Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers witnessed the Jayson Tatum show today. With Game 7 bringing the series back to Boston, the former Duke star knew tonight was his night. He put on a clinic, booking an Eastern Conference Finals berth for his team. After the win, Tatum was greeted by Embiid, who taunted him for choosing this Game 7 to have a historic performance. After struggling from the field for the last two games, Jayson Tatum knew he needed to have a big game. And oh boy, did he have a big game.
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Before the 2023 Playoffs, we never had a 50-point performance in Game 7. So far these Playoffs, we’ve seen two Game 7s, and both had a 50-point performance. First, it was Stephen Curry with 50 against the Kings. Today, it was Jayson Tatum with 51 against the Sixers.
After the game, Joel Embiid shared a moment with the Celtics star.
Joel Embiid joked around with Jayson Tatum
Coming into Game 7, Joel Embiid and co. already carried the frustration of dropping Game 6 at home. They couldn’t get their shots to land, with the whole team shooting just 37.3% from the field and 21.6% from the deep. While they couldn’t get past their shooting slump, they also faced another challenge on the other side of the floor.
Jayson Tatum started off the game on fire. He looked locked in, and his teammates knew where to get the ball to. Tatum ended the night with 51 points on 17 of 28 shooting. He also had 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
After the game, Joel Embiid went over to congratulate the young star, and joked around with him. Embiid tauntingly asked,
“You chose today to friggen have that game?”
Respect @jaytatum0 @JoelEmbiid pic.twitter.com/VIAgfzUA5w
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 14, 2023
The two had an entire conversation, and it looked like there was no love lost between them.
Jayson Tatum credits his mother for the 51-point performance
Game 7 on a Mother’s Day? The perfect opportunity for Jayson Tatum to give his mom a night to remember. Tatum made NBA History by scoring the most points any player has in Game 7. After the win, he spoke to Lisa Salters.
Talking about his performance, Tatum said,
“It felt great. This is a back and forth series. Obviously, I didnt play well the first half last game. I was just happy to get another opportunity to bounce back at home. Game 7, Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there, especially my mom. I had to put on a special performance for her.”
Celtics move on to their fourth Conference Finals with Tatum. The last two have come against the Heat, with this year becoming the third time now. We’ll have to see if JT can continue to put on special performances for his mom as he goes up against Jimmy Butler and co.
