Jayson Tatum got a nice 3-point tune-up in win over Pistons

BOSTON -- With Jayson Tatum shooting just a tick over 35 percent from downtown this season, many questioned the Celtics forward's inclusion in this weekend's 3-point contest during the NBA's All-Star festivities. Tatum did his best to silence those critics in his final tune-up ahead of the break.

Tatum knocked down six of his 10 threes as he erupted for 38 points in Boston's 127-109 win over the Pistons on Wednesday night. All six of those long-range makes came in the third quarter, when Tatum scored 24 points to set a new career-high for a single quarter. He was perfect from beyond the arc in the frame.

Wednesday night was Tatum's best night from 3-point range since Nov. 30, when he hit eight of his 12 three-point attempts in a win over the Miami Heat. It was a solid bounce-back effort from the last time he was on the floor, when he hit just one of his eight threes in a win over the Grizzlies last Sunday.

Tatum had just about everything going Wednesday night, as he knocked down 15 of his 24 shots. He did a ton of damage in the paint, too, scoring 16 of his points just a few feet from the basket. He now heads into the break as the NBA's leading scorer with 1,685 points -- good for a 30.6 points per game average.

When he's going like he was on Wednesday night, not much can slow down the Celtics All-Star. He's hoping that his hot shooting travels with him to Utah this weekend.

"I just got some good looks and got into a rhythm," he said after the win. "I've got the 3-point contest coming up so I'm trying to get myself ready for that. Because I'm trying to win, flat out."

When he's done participating in the second 3-point contest of his career on Saturday night, Tatum will then take the court for his fourth All-Star Game on Sunday. It will mark the second straight season that he'll be a starter for the exhibition.