Jayson Tatum Stats vs Dallas Mavericks: Numbers, record and more ahead of 2024 NBA Finals

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics face their biggest challenge of the 2024 NBA Playoffs in the finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Tatum's rocky run hasn't impacted the Celtics much in the Eastern Conference.

Boston stormed past the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who saw Donovan Mitchell miss the last two games with injury and the Indiana Pacers, who were without Tyrese Haliburton in Games 3 and 4.

However, Tatum's impact might directly impact how the finals go for the Celtics against the Mavericks. Boston doesn't just need Tatum to rise offensively but defensively, too.

Jayson Tatum Stats vs. Dallas Mavericks

Jayson Tatum has averaged 24.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per contest in 14 outings against the Dallas Mavericks since 2017-18. He boasts a 9-5 win-loss record against the Western Conference outfit. Tatum has been unstoppable in his past four games against Dallas since the 2022-23 season.

He averaged 33.0 ppg, 13.5 rpg and 7.5 apg in 2022-23 in two games. The averages improved to 35.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 4.0 apg in 2023-24 as the Celtics stretched their winning streak to four games over Dallas.

Tatum tallied 32 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 53/56/100 splits when the teams last met on Mar. 1 in Boston as the Celtics won 138-110.

Tatum's all-time stats vs. Mavericks:

Games	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3-PT FG%	FT%
14	24.5	9.1	3.2	1.1	0.9	42.9%	34.0%	85.1%

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Celtics' success lays on Jayson Tatum's shoulders

Jayson Tatum enters the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks as the Boston Celtics' most important player on both ends. On defense, he's the best matchup against Luka Doncic. Tatum's 6-foot-8 frame will allow him to hold off Doncic the best compared to his teammates, who lack the size to deal with the Slovenian.

Offensively, Tatum's likely to have the most defensive attention drawn to him, similar to other series. The Mavericks will likely double Tatum when he finds Doncic in isolation, as he can take advantage of the latter's inability to move quickly laterally. Tatum must make the right decisions on the ball, which he sometimes struggles with.

However, he's been better playing out of double teams in the playoffs. He needs to replicate that against the Mavericks and make them pay, especially with Boston's options on the perimeter. Above all, Jayson Tatum must ensure he's efficient.

He's shot 44.2%, including a measly 29.0% from 3 in the 2024 playoffs, and the Celtics may not be able to afford Tatum misfiring against arguably the toughest opponent they could have asked for.