A record Game 7 performance by Jayson Tatum lifted the Celtics to a 112-88 victory over the 76ers, sending them to the Conference Finals.
After suffering a tough loss at home in Game 5, the Boston Celtics came back to TD Garden for Game 7 as a team on a mission — to make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Jayson Tatum led the charge for the Celtics.
Scoring 51 points, the 25-year-old now holds the record for most points in a Game 7 in NBA history and has become the first player to drop over 50. On top of this, Tatum also recorded 13 rebounds and five assists.
Adding fuel to the flame, Jaylen Brown also tallied 25 points and six rebounds to the team’s huge 112-88 win.
Going big at home
In the opening half of the game, this nail-biting series still looked like a toss-up between the two teams, with the Philadelphia 76ers closing the first quarter with a six-point lead, 29-23.
The early minutes of the second quarter saw more of the same, with both teams trading buckets. However, the Celtics began to slowly but surely build their momentum and closed the first half on top, 55-52.
In the third quarter, the Celtics were ready to run away with it — and they certainly did, going on a 25-3 run that saw Philadelphia crash down to a 26-point deficit. The 76ers were never able to recover.
Boston continued firing with their momentum in the fourth to seal their win even further, Jayson Tatum just pushing the dagger further by reaching a record 51 points for his side. This historic performance by the All-Star comes after a slow-burning yet important Game 6 when his shots only began falling in the fourth.
“I felt great, it was back-and-forth series,” Tatum shared after the win. “We knew it was gonna be tough and competitive, but we stuck together.”
With this incredible victory, the Celtics will surely be heading into the Eastern Conference Finals on a high, where they will be facing the Miami Heat.
Banner image from Boston Celtics on Twitter.
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