The Boston Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum put up a spectacular performance in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers to lead his team to a 88-112 win. Tatum finished the game with 51 points and helped the Celtics to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics are back in the conference finals for the third time in four seasons. There, they will face the Miami Heat, who previously beat the New York Knicks in six games in the other East semifinals matchup.
Tatum previously struggled in must-win Game 6, shooting 5-of-21, but had his teammates step up to extend the series against the 76ers. On Sunday night, however, it was Tatum who took charge, with his 51 points being the most in Game 7 in NBA Playoffs history. He also added 13 rebounds and five assists without committing a single turnover.
“I was really excited just for the moment, to be able to come out and play today,” Tatum said after the game. “It definitely was on my mind that I had played as bad as it could get for 42, 43 minutes. We have a saying, ‘It’s only up from here.'”
The Boston Celtics also had Jaylen Brown score 25 points, and Malcolm Brogdon add 12 points off the bench. No other Celtics player was in double digits.
The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, saw their star players struggle to make an impact. Joel Embiid, who was named NBA MVP for the 2022-23 season, finished the night with 15 points and eight rebounds. His fellow All-Star James Harden managed just nine points and shot the ball 3-out-of-11.
The Celtics play their next game on Wednesday night, welcoming the Heat in their TD Garden.
