The Boston Celtics hosted Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series against the Brooklyn Nets on Easter Sunday. Of the eight first-round series’ in the playoffs, the Celtics vs. Nets series is easily the most anticipated. It had everything a fan could want. You get Kevin Durant, arguably the best basketball player in the world. You get Kyrie Irving returning to Boston once again. We all know how much animosity there is between Celtics fans and Irving at this point. But you also get the emergence of rising superstar Jayson Tatum.
Since being drafted third overall by the Celtics in 2017 as a 19-year-old, Tatum has continued to excel. This season, he put up a career high 26.9 points and eight rebounds per game. Despite the huge year, he actually was quite terrible the first two months of the season. However, over the final four months, he was likely one of the five best players in the NBA.
On Sunday, with the game one the line, Tatum hit the first ever Boston Celtics home playoff buzzer beater. Yeah, you read that right. Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, K.C. Jones, none of them ever hit a buzzer beater in the playoffs in front of the home crowd. That got us thinking. What are Jayson Tatum’s greatest playoff performances in his brief, but already amazing career.
4 Greatest Playoff Performance of Jayson Tatum’s Career, Ranked
4. 2018 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 vs Cavaliers
Jayson Tatum has had many playoff games in his young career that were statistically greater than this game. But in this particular game, it was all about context.
It was Tatum’s rookie year. They were facing the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James. On a day where almost every single Celtics player came up small, their rookie forward had to date his most impressive playoff performance. He finished the game with 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting, with eight rebounds before fouling out with a couple minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
But if you watched that game, you remember this performance. Every time it appeared the Cavs would blow the game open, the Celtics rookie kept them in it with a big basket. James ended up with 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. The Cavs needed every bit of that because of how well the Boston youngster played. The Celtics ended up losing Game 7, but Tatum sent a notice to the NBA as a rookie, he’s here.
This was the game that made me a believer in Tatum.
3. 2020 Eastern Conference First Round Game 2 vs. 76ers
Two post seasons later, Tatum had already played in 28 playoff games his first two years in the NBA. The young kid was ready to not just make an impact, but lead his team to a win.
In the 2020 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics squared off against the Philadelphia 76ers. With Boston winning game one, the Celtics looked for a stranglehold in the series. Tatum made sure they got it.
The Celtics young superstar finished 12-for-20 from the field, for 33 points. He was even more efficient from downtown, knocking down 8-for-12 from deep. Tatum added five rebounds and five assists to go along with zero turnovers. The fact that he did not turn the ball over once is extremely impressive, considering how often he has the ball in his hands. The Celtics crushed the Sixers that night, on their way to a sweep of the series.
2. 2022 Eastern Conference First Round Game 1 vs Nets
Yes, tonight’s game made the list and deservedly so.
The Celtics star forward scored a team-high 31 points, to go along with eight assists, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal. But of course, this one is all about timing. After Celtics rival Kyrie Irving had hit a three-pointer with under a minute left, Boston found themselves trailing 114-113 in the closing seconds.
Boston point guard Marcus Smart found a cutting Tatum, who hit the driving layup as time expired.
JAYSON TATUM IS THAT DUDE LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! pic.twitter.com/zpTIqGHMSC
— Steve Perrault (@Steve_Perrault) April 17, 2022
As I mentioned previously, somehow this was the first buzzer beater in Celtics history at home. It could not have come at a better time. This series is likely to come down to the wire. The difference between winning and losing this game very well could be the difference in the series.
1. 2021 Eastern Conference First Round Game 3 vs. Nets
Just last season, these two teams found themselves pitted against each other. The Celtics were woefully overmatched and lost the series in five games. However, in Game 3, Tatum refused to lose.
He scored a playoff career-high 50 points with seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block. The Celtics forward hit a number of big shots late, holding off Kevin Durant and the Nets. Brooklyn would win the next two games (despite 72 combined points from Tatum combined) and finish off the Celtics. But once again, Tatum proved that he is one of the best talents in the world of basketball.
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