BOSTON – He didn’t take home the Bill Russell trophy. And his 3-point shooting continued to fail him. Miserably.
But Jayson Tatum still gave the Celtics exactly what they needed in Game 5 en route to putting the final nail in the Mavericks’ coffin.
Given the stage, and the stakes, this is where Tatum needed to shine to not only bring home Banner 18 but silence the critics.
On this championship night, he managed to do both.
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Along with Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, it was Tatum who helped deliver the knockout punch en route to the Celtics 106-88 win over the Mavericks.
After turning pretty much invisible points-wise during crunch time in the first three games (only 12 fourth quarter points total) while sitting out most of the fourth in Game 4, it was Tatum who made sure the series didn’t extend and head back to Dallas.
Tatum started strong and finished even stronger.
With the Celtics up 91-72 with just under eight minutes to play, he scored 10 of the Green Team’s next 13 points, extending the lead to 104-78 with 4:20 to go. That surge all but buried the Mavericks. It largely put the dagger into the hearts of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as Tatum kept driving to the basket to produce points and gaining more after being fouled.
It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t always pretty. But Tatum answered the bell, and did everything the C’s needed during those pivotal moments in the game.
His 31 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists was tops in the 106-88 championship-clinching win.
For Tatum, it was one part validation, one part relief and a significant salvo to all of his critics.
“It’s a surreal feeling. Still has not really kicked in yet,” Tatum said following the win. “Just trying, I guess, to enjoy the moment. I kept saying, ‘Wow.’
“These last seven years have been a roller coaster, up and down. I had to listen to all the (expletive) that people said about me, and tonight, it was worth it. Oh, my God.”
Tatum has his championship and his place in history. He can walk alongside all of the former Celtic greats who won rings. After Monday night, it’s more about where it goes from here and how many more championships are on the horizon for Tatum, Brown and the rest.
But for now, the first one is under the belt. There will be no more questions about whether he and Brown can co-exist. No more questions about whether Tatum has the killer instinct.
He and Brown are just fine, thank you very much. They realized long ago they both needed each other to win a title, along with a great supporting cast. And Tatum also showed he’s capable of finishing off an opponent with a big game.
“To be able to say we did it, that we came together and we won a championship. Banner number 18 has been hanging over our head for so many years,” Tatum said. “To know that we’re going to be engraved in history, and it still hasn’t like registered. I’m just still trying to process it all.
“But we did it. We won a championship.”
Tatum wasn’t the least bit tentative or indecisive in the clincher. He played with aggression and purpose. He still spread the ball around, and he hit open teammates when he was double-teamed. But when it was time to lead and take over the game, he did just that. He delivered.
“I mean, this is going to be a night that I will remember for the rest of my life, from the game, the celebration, these moments,” he said. “You know, over the last couple years, we had some tough losses at home in the playoffs. We’ve lost the NBA championship at home in front of our fans. We had a chance to beat Miami in Game 6 a few years ago and lost that one.
“So to have a big win, the biggest win that you could have in front of your home crowd,” he added, “I felt like that was really important to go out there and do everything in my power to make sure we won this game tonight.”
Last year’s failure, losing in the Eastern Conference championship to the Heat, and losing in the Finals to the Warriors the previous year, made this victory even sweeter for him, Brown, Al Horford and the rest of his Celtic teammates who came up short in the past.
“You know what it feels like to lose. You know what it feels like to be on the other side of this and be in the locker room and hearing the other team celebrating, hearing them celebrate on your home floor. That was devastating,” Tatum said. “And now, to elevate yourself in a space that, you know, all your favorite players are in, everybody that they consider greats or legends have won a championship, and all of the guys I looked up to won a championship, multiple championships.
“So now I can, like, walk in those rooms and be a part of that. It’s a hell of a feeling. This is more — I dreamed about what it would be like, but this is 10 times better.”
As the final seconds ticked off, with the game well in hand, Tatum was jumping up and down on the sidelines like a kid. He held his head in his hands, almost in disbelief. He hugged teammates, hugged his son Deuce, before finally cradling the championship trophy.
What was his 6-year-old son’s reaction to dad winning a championship?
“He told me that I was the best in the world,” Tatum answered. “I said, ‘You’re damn right I am.’’’
