BOSTON (Associated Press) — Jayson Tatum finally started the Boston game and ultimately delivered a finisher the NBA has never seen before.
After struggling with shooting in back-to-back games, Tatum scored a Game 7-high 51 points on Sunday as the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 112-88, earning his second consecutive Eastern Conference appearance. advanced to the final. .
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“I’m relieved to have another chance. Our season could have ended in Round 6,” Tatum said. He surpassed Stephen Curry’s Game 7 scoring record of 50 points two weeks earlier. “I knew very well that I was playing very badly for 43 minutes,” he said.
In one game that missed 14 of his first 15 shots from the field, Tatum only woke up in the fourth quarter to give the Celtics the quick start they needed. He scored 25 points in a close first half and added 17 more in the third quarter as Boston bounced back from a 3-point lead in a 33-10 win.
After Ime Udoka’s suspension, Celtics manager Joe Mazura said on the eve of the first-year camp after taking command of the NBA team, “I always go into the series while anticipating what will happen.” Told. “The playoffs aren’t like that.”
With 13 rebounds from Tatum and 25 points from Jaylen Brown, the Celtics bounced back from a 3-2 best-of-seven series streak and secured hopes of an unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
Tatum was sent off with three minutes remaining to a standing ovation.
Newly named NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid scored 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting in Philadelphia. Tobias Harris added 19 points.
“I thought we had the right group. I really believed in that,” said Sixers coach Doc Rivers, who was on the Boston bench when the Celtics won all games in 2008. “We’ve played great all year, but in a way this loss completely ruins what we’ve done this year….I think this team is on the right track. Now. I thought the season took another step forward, and tonight I think we took a step back.
