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.

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After failing to close out the series in their own building in Game 6, the Celtics came out swinging in the Heat’s FTX Arena. Boston raced to a 15-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. On the other hand, Miami wasn’t ahead at any point in the game.

“We’ve been responding all year, all season, to adversity,” said shooting guard Jaylen Brown. “Today was the biggest test, not just of the year but of our careers, to mentally come into a Game 7 away after losing on our home court, which was tough, and we got it done.”

Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics, scoring 26 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists. For his Game 7 performance and impact throughout the series, Tatum was recognized as the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and awarded the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy.

Jimmy Butler had another big game for the Heat, scoring 35 points to go with nine boards. However, most of his teammates failed to step up. Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry were the only Miami players in double digits on the night.

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The first game saw the Indiana Pacers, who finished ninth on the standings, hosting the tenth Charlotte Hornets. The winner of this game would get a chance to play for the No. 8 seed against the loser of Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards.

Many believed that the Hornets had a real chance of surprising the Pacers, considering all the turmoil that took place in Indiana during this season. But the Pacers managed to get things together just in time and completely embarrass Charlotte.

It became clear that the Pacers were going to win the game in the first quarter. They opened with a 23-9 lead and continued piling up points as the contest went on. At one point, early in the third quarter, they were ahead by 31 points. Hornets only managed to soften the blow a bit in the fourth period to make it 117-144.

Domantas Sabonis carried Indiana in this game, delivering an impressive stat-line that included 14 points, 21 rebounds, and nine assists. Oshae Brissett added 23 points and five rebounds, while Dough McDermott scored 21.

Miles Bridges had 23 points and eight rebounds for Hornets, with Cody Zeller and Terry Rozier contributing 17 points and 16 points, respectively.

In Boston, the Celtics welcomed the red-hot Washington Wizards in a game that would decide the No. 7 seed. Many expected a close game, but this one saw a one-side result as well, with the home team getting a 118-100 win.

The Celtics hero on Tuesday night was Jayson Tatum, who had a monster performance that saw him score 50 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Tatum was 14-32 from the game and 5-12 from the three-point line while scoring all 17 free-throw attempts.

Boston also saw a big contribution from Kemba Walker, who had 29 points and seven rebounds. Tatum, Walker, and Tristan Thompson (12 points) were the only Celtics in double-digit scoring.

The Wizards, on the other hand, mightily struggled with shooting. Russell Westbrook missed all but six of his 18 attempts from the game, including 0-4 for three points, while Bradley Beal finished the night with 10-25 from the game and 1-6 from the three-point arc. Davis Bertans had an even worse night, failing to hit a single three from seven attempts.

The Boston Celtics will now face the No. 2 seeded Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs, while the Washington Wizards are set to host the Indiana Pacers in an attempt to get the No. 8 seed.

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For the Western Conference, the reserves will be the Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, the New Orleans’ Pelicans Zion Williamson, the Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul, and the Portland Trailblazers’ Damien Lillard.

It should also be noted that the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis was selected to be a reserve as well, but due to an injury will be substituted by the Suns’ Devin Booker.

Over on the Eastern Conference, here’s how the reserves will look. Brooklyn’s James Harden was an obvious choice, along with the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons. The Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown also got the nod, with the Chicago Bulls’ Zach Lavine, the Orlando Magic’s Nikola Vucevic, and the New York Knicks’ Julius Randle getting invited as well.

This will be the first All-Star game for some, including the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson and the Knicks’ Julius Randle.

The NBA All-Star game reserves are selected by the head coaches of the NBA teams, so it’s certainly not a popularity contest, rather selections based on merit alone. The game will be played on March 7th.

The post Reserves Selected For Upcoming NBA All-Star Game appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Tatum was diagnosed with a sprained ankle, which he picked up in Tuesday night’s overtime win against Turkey. He is expected to be re-evaluated on Monday.

Tatum has been productive for Team USA at World Cup so far, as he averages 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He has been especially on a great display against Turkey when he managed to score free throws which forced the overtime.

Team USA recorded two wins so far in the tournament, which means they already advanced to the second round. They will face Japan on Thursday in the last game of the group stage, after which they are scheduled to play their second-round match on Saturday.

If everything turns out well, and Tatum recovers in time, he will be available for the Team USA’s third-round match. The game will be eliminatory and is set to take place on Monday night.

The post Jayson Tatum Out for at Least 2 Games for Team USA at World Cup appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Guard Marcus Smart suffered an oblique injury in the Celtics’ Sunday night loss to the Orlando Magic. In addition, forward Jayson Tatum had to leave the game with a shin contusion.

The timing could hardly be worse for the Celtics as they prepare for the NBA playoffs to start on Saturday.

First, Jayson Tatum had to leave after six minutes after aggravating a shin injury. He had already picked up a shin contusion in a previous game, but had to leave on Sunday night after “feeling funny after jumping.”

Next, Smart left in the third quarter with what coach Brad Stevens described as an “oblique bruise.”

While no one considers any of the two injuries to be overly serious, it remains to be seen if the Celtics will miss either of the two players for any part of their playoff run.

They will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

Losing any of the two players would be a tough blow for Boston, as both figures are part of their starting lineup. Tatum is averaging 15.7 points per game and Smart is one of the team’s top defenders.

It remains to be seen how long their two players will be out.

The post Celtics’ Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum Suffer Injuries appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

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.

