Jayson Tatum was not even expected to play this season, which made his performance in Game 3 of the Boston Celtics’ first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers feel all the more significant.

After appearing in only 16 regular season games while working his way back from an Achilles injury, Tatum reminded everyone in Boston’s 108–100 win over the Sixers that he is still one of the best players in the world. Tatum missed most of the regular season and only made his debut last month. There were visible signs of rust at times, but even then, he still managed to put up 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals over his 16 regular season appearances.

After splitting the first two games in Boston, momentum was not necessarily on the Celtics’ side as the series shifted to Philadelphia for the next two games. They badly needed Game 3 and Tatum delivered, turning it into the kind of night that defines a memorable playoff run. Boston entered the fourth quarter leading 79–74, but Philadelphia was still very much in it. The Sixers kept pressing and even briefly took the lead, 85–84, with 8:42 left in the final period.

That is when Tatum put his imprint on the game.

With Boston clinging to a one-point lead late, Tatum knocked down a three-pointer with 1:57 remaining to stretch their advantage to four, 100–96, giving them some breathing room. He then delivered the final blow with 27 seconds to play, drilling another three to push the Celtics ahead 106–100 and effectively seal the win.

The Celtics now lead the series 2–1, and the biggest reason for that is that Tatum showed up when it mattered most.

Tatum finished with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, five threes, four rebounds, seven assists, and a steal. More importantly, he looked like his pre-injury self. There was no hesitation in his shot-making and no passivity in the biggest moments of the night.

Boston still has work to do in this series, and Philadelphia has already shown it can make life difficult for them. But if Tatum can keep playing like this, the Celtics become a very different team. He was once doubtful to even suit up this season. Now, he is back in the middle of meaningful playoff moments and delivering like the star Boston needs him to be.

If that version of Jayson Tatum is here to stay, the rest of the Eastern Conference has every reason to worry.