Jayson Tatum has been on a tear to start the 2026-27 season, as he had another big game on Sunday afternoon in a 108-97 victory over the Orlando Magic. He asserted himself well in that game, finishing with 32 points, four rebounds, and seven assists on 8-of-19 shooting from the field, and he added two blocks for good measure.

Tatum did shoot below 50% from the field, but he more than made up for it with his production from the charity stripe. He took 17 shots from the foul line and made 15 of them, with the Celtics star once again making a living on the free-throw line.

For a team that needs to generate more consistent avenues to score, Tatum is quite literally willing his way into putting up points on the board for the Celtics. And head coach Joe Mazzulla has nothing but praise for how the team's best player is approaching the game considering all the responsibilities he has on his shoulder.

“He’s doing a great job of playing with poise. He’s doing a great job creating separation…He’s changing pace below the free-throw line,” Mazzulla said in his postgame presser, per Bobby Krivitsky of Forbes.

Joe Mazzulla on Jayson Tatum taking 17 free-throws (he made 15):

“He’s doing a great job of playing with poise. He’s doing a great job creating separation…He’s changing pace below the free-throw line.”

🎥: @NBCSCeltics https://t.co/1x2Pgrbphv pic.twitter.com/ucspU2suz8

— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) November 1, 2026

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The Celtics have been feasting over the past week or so, especially in contests against the Chicago Bulls. But on Sunday, they faced a Magic defense that is no joke despite the team's injury problems as of late. Tatum had to scrap and claw for every point he put up in his 32-point night, and this is the kind of aggressiveness the team will need from him moving forward.

Many have criticized the Celtics for their purported overreliance on the three-ball. But with Tatum making a conscious decision to attack the basket on nearly every possession, Boston being able to touch paint and play inside-out basketball should just generate good looks most of the time and keep the team humming now that they moved to 5-1 on the season with this latest victory.