The level of scrutiny elite NBA players face is always high, especially in the playoffs, and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is no stranger to that. However, his ample experience in the postseason helped him tune out the noise and lead the C's to their second NBA Finals appearance in the last three seasons.
On Monday evening, the Celtics rattled off another comeback victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Indiana Pacers 105-102 after trailing by eight points with less than six minutes remaining in the contest. Although the series looked like it might head back to Boston, the Celtics once again clutched up in the fourth quarter, outscoring Indiana 15-4 in the final 5:50 of the contest.
Following the stunning victory, Tatum reached rarified air. He's just the fifth player in league history to lead his team in points, rebounds and assists while making the Finals, per StatMamba.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic achieved that same feat last season when he led the Colorado franchise to their first championship in team history. Former Miami Heat star LeBron James did it multiple times, winning two Finals MVP trophies from 2012 to 2015. San Antonio Spurs big man Tim Duncan accomplished it as well en route to his second NBA championship in 2003.
Lastly, New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd joined the list in 2002, yet that playoff run ended in a loss to the Spurs in the Finals. Tatum and company will be aiming for a different result this year. And, ironically, Tatum's quest for his first ring may encounter Kidd, who's the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. At the time of writing, the Mavs boast a 3-0 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.
How Jayson Tatum has excelled in the 2024 playoffs thus far
Tatum is primarily viewed as a scorer, which makes sense. He led the Celtics in scoring during the 2023-24 regular season and was the top scorer in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Eastern Conference Finals.
Game 4 wasn't his best shooting performance of the series, but he still finished with 26 points while going 11-for-26.
Despite the âscorerâ label, the five-time All-Star has also become an excellent rebounder. He's not a center, yet he's been the Celtics' best rebounder by far in the playoffs, bringing in a game-high 13 boards on Monday night.
âI would like to think I'm a great rebounder,â Tatum said in his postgame remarks after Game 5 against the Cavs. âBesides all the seven-foot guys in the league that are centers, I feel like I'm one of the best rebounders that's not a five-man.â
Tatum's final board of the Eastern Conference Finals might've been his most important. With under a minute to go in the fourth quarter, the Pacers trailed 105-102 and were desperate to generate some late-game offense. Indiana point guard Andrew Nembhard put up the potential game-tying triple with 33.1 seconds remaining and when that didn't fall, Tatum was there to corral the ball in a busy paint.
The Pacers outrebounded the Celtics on the offensive boards and used that advantage to create 11 second-chance points. Yet, instead of keeping Indiana alive with another possession, Tatum essentially sealed the win with that board and time on the Celtics' side.
Scoring and rebounding aside, Tatum has also made strides with his playmaking. While he's far from the best passer in the league, the 26-year-old had a team-high eight assists and was able to make the right reads down the stretch.
Take Game 3, for example.
Down five with less than 1:30 on the clock, Jayson Tatum saw three different Pacers surround him as he drove to the rim. Rather than putting up a tough layup, he delivered the ball to an open Al Horford via a sweet, behind-the-back pass. Horford then drained the 3-pointer and set the table for Boston's 114-111 comeback win.
Assists like that have allowed Tatum to break down opposing double teams and keep defenses honest. He's seen plenty of defensive blitzes already this postseason, so he'll have to continue to move the ball well and find open shooters in the NBA Finals.
Game 1 of Boston's Finals campaign tips off on Thursday, June 6th against a Western Conference champion that's yet to be crowned.
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