Just days after looking done following three straight losses to begin the Eastern Conference Finals, theBoston Celticsare on the verge of making history.
They forced a Game 7 after a heroic and dramatic Game 6 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday, and they re heavy favorites to take that seventh game and advance to the NBA Finals.
If they do so, they will become the first team in league history to successfully overcome a 3-0 series deficit.
Star forward Jayson Tatum has already put his name in the history books by becoming only the second Celtic with at least 10 playoff games of at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists when he had 31 points, 11 boards, and five assists on Saturday.
Jayson Tatum in Game 6:
31 PTS
11 REB
5 AST
2 BLKJoins Larry Bird as the only Celtics with double-digit 30/10/5 playoff games. pic.twitter.com/PvKs33ME7f
StatMuse (@statmuse) May 28, 2023
Bird is considered by most to be the greatest player in team history, but Tatum is starting to build a nice resume of his own.
The 25-year-old has been criticized for inconsistent play, especially in the playoffs, and not coming through in crunch time, but he has stepped things up in the last three games.
He had 33 points in Game 4 and 21 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds in Game 5, and although he shot just 8-of-22 from the field in Game 6, he made all 15 of his free throws to pick up his overall efficiency.
If Tatum has a great outing in Game 7 while leading Boston to victory, he can answer his critics in a big way while giving him and his team another shot at an NBA title.
The Celtics reached the championship series last June only to lose to the Golden State Warriors, and they would love to rectify things this time around.
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