The Boston Celtics have relied on rookie Jayson Tatum to pick up some of the scoring in the absence of perennial All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. That reliance hasn't changed in crunch time, as Brad Stevens has given the Duke product the ultimate green light to make plays down the stretch and even running plays for him to score.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Tatum, according to Brian Robb of The Boston Sports Journal. “You work all season to earn the trust of your teammates and coaching staff for moments like this.”

This young bunch of players like Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, and Marcus Smart have shown teams that they're plenty capable of handling series on their own, aided by veteran voices like Al Horford, Aron Baynes, and Marcus Morris.

“We just continue to prove people wrong and have fun while we’re doing it,” added Tatum.

The Celtics have managed to make it into the Eastern Conference Finals for a second consecutive season, running into the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have picked up major steam after sweeping the Toronto Raptors for the second time in the last two seasons.

The next games should prove whether Tatum's star could shine as bright against the three-time Eastern Conference champions, coming off scoring 20 or more points in the last seven games.