Jayson Tatum erupts for 51 points to send Boston Celtics to Eastern Conference Finals
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics dethroned the reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 on Sunday. The Celtics beat the Sixers by a huge margin, 112-88. While many believed that Philly could go all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum made sure to crush everyone's hopes by putting up a monstrous 51-point game.
The Boston Celtics didn't make it easy for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics locked down the Sixers, which resulted in none of the Philly players scoring at least 20 points. The trio of Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey couldn't do a thing to counter Jayson Tatum's 51 points as they combined for 41 points only.
The Celtics will now face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals in another best-of-seven series. What makes this matchup even more interesting is the fact that the two teams have previously faced each other. They faced off in the ECF back in the NBA Bubble and the 2022 NBA Playoffs. It'll be interesting to see who will come out on top this time, especially with home-court advantages coming into play.
ECF Rematch: Jimmy Butler vs. Jayson Tatum
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are all too familiar with each other as they faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals twice in the last three years. This year's ECF matchup will be their second consecutive face-off against each other. Both teams currently have one series win over each one, and this postseason will serve as their tiebreaker.
What makes this matchup more intriguing is that Jimmy Butler has activated his "Jimmy Buckets" mode and has been unstoppable in the entire postseason. Butler is currently averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in the 2023 playoffs. It'll be interesting to see if Jimmy's scorching-hot performance can help annihilate the Boston Celtics.
What Miami needs to stop is the duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum catching fire. Tatum has been brilliant so far in the playoffs as he's currently averaging a double-double with 28.2 points and 10.6 rebounds. Meanwhile, Brown is averaging 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Either Miami takes out the duo, or one of the Heat players needs to step up and help Jimmy Butler beat the Celtics' duo.