Jayson Tatum was simply getting warmed up for the postseason. Four months before he dropped a Game 7-record 51 points to send the Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum embarked on a practice run against the Charlotte Hornets. Tatum was impossible to bottle up at all three levels — he scored on strong drives to the rim that ended with dunks, floaters and layups, showed off his mid-range game with a baseline fadeaway and also utilized a variety of dribbles and fakes to create enough space to knock down 7 3-pointers in 12 tries. Tatum shot an efficient 15 of 23 from the field for 51 points and added nine rebounds and five assists in Boston’s 130-118 victory on January 16, 2023. It marked the fifth time in Tatum’s career that he scored 50 or more points in a game, and he was an All-NBA First Team selection for the second straight year after posting career-best numbers in points, rebounds and assists per game. · Jan 16, 2023