Tatum ‘can only imagine' incredible NBA Finals atmosphere at TD Garden

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It's safe to say Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is super excited to experience the NBA Finals in Boston at TD Garden for the first time in his career.

The Celtics will host the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the series Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET. It's the first Finals matchup in Boston since Game 5 of the 2010 series versus the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Tatum has played in several important games at the Garden since being drafted by the Celtics in 2017, but the Finals are a different stage entirely. It's hard to know what to expect from that kind of atmosphere until you actually experience it firsthand.

"I can only imagine. I've been in Game 7s in front of this crowd throughout the playoffs and how electrifying that can be," Tatum told NBC Sports Boston's Abby Chin.

"So I can only imagine the first game of a Finals series at home. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait to see the fans. I feel like we haven't played here in a month. I hope they missed me as much as I missed them."

The Celtics' last matchup at home was Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat on May 27, which was 12 days ago. 

After winning 28 games at home during the regular season -- the second-most among all East teams -- the Celtics have struggled at the Garden in the playoffs with a 5-4 record. However, the Finals atmosphere has lifted the Celtics in recent championship series. The C's are 10-2 in their last 12 Finals home games dating back to the 1986 series versus the Houston Rockets.

Watch Tatum's full interview with Abby Chin in the video above.

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