BOSTON — Jayson Tatum relished the opportunity to play in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on Sunday afternoon. Because while the most pivotal game in sports obviously holds extra weight for all competitors, the fact the Boston Celtics superstar was not himself for the vast majority of Game 6 made him want to redeem himself.
The All-NBA First Team selection did just that and much more in Boston’s 112-88 series-clinching victory. And now the final four-and-a-half quarters of the Eastern Conference semifinals will be remembered as some of the best minutes Tatum has ever played in Celtics green.
“I was just excited to — we had another opportunity today, as a team and for myself just to kind of bounce back,” Tatum said. “It definitely was in my mind that I had played as bad as it could get for 42 minutes or 43 minutes, whatever. And we have a saying, ‘It’s only up from here.'”
But it wasn’t just the best performance of his Celtics career — no, we’re not forgetting Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks last season — it was one of the best in the organization’s and league’s history. No player had ever scored 51 points in a Game 7. Only John Havlicek (54) and Isaiah Thomas (53) had scored more points in a Celtics playoff game, doing so in 1973 and 2017, respectively.
Celtics fans will remember where they were Sunday because of Tatum’s outing. Because despite being just six seasons into what’s sure to be a long and successful career, it could end up being Tatum’s signature moment. It helped Boston erase a 3-2 series deficit in the conference semifinals for a second consecutive season, a season which would have been viewed as a disappointment should the Green have not won in front of their rowdy home crowd. It also means Tatum now is going to the Eastern Conference finals for his fourth time in six seasons, Boston’s fifth time in the last seven campaigns.
Tatum, who outscored Philadelphia in the fourth quarter of the series-extending Game 6 by himself, was masterful again Sunday. He set the tone early with his willingness to go to the rack, doing so against Joel Embiid on a few occasions, and he put the game on ice with his long-range prowess in the second half. Tatum contributed 17 points in the third quarter as Boston outscored Philadelphia 33-10 in the 12-minute span. He hit four of his six triples — he shot 60% from three — in that period.
In a contest which featured the NBA MVP, Tatum was far and away the best player on the floor.
“When JT is playing like that, we’re going to be extremely hard to beat,” Jaylen Brown said after finishing with 25 points himself.
A usually mild-mannered and reserved player, Tatum carried an unmatched swagger with him, too. It was on display throughout the second half with well-deserved celebrations after each hoop, including throwing up the 5-0 when he eclipsed the mark on a corner 3-pointer. He lifted the Celtics to a 26-point lead entering the fourth quarter after they were up a mere 55-52 at the half.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told Tatum not to let the amount of early points he scored dictate the way he played the game. And while Tatum led all scorers with 11 in the opening quarter, it was far from a one-dimensional display. Tatum was active on defense to go along with 13 rebounds and five assists and two steals. He impacted the game in a variety of ways, while also being the best scorer on the floor. Mazzulla was happy to see Tatum showcase that level of “problem solving.”
It’s something he’s continued to buy into, as well.
“As I’ve gotten (into) my career, just trying to grow. I’ve always been able to score the ball, I’ve been looked at as a scorer, but to be the best player and be one of the best players, what can I do each and every night on both ends of the floor, besides scoring, to impact the game,” Tatum said. “So just finding ways to dominate the game other than just score.”
Celtics fans should take comfort in knowing Tatum is long for Green. His recent All-NBA honor made him eligible to sign a supermax contract next offseason. And he acknowledged Celtics fans after the win, sharing how it was difficult to put into words how much he enjoyed the experience of playing in Boston.
So while Sunday surely won’t be the last key performance from the 25-year-old talent, Game 7 against the Sixers nevertheless will long be remembered by Celtics fans.
