Tatum meets the moment in Game 3 win. Can he do it again? And again, and ...

Game 3 vs Cleveland was Jayson Tatum's best game of the playoffs, tallying 33 points and 13 rebounds. That's what good players do. Great ones deliver top-tier performances consistently. Is that Tatum?

Jayson Tatum, directing the offense in Game 3 vs Cleveland. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images).

Some see what Jayson Tatum did in Game 3 against Cleveland as a reminder of why he’s widely viewed as one of the NBA’s best and brightest stars.

The same crowd will say that much of the talk about “Where’s Top-5 Tatum?” should die a quick death after he dropped 33 points to go with 13 rebounds and six assists in Boston’s 106-93 win against the Cavs.

But here’s the truth.

What Tatum did in Boston’s Game 3 win against the Cavs, is what someone who is legitimately in the conversation as the face of the league, should be doing most of the time when they step on the floor.

And that is why what we’ve seen from Tatum thus far in the playoffs, even with Saturday’s gotta-have-this-one victory, is reason to be concerned about this team’s title hopes.