The Philadelphia 76ers were demolished in Game 7 by the Boston Celtics as Jayson Tatum exploded for 51 points in the win.
Tatum is the leading scorer in Game 7 history and this performance made Doc Rivers think of the last time he’s seen a performance of this caliber. Rivers’ was asked about the same and he revealed it was LeBron James in his iconic Game 6 performance against the Celtics in 2012.
“I’ve seen one. It was in this building… it was LeBron. That’s the only time I have seen a performance like that live. I am glad that I haven’t seen many, but I have seen one. Tatum played hard defensively and he didn’t take a lot of bad shots. He got into a good rhythm and played great overall tonight.”
"I've seen one. It was in this building… it was LeBron."
Doc Rivers on Playoff performances at the level of Jayson Tatum's historic 51-point Game 7.#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/VM7euzn43V
— NBA (@NBA) May 14, 2023
Rivers was coaching Boston in that 2012 series and saw James single-handedly help the Heat win the series en route to their first of two titles in that era. This may end up being the story for Tatum as well, as the Celtics are yet to win a championship since 2008 and have a strong chance at doing so for the first time in the Tatum-Brown era this season.
LeBron had 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in his Game 6 performance, blowing the Celtics out 98-79 on the road.
Can Jayson Tatum Lead Boston To The Title?
There have been multiple conversations about who is the star in Boston. Is it Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum? Performances like this prove why it’s Tatum that needs to be star 1A to Brown’s 1B for the team to be successful at a championship level. Tatum not answering the call in the 2022 Finals is what doomed them against the Warriors, something he’ll look to avoid this season.
They have to go through the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals, something that will not be easy. Either way, the Celtics will be favorites to win the series and advance to the Finals. They will hope that they can put it together and actually become champions this season. if Jayson Tatum doesn’t perform at the highest level, they can easily be beaten by teams like the Nuggets or the Lakers.
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