A Blue Devil standout looks to finish the job for his first NBA championship.
Jayson Tatum, the Duke basketball standout, has had a long road back to the NBA Finals.
His playing and leadership skills were criticized. Some claimed he couldn’t be the top player on a championship team.
However, one year after losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on his home court, Tatum has the Boston Celtics back in the NBA Finals following a sweep of the Indiana Pacers, which included another fourth-quarter comeback on Monday night and nearly a triple-double.
The former Blue Devil finished the game with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists in a 105-102 road win. He has averaged at least 21.8 points per game in Boston’s first three playoff series.
Now, he will wait for his next opponent, who will most likely be his former Celtics colleague and Duke standout Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks, who are up 3-0 on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals.
Despite Tatum’s great performance in the series, he did not earn Most Valuable Player. Jaylen Brown, who averaged 29.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game over the series, received the honor.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were undeniable in the clutch of Game 4 to advance to the NBA Finals ☘️
Brown: 29 PTS, 6 REB, 4 3PM
Tatum: 26 PTS, 13 REB, 8 ASTThe #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV tips off Thursday, 6/6 at 8:30pm/et on ABC! pic.twitter.com/hgk3OGAPGj
— NBA (@NBA) May 28, 2024
Brown made the game-tying shot in Game 1, forcing overtime. He would score 40 points in Boston’s lopsided victory in Game 2 and 29 points in the series-clinching win.
Tatum averaged 30.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, including two 36-point performances in Games 1 and 3.
The 5-time NBA All-Star was voted the Eastern Conference Finals MVP in 2022, but the Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Finals.
Jayson Tatum won’t be back on the court for a while because the NBA Finals don’t start until Thursday, June 6, but Boston is hopeful that the extra rest will help them win their 18th championship in franchise history.
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