29 May 2023 , 17:56
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Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum could make NBA history against Miami Heat in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals by breaking a LeBron James record.
The C's themselves could become the first team ever to overcome a 3-0 deficit, after a remarkable turnaround in their last three. The Heat had been dominant through the first three games, but somehow the series has been flipped by Boston to give them all the momentum heading into the final game.
If they're going to be able to win the series, and advance to the NBA Finals, they're likely to need a big night from their main man Tatum. And he could become the first player in NBA history to have eight games of 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff run - a record held by James with seven.
It's been an up-and-down series from the forward, who performed heroically in the last Game Seven as he dropped a record 51 points to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers. But in other key games, Tatum has had his struggles - with fellow teammates Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Derrick White stepping up for Boston.
The Celtics' two biggest stars, Tatum and Brown, both had struggled in their Game Six win - with the C's somehow winning despite their worst shooting night of the entire season - shooting just 20% from the three-point line.
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It took a miraculous play from Derrick White to keep the series alive, when he somehow was able to get his shot off with just 0.1 seconds left on the clock. White inbounded the ball to Smart, who attempted a circus three-point shot which almost went in, which White followed up and laid on to beat the buzzer.
Jayson Tatum can silence all doubters with a big performance on Monday nightThat saw White become the first player in NBA history to score a buzzer-beater to avoid elimination since Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989.
The Celtics have already made history to bring it back to 3-3, being the first team to ever to do so who will play the seventh game at home.
Which ever team comes out on top will have just two days rest, before the NBA Finals gets underway on Thursday, with the Denver Nuggets waiting. The Nuggets will have an advantage, after having nine days of rest after they swept the Los Angeles Lakers.