Raptors coach gushes over Jayson Tatum after Boston Celtics win

Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum plays during an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)AP

As the Celtics continue to soar, winning their sixth straight game, Jayson Tatum has had his fingerprints all over each and every victory. This time, it was another double-digit assist night from Tatum as the Celtics beat the Raptors 111-101 on Tuesday in Toronto.

The C’s were without four key players Tuesday in Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet. So throughout the game, it was a different mix of depth guys who got their opportunities. It didn’t matter too much who Tatum played with as he consistently made an impact on the game. It all led to Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic gushing about Tatum after the game.

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“I’ll tell you what: That guy is the best player on the best team in the NBA,” Rajakovic told reporters postgame. “The team that won the championship. I don’t think he gets enough credit of what he does on both ends of the floor for that team. Offensively, defensively, we tried different things against him. We were trying to frustrate him with our physicality. He just kept going and kept making right decisions. They’re really lucky to have a guy like him. Amazing player and I’m a really, really big fan of his.”

Tatum finished Tuesday’s game with 19 points, six rebounds and 11 assists, finishing a plus-20 in his 40 minutes. The Celtics leaned heavily on Tatum in the first game of a back-to-back as the pesky Raptors refused to go down without a solid effort.

While Tatum is considered one of the best players in the world, he still has plenty of critics who point out flaws in his game. Part of that is being the face of the Celtics, who have their own haters as the winningest franchise in NBA history. Another part is how fans perceive Tatum, though that’s a little more complicated.

Regardless, that’s life playing in the NBA. Plus, it’s much easier to shrug off the detractors when Tatum and the Celtics keep winning games. They’ve now won 10 of their last 11 to get to 42-16 on the season. They’ve long shaken off the midseason malaise from a month ago as they’re playing some of their best ball of the season.

“He’s a very highly intrinsically motivated person that has the opportunity to do great things individually and as a team,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said. “So I think he wakes up every day with that motivation and that energy. To be (almost) 27 and to have the career that he’s had and the opportunity that, god willing, he has going forward. He has an understanding of where he can get to.”