Celtics' Jayson Tatum Hyped by NBA Fans After Outplaying Kevin Durant in Win vs. Suns

The Boston Celtics used a complete team effort to dominate the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, but Jayson Tatum seemingly stealing the proverbial torch from Kevin Durant captured the attention of fans who tuned in.

Tatum scored 23 of his 26 points in the first half to help lead the Celtics to a 127-112 win over the Suns in front of a raucous home crowd at TD Garden. If the Philadelphia 76ers lose their game against the Milwaukee Bucks later on Thursday night, Boston (52-14) will be the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season.

After a torrid battle in the first quarter that saw Tatum and Durant trading shots, Durant cooled off in a big way. He finished with 20 points, 15 of which came in the opening period. When the game got out of hand with the Celtics leading by as many as 20, Durant looked disinterested and unenergetic.

Meanwhile, the Celtics were firing on all cylinders. Jaylen Brown finished with a game-high 37 points and Al Horford added a season-high 24 points. Boston connected on 50 percent of its three-pointers and limited Phoenix to 35.5 percent from beyond the arc.

But it was Tatum who was the talk of social media, as fans were impressed by how he outshined Durant on Thursday:

The Celtics have now won 15 of their last 17 games. Their dominance has led many to believe that they are the favorites to win the NBA championship this year.

Tatum and Brown are the headliners, but if the supporting cast continues performing the way it did on Thursday, Boston will have a strong chance at earning its first title since 2008.

The Celtics will be back in action on Sunday against the Washington Wizards.