Jayson Tatum and his Boston Celtics have evened the Conference Finals series at 1-1, reinstating that they are the hottest team of the 2022 Playoffs.
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After getting punished at the hands of Jimmy Butler and Co in Game 1, Al Horford and Marcus Smart were all Boston needed to thrash Miami at their home.
After missing the first game the starting point guard and the center of the C’s came back on Thursday for the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals and blew their opposition by 25-points to level the series.
Smart was the best overall performer on the court almost scoring a triple-double with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists to go along with 3 steals and a block.
Both he and Horford were a menace on defense who never let Miami come back in the game after already having gone 25 points ahead of them in the first half. They backed up Jayson Tatum (20 points in the first half), Grant Williams, and Jaylen Brown’s amazing show on the opposite end of the court.
Jayson Tatum led the @celtics in scoring with 27 points (8/13 FGM) in their Game 2 victory to even the series! #BleedGreen@jaytatum0: 27 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 4 3PM pic.twitter.com/05y0ItXwvg
— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2022
Deuce Tatum also had something to do alongside his dad Jayson for the big Game 2 win
It is absolutely astounding to see how this Boston team has responded to every loss they have suffered in these Playoffs, coming right back at their opponents after resolving what they did wrong just a game before.
Tatum has led them on that front. Responding to every game that his team lost in this postseason, he’s been averaging 35 points in the following one.
Jayson Tatum after a loss this playoffs:
27 PTS, 5 AST, 62/67%
46 PTS, 9 REB, 53/47%
30 PTS, 13 REB, 46/30%
29 PTS, 8 AST, 50/50%All wins. pic.twitter.com/XmYjLxdGWg
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 20, 2022
With his 27 points on 8/13 shooting, 20 of which came in the first half itself, Tatum sent fans on the court and on the internet into a frenzy.
To think Jayson Tatum is only 24, already playing in his third East Finals, and has a chance to be the best player on a championship team. Not even in the prime of his career.
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 18, 2022
Butler was better than tatum? lol
— Vini (@Vini_veiga5) May 20, 2022
And so did Deuce.
Jayson Tatum and son Deuce celebrating with the Celtics after their Game 2 victory 🤣
(via @celtics)pic.twitter.com/GSfyK29IU2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 20, 2022
Jayson Tatum’s son right now pic.twitter.com/iVyLPGlPrn
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) May 20, 2022
Though Jimmy Butler again balled out with 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, he was the only one that showed up for his team which had only three other double-digit scorers. Even none of those 3 could score above 14 points. Their bigs, Bam Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon had combined 0 points in the first half in front of C’s solid post defense.