With under 4.5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Boston Celtics were looking at the end of their season. Already on the brink of elimination, they trailed the Philadelphia 76ers, 83-81, and were stuck in a defensive-minded battle on Philadelphia’s home floor. Then, Boston’s superstar, Jayson Tatum, snapped out of his wretched shooting night and buried a three to give the Celtics a lead they’d never again surrendered. Minutes later, they’d won, 95-86, and tied the series at 3-3 heading back to Boston for Sunday’s Game 7 inside TD Garden.
After scoring three points in the first three quarters, Tatum exploded for 16 in the final period, including four threes in the last 4.5 minutes. Philadelphia’s offense dried up and Tatum, fresh off his second consecutive First Team All-NBA nod, took over. Following the do-or-die victory, Tatum spoke with ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth, who asked him how he maintains the confidence to keep shooting even during cold shooting nights.
Jayson Tatum: “Humbly, I’m one of the best basketball players in the world” pic.twitter.com/qpuy8KKNmg
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) May 12, 2023
“Humbly, I’m one of the best basketball players in the world,” Tatum told Hubbarth. “You go through struggles, go through slumps. It’s a long game. Thankfully, I’ve got some great teammates that held it down.
“They all trust me. They tell me, keep taking great looks. It’s gonna fall. Keep impacting the game in other ways. And all that matters was we won this game. Give ourselves another chance, come back home for a Game 7.”
Tatum scored 19 points on 5-of-21 shooting, while adding nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals in Game 6. He and the Celtics will return home for Sunday’s Game 7, aiming to make their third Eastern Conference Finals appearance in four years.