Returning from the All-Star break, Jayson Tatum struggled to return to form. Over a three-game stretch, against formidable Eastern Conference rivals in the Pacers, 76ers, and the Knicks, Tatum averaged just 21.0 points on a dismal 36.8% shooting.

Coupling his tough night, Tatum even received his first ever regular season ejection against the Knicks after receiving his second technical foul.

Maybe it was the vacation or the wrist pain that’s bugged him all season. Regardless, after his record setting night of 55 points in the All-Star Game, few people expected the 24-year-old to look as lost as he did in the return.

Last night, Tatum silenced critics by tallying 41 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists in a gutsy win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, 117-113. He shot 61.9% from the field and even notched a 4-6 tally from the 3-point line.

Tatum appeared to still be out of sorts in the first quarter, scoring only 2 points on 1-4 shooting. His lone basket came from an uncontested transition dunk.

However, once the second quarter rolled around, “JT” locked in, scoring 15 points to give the Celtics a halftime lead and himself a modest 17 points at the break. Tatum then followed it up with a third quarter explosion of 18 more points and a string of assists.

The Celtics started to click in the second half. Horford shot 8-10 (23 points) for the game, only missing in the fourth quarter. Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown chipped in for a combined 30 total points, and with Tatum’s dominance, the C’s started to pull away.

But the Cavaliers never accepted defeated. Donovan Mitchell finished his night with a 44 point game, scoring at will in 44 minutes played and seemingly attempting to match Tatum’s output on every possession. Darius Garland scored 29 points behind five 3-pointers to help the Cavaliers’ cause.

With just minutes left to play, the Celtics pulled out to a 15 point lead and looked to be sure victors. It wasn’t until a string of defensive stops by the Cavs and back-to-back threes from Garland, which forced Mitchell back into the game, put the Celtics on notice.

Tatum capped off the night by hitting two free throws, sealing a Celtics win at TD Garden.

He finished just two assists shy of a 40-point triple double.