Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum delivered when it mattered most against the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
He scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter as Boston held on for a 100-96 win at FTX Arena to punch its ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.
Tatum finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal in 46 minutes. It was an excellent all-around performance that helped earn him the Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
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Heat star Jimmy Butler had an unbelievable series and was a major reason why Miami nearly pulled off a stunning late fourth quarter comeback Sunday night. He had enormous praise for Tatum after the game.
"He does everything," Butler said. "Shoot the ball, playing the pick-and-roll, he passes the ball incredibly well, gets out in transition. He's a superstar, and he deserves that. They deserve the win. I wish them the best moving forward. He's one hell of a player, that's for damn sure."
Boston Celtics
The Celtics will need a superstar-level showing from Tatum to beat the Golden State Warriors in the Finals. The Warriors are the highest-scoring team in the playoffs and loaded with guys who can create offense in a variety of ways.
Game 1 between the Celtics and Warriors is set for Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET.