BOSTON — Jayson Tatum arrived to TD Garden on Sunday sporting a hot pink button-down shirt with the number '7' circled on the back, then proceeded to score more than anyone ever in a do-or-die NBA game.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum receives applause as he steps off the court near the end of Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series, Sunday, May 14, 2023, in Boston. a hot pink button-down shirt
You knew the night was special when legendary sportswriter Bob Ryan, whose career on the Celtics beat began shortly after Bill Russell's 11th and final championship, tells you that Tatum's achievement was the greatest Game 7 he has ever seen live from someone in a Celtics uniform. Nobody showed up quite like Tatum. The game was tied, 55-55, in the opening minute of the second half, when he transcended.
Tatum fed off frenzied fans in a way we usually only see from Curry in the Bay Area. When he peeled around a Horford screen to drill the fourth of his six 3-pointers, forcing the second of three Doc Rivers timeouts over a five-minute span, Tatum walked to center court, pointed at the logo and declared,"This is my s***.""It's a movie," said Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who finished +31 in 39 minutes, second only to Tatum's +33."It's a big movie.
"To win in the playoffs is extremely hard," added co-star Jaylen Brown, who scored 25 points."It takes a lot of sacrifice, intensity, emotion and hard work. We're looking forward to winning more games and continuing this process. All I can say is, All praise to the Most High. We're both extremely grateful to be here."
Meanwhile, a beaming Brandy Cole waited in the hallway for her son, the rising superstar. Tatum had just wrapped her a hell of a Mother's Day gift, complete with a trip to Miami for the Eastern Conference finals.Just then, Sixers coach Doc Rivers passed the Tatums, half joking,"Too much joy in this f***ing hallway."
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