Jayson Tatum leapfrogs notable Celtic on scoring list for players under 25 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Christmas wasn’t all that merry for the Boston Celtics, but Jayson Tatum did make a notable move in the franchise history books.
Entering play against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Tatum needed 19 points to surpass Paul Pierce for the second-most points in franchise history by a player prior to their 25th birthday.
23-year-old Jayson Tatum enters today’s game against the Bucks (2:30 ET on ABC) just 20 points away from passing Paul Pierce for the 2nd-most points before turning 25 in Celtics history. pic.twitter.com/1SJbcEMru3
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 25, 2021
After finishing with 25 points in a 117-113 loss, Tatum can set his sights on Antoine Walker for the most points in franchise history for a player under 25.
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Tatum does have somewhat of an advantage over Walker — as well as Pierce — having entered the NBA at 19 years old after one year at Duke. Walker joined the C’s at 20 after two years at Kentucky while Pierce, following three years at Kansas, made his debut in green at 21.
Tatum needs 1,192 points before his 25th birthday on March 3, 2023 to overtake ‘Toine. At his current pace, Tatum needs 48 games to catch Walker — the Celtics have 49 games left in the 2021-22 regular season.