If Jrue Holiday and Al Horford were decisive, Jayson Tatum quite simply signed his most successful game since the start of the playoffs with 36 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in the victory snatched by the Celtics. Skillful (12 out of 23 on shots), the Celtics winger added 2 blocks and 1 interception, and we will remember that he did not lose a single ball in 44 minutes!
It was he who stopped the bleeding when the Pacers took an 18-point lead, and it was him again, at the end of the 3rd quarter, at 3-points, who brought the gap below 10 points. before attacking the last quarter. “No advance is final, and there was still a lot of time” explains the All-Star winger. “You just have to believe it, right? And we always believed there was a chance to win the game. Not on a shot or a possession, but by continuing to fight. We played poorly, and they were skillful, but the gap wasn't that big. »
Don't relax
Author of 20 points before the break, Tatum will also be decisive in “money time”. First with this big 3-pointer to get back to -3 (109-106), then by finding Al Horford then Jrue Holiday to equalize, then go ahead on the And-1 (112-111). It is then this same Holiday who will ruin the Pacers' efforts with an interception and two additional throws. On the clock, it's 3-0 for the Celtics, and they have one foot and four toes in the final.
“The decisive matches are the most difficult, and I have already experienced a few of them. Last season, we were down 3-0 against the Heat, and we managed to snatch a 7th round. You must never relax. It's never over until it's over…”
