Jayson Tatum, the star forward for the Boston Celtics, showcased his skills during the first half of Wednesday night’s game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tatum delivered an impressive performance, scoring 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting in just the game’s initial two quarters.

One of Tatum’s standout plays came late in the second quarter when he capitalized on an offensive rebound by Al Horford. Tatum tore through the Knicks’ interior defense, leaving it utterly embarrassed with a powerful two-handed slam.

This is the kind of dominance that unfolds when a remarkable offensive player like Tatum exploits the weaknesses in an opponent’s defensive strategy, as was the case with the Knicks during this particular play. The Knicks not only allowed an easy offensive rebound to the veteran Horford, but they also appeared lackluster in their efforts to thwart Tatum’s incursion into the painted area. It’s no surprise that the Celtics held the lead at halftime.

Despite Tatum’s impressive performance in this game, the Celtics have high expectations for their star player. The good news for Boston is that Tatum has the potential to elevate his game even further. Last season, Tatum averaged a career-high 30.1 points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, with a 54.3 effective field goal percentage.

The Celtics, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season, are eager to kick off the 2023-24 season with a victory against their Atlantic division rival. After this game, they’ll head home to face another Eastern rival, the Miami Heat, led by Jimmy Butler, on Friday.