"He did what he tried to do to try to play, he just wasn't able to." The post Joe Mazzulla explained Jayson Tatum’s last-minute scratch against Magic appeared first on Boston.com.

Jayson Tatum proved why the Celtics run through him on Saturday, notching a 43-point triple-double. Read more on Boston.com.

After losing Jayson Tatum minutes before tipoff, the Celtics couldn’t hold a 15-point halftime lead in a 108-104 loss to the depleted Magic.

The Celtics were able to build a 15-point lead at halftime largely thanks to their defense but that advantage evaporated in the third quarter. Orlando got red-hot with their shot in the frame, knocking down 60 percent of their attempts and all seven of their free throws as they erased Boston’s lead entirely.

Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum etched his name into Celtics’ history while beating the Chicago Bulls 123-98 Saturday night. He became the first Celtics player to record a 40+ point triple-double (43 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists) since Bird.

Then the third quarter happened, the Magic ramped up their defense, the Celtics couldn’t even get off consistent 3-pointers and then their late rally fell short.

Tatum's third career triple-double was the first for a Celtics player that included 40 or more points since Bird scored 49 points with 14 rebounds and 12 assists against Portland in a 152-148 double-overtime win on March 15, 1992, according to the team.

Returning their core players, most notably All-Star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are favored to defend their title.

Jayson Tatum's big night is earning him comparisions to Larry Bird. Tatum had 43 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for the Boston Celtics in a 123-98 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

A history-making triple-double from Jayson Tatum powered the Celtics to a bounce-back win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.