Tatum Comes Up Huge, Helps Celtics Force Game 7
May 14, 2022
The Celtics put themselves in a precarious position when they choked away game 5 at home to fall behind 3-2 to the Milwaukee Bucks in their Eastern Conference semifinals. They traveled to Milwaukee for game 6, facing elimination unless they could come up with a road win against the defending NBA champions. Luckily, the Celtics were able to do just that, thanks in large part to a Jayson Tatum masterclass. Tatum scored 46 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter to help his team hold off another fourth quarter rally by the Bucks and get to the finish line with a 108-95 victory, setting up an epic do-or-die game 7 in Boston on Sunday afternoon.
It was clear pretty early on in the game that the Celtics had put the game 5 collapse behind them and were not going down without a fight. They looked motivated by the loss, and came out with an intensity and aggression that was lacking in the fourth quarter of the previous game. They easily could have given up on the season after that heartbreaking loss, but with the deck stacked against them, the Celtics showed their resolve. A loss like game 5 can bring out the true colors in a team. It can show a lot about their makeup, toughness, how hard they want to work, and how strong their desire is to battle adversity. The Celtics showed everything that you would possibly want to see; they simply refused to let their season end, and made sure that the Bucks would not get to celebrate a series victory on their home floor.
Much maligned for his fourth quarter performance in game 5, Marcus Smart came out looking like a man possessed. Clearly keen to atone for his late errors, he led the Celtics to a fast start, hitting four threes in the first quarter and getting the team settled on both ends. Smart finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, and defended Giannis Antetokounmpo as frequently and as effectively as anyone on the Celtics. Put frankly, he looked like a man intent on washing a bad taste out of his mouth. Smart got things started, but beyond that it was the Jayson Tatum show. Tatum had the kind of game that you would expect from one of the league’s biggest stars. He was brilliant on both ends of the floor, and took over the game when his team needed him most. He finally got his shot going too as he hit 7/15 threes, after some very poor shooting in games 3, 4, and 5. The best part was that Tatum took his game to another level when his team needed him most. The Celtics had been cruising for much of the game, stretching the lead as wide as 18 at one point, but in the fourth quarter the Bucks started fighting back again and cut the lead down to 4. From there, Tatum took over the game, scoring 16 of the Celtics 26 points in the quarter, including 11 straight at one point, and ensuring that there would not be another collapse.
Game 6 played out similarly to game 5 in that the Celtics looked like the better team for most of the night, playing an outstanding second quarter where they held the Bucks to just 17 points, and carrying a 53-43 lead into halftime. The Celtics avoided a third quarter letdown, extending their lead to 12 going into the fourth, and for the second straight game, had only to hold a double digit lead to get a win. Again the Bucks made a ferocious run, whittling the lead down to just four, but this time the Celtics responded. Tatum hit big shots, then Jaylen Brown hit a huge three (he had 22/5/5 on the night), and Smart capped off the run with another three that put the Celtics back up by double digits, where the lead would stay until the final buzzer.
The Bucks certainly didn’t go down without a fight, themselves. Giannis was typically unstoppable as he’s been for most of the series. He ended up with 44 points, 20 rebounds, and 6 assists, but he shot just 14/30 from the field and he had to work for every single point. The Celtics have forced the Milwaukee offense to basically become Giannis trying to plow his way to the basket, or Jrue Holiday isolating. Holiday finished with 17 points but shot just 7/17 and 3/10 from three. Yet again, Boston did a great job of containing everyone else and making sure there were no easy baskets, and no open threes. As a team, the Celtics held the Bucks to just 41% shooting, including just 7/29 from three. The Celtics also did a great job taking care of the ball, turning it over just 8 times. So the Bucks never got a chance to get out and run, adding just 10 points off turnovers. The Celtics clearly also made it a point to eliminate the offensive boards that killed them in game 5, ceding just 7 in game 6 after a pathetic 17 the game prior.
Overall it was a focused effort by the Celtics and especially their star, Jayson Tatum. The execution was there right from the get-go, and this time there was no let up. Now it all comes down to one game. The Celtics fought to secure home court advantage on the final day of the regular season, and now they’ll reap the benefits of having game 7 in TD Garden on Sunday. The Celtics are 24-9 all time in game 7’s and 20-5 in game 7’s at home. The Bucks are just 3-8 in game 7’s, however they won a massive one just last year in Brooklyn en route to the NBA title. I think it’s fair to say we can throw the records and the history out the window for this one. We’re looking at quite possibly the two best teams in the NBA and road teams have gone 4-2 in this series so far. It’s fitting for such an epic series to come down to a deciding game 7. We are in for a treat on Sunday, let’s just hope the home side comes out on top.
Ben Handler