Things were not looking good for Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics midway through the fourth quarter of Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston watched what had been a 16-point lead evaporate in the second half and their All-NBA First-Team forward was a big reason why.
For a large portion of the game, Tatum couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat in the middle of the ocean. He was shooting his team out of the game with a performance that would have led to a brutal offseason of analysts and pundits questioning just how good he is and if he is capable of leading the Celtics to the promised land.
But, with 4:14 remaining in the game, something finally clicked. Tatum knocked down a 3-pointer to get the Celtics the lead back and he found his groove. He would knock down three more 3-pointers to put the 76ers away, outsourcing them by himself 16-13 in the fourth quarter.
“I had 43 minutes of them telling me how bad I was,” Tatum said. “So it kind of felt good to see everybody getting out they seat and leaving early in that moment.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Tatum finished the game shooting an ugly 5-of-21 from the field, but he stepped up when it mattered most. He finished the night with 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.
Despite the abysmal start shooting the ball, confidence in Tatum never wavered. His teammates and the coaching staff all had his back and knew that he would shake the rough night off at some point. Grant Williams spoke about it, as shared by The Athletic.
“We believe in you, we trust in you,” Williams told The Athletic of his message. “And just know that no matter if your shots go down or not, we have your back. And that was really just what I said. I said we trust you, keep making the right read. Shots are going to fall. Believe in yourself because that’s what you are. You’re the best player in the world.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Those are some good teammates as they were riding with Tatum through thick and thin. They have gotten to where they are in large part because of his performance and they knew he was capable of heating up to get them a win.
“I think sometimes for him and a lot of us, he gets into that mode where he thinks ‘I have to do this, I have to do that,’ and he wants to be so perfect, and it’s a good thing and it’s a bad thing,” said point guard Marcus Smart. “Sometimes you got to lean on your teammates, and that’s what we’re here for. To let him know that you’re not perfect. Nobody’s perfect. We just need you to be the best you can be and that’s all we can ask for.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Tatum’s late-game surge was enough to hold off the 76ers, who had James Harden match the dud shooting performance that Tatum put together. He went 4-of-16 from the field as Philadelphia didn’t receive much production from anyone outside of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who each scored 26 points on the night. Those two contributed 52 of the 76ers’ 86 points on the evening.
The Celtics are now heading back home for Game 7 on Sunday with the time yet to be determined. The team will need Tatum to step up one more time as the 76ers have shown going on the road isn’t something that phases them. This offseason, they are 4-1 thus far away from the City of Brotherly Love.
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