It’s certainly early, but Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum continues to put himself in the early-season discussion for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, with Saturday’s performance against the Pistons just the latest example.

In Detroit for the second leg of a back-to-back that began with Friday’s home win over the Nuggets, Tatum put home a season-high 43 points behind a 14-for-28 shooting performance (7-for-14 from deep) on the way to a 117-108 victory over the Pistons.

Tatum’s seven makes from beyond the arc were a season-high, while his 14 field goals matched a season-best mark, previously set in Tatum’s 40-point performance over the Magic back on Oct. 22. Tatum also collected 10 rebounds in the 41-minute performance, which gave him his fourth double-double of the campaign.

And on a night where the Celtics found themselves without Jaylen Brown (knee), as well as Al Horford (rest) and Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), Tatum’s clinic was just what the doctor ordered.

The Celtics did provide their MVP with some help, however, as Grant Williams, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White all hit double-digit scoring as starters, led by 19 from Williams and another 18 from Smart.

On Detroit’s side of the court, Bojan Bogdanovic led all Piston shooters with 28 points on a 9-for-15 shooting night, while Jaden Ivey finished with 26 points behind a Pistons-leading four three-point makes.

The Celtics will return to action Monday night when the Oklahoma City Thunder come to TD Garden.