celtics inevitably catch up to the Cavs in the Eastern Conference standings and begin to pull away from the rest of the league, Tatum could be staring at a straight path to his first MVP success.