The post Jayson Tatum Scores 51 Points to Send the Celtics Back to Eastern Conference Finals appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

After failing to close out the series in their own building in Game 6, the Celtics came out swinging in the Heat’s FTX Arena. Boston raced to a 15-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. On the other hand, Miami wasn’t ahead at any point in the game.

“We’ve been responding all year, all season, to adversity,” said shooting guard Jaylen Brown. “Today was the biggest test, not just of the year but of our careers, to mentally come into a Game 7 away after losing on our home court, which was tough, and we got it done.”

Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics, scoring 26 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists. For his Game 7 performance and impact throughout the series, Tatum was recognized as the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and awarded the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy.

Jimmy Butler had another big game for the Heat, scoring 35 points to go with nine boards. However, most of his teammates failed to step up. Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry were the only Miami players in double digits on the night.

The post Celtics Take Care of the Heat to Clinch NBA Finals Appearance appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The first game saw the Indiana Pacers, who finished ninth on the standings, hosting the tenth Charlotte Hornets. The winner of this game would get a chance to play for the No. 8 seed against the loser of Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards.

Many believed that the Hornets had a real chance of surprising the Pacers, considering all the turmoil that took place in Indiana during this season. But the Pacers managed to get things together just in time and completely embarrass Charlotte.

It became clear that the Pacers were going to win the game in the first quarter. They opened with a 23-9 lead and continued piling up points as the contest went on. At one point, early in the third quarter, they were ahead by 31 points. Hornets only managed to soften the blow a bit in the fourth period to make it 117-144.

Domantas Sabonis carried Indiana in this game, delivering an impressive stat-line that included 14 points, 21 rebounds, and nine assists. Oshae Brissett added 23 points and five rebounds, while Dough McDermott scored 21.

Miles Bridges had 23 points and eight rebounds for Hornets, with Cody Zeller and Terry Rozier contributing 17 points and 16 points, respectively.

In Boston, the Celtics welcomed the red-hot Washington Wizards in a game that would decide the No. 7 seed. Many expected a close game, but this one saw a one-side result as well, with the home team getting a 118-100 win.

The Celtics hero on Tuesday night was Jayson Tatum, who had a monster performance that saw him score 50 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Tatum was 14-32 from the game and 5-12 from the three-point line while scoring all 17 free-throw attempts.

Boston also saw a big contribution from Kemba Walker, who had 29 points and seven rebounds. Tatum, Walker, and Tristan Thompson (12 points) were the only Celtics in double-digit scoring.

The Wizards, on the other hand, mightily struggled with shooting. Russell Westbrook missed all but six of his 18 attempts from the game, including 0-4 for three points, while Bradley Beal finished the night with 10-25 from the game and 1-6 from the three-point arc. Davis Bertans had an even worse night, failing to hit a single three from seven attempts.

The Boston Celtics will now face the No. 2 seeded Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs, while the Washington Wizards are set to host the Indiana Pacers in an attempt to get the No. 8 seed.

The post Celtics Clinch No. 7 Seed, Wizards and Pacers to Play for No. 8 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

For the Western Conference, the reserves will be the Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, the New Orleans’ Pelicans Zion Williamson, the Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul, and the Portland Trailblazers’ Damien Lillard.

It should also be noted that the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis was selected to be a reserve as well, but due to an injury will be substituted by the Suns’ Devin Booker.

Over on the Eastern Conference, here’s how the reserves will look. Brooklyn’s James Harden was an obvious choice, along with the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons. The Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown also got the nod, with the Chicago Bulls’ Zach Lavine, the Orlando Magic’s Nikola Vucevic, and the New York Knicks’ Julius Randle getting invited as well.

This will be the first All-Star game for some, including the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson and the Knicks’ Julius Randle.

The NBA All-Star game reserves are selected by the head coaches of the NBA teams, so it’s certainly not a popularity contest, rather selections based on merit alone. The game will be played on March 7th.

The post Reserves Selected For Upcoming NBA All-Star Game appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Tatum was diagnosed with a sprained ankle, which he picked up in Tuesday night’s overtime win against Turkey. He is expected to be re-evaluated on Monday.

Tatum has been productive for Team USA at World Cup so far, as he averages 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He has been especially on a great display against Turkey when he managed to score free throws which forced the overtime.

Team USA recorded two wins so far in the tournament, which means they already advanced to the second round. They will face Japan on Thursday in the last game of the group stage, after which they are scheduled to play their second-round match on Saturday.

If everything turns out well, and Tatum recovers in time, he will be available for the Team USA’s third-round match. The game will be eliminatory and is set to take place on Monday night.

The post Jayson Tatum Out for at Least 2 Games for Team USA at World Cup appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Guard Marcus Smart suffered an oblique injury in the Celtics’ Sunday night loss to the Orlando Magic. In addition, forward Jayson Tatum had to leave the game with a shin contusion.

The timing could hardly be worse for the Celtics as they prepare for the NBA playoffs to start on Saturday.

First, Jayson Tatum had to leave after six minutes after aggravating a shin injury. He had already picked up a shin contusion in a previous game, but had to leave on Sunday night after “feeling funny after jumping.”

Next, Smart left in the third quarter with what coach Brad Stevens described as an “oblique bruise.”

While no one considers any of the two injuries to be overly serious, it remains to be seen if the Celtics will miss either of the two players for any part of their playoff run.

They will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

Losing any of the two players would be a tough blow for Boston, as both figures are part of their starting lineup. Tatum is averaging 15.7 points per game and Smart is one of the team’s top defenders.

It remains to be seen how long their two players will be out.

The post Celtics’ Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum Suffer Injuries appeared first on yoursportspot.com.