Sports

Is Boston's Jayson Tatum more of a rookie than 76ers' Ben Simmons? Celtics fans think so.

By Aaron Moody
Boston Celtics NBA basketball first-round draft pick Jayson Tatum puts on a cap during a press availability at the team's practice facility in Waltham, Mass., on June 23, 2017. With Tatum, a 6-foot-8 small forward, the Celtics get a player who was a polished scoring threat during his lone season at Duke. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics NBA basketball first-round draft pick Jayson Tatum puts on a cap during a press availability at the team's practice facility in Waltham, Mass., on June 23, 2017. With Tatum, a 6-foot-8 small forward, the Celtics get a player who was a polished scoring threat during his lone season at Duke. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Charles Krupa AP

Celtics fans let everyone know how they feel on Monday night: Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons — an NBA Rookie of the Year prospect — isn’t a rookie, but their own Jayson Tatum is.

When Simmons went to the free-throw line in the third quarter of Boston's 117-101 on Monday, Celtics fans chanted “not a rookie” – challenging his rookie designation. Simmons was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016, even though he didn’t play due to a foot injury.

When Tatum – the third overall pick out of Duke in the 2017 draft – went to the line in the fourth quarter, the chant changed to “he’s a rookie.”

To the crowd’s delight, Tatum finished with 28 points to Simmons’ 18.

It made Tatum the first Celtics player since Larry Bird to score 20 or more points in three straight playoff games, Celtics Stats tweeted.

The Celtics lead the second-round playoff series 1-0.

This story was originally published May 1, 2018 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Is Boston's Jayson Tatum more of a rookie than 76ers' Ben Simmons? Celtics fans think so.."

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