Jayson Tatum’s initial whiff of what’s about to commence in Game 6 Friday night is almost too intoxicating.
The Celtics star has played in three Eastern Conference Finals at the age of 24, and following his 31-point Game 4 performance against Miami, he ended up tied with Larry Bird for the most career playoff points by a Celtic after his first 65 playoff games. Bird has since edged ahead again by six points after Tatum’s 22-point comeback in No. 66 — better known as a 93-80 Game 5 win that has the Celtics within one game of the NBA Finals.
Tatum could be 30, for all of the playoff experience that he has, but there’s something about Friday night that almost has a forbidden nature to it. He doesn’t want himself or his team to screw this one up.
There will be no going back to Miami.
“Don’t look past them. Don’t believe what you guys say on TV, that we’re going to the championship, because this is far from over,” said Tatum. “We talked about it. We just went into Milwaukee and won a very big Game 6. So, know that it’s possible. Like we came with the mindset tonight that it was a must-win game, that we need to carry that over, go into Friday like we down 3-2.
“(Miami) is a great team, well-coached. They not going to give up. It’s not going to be easy. So, you know, I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s going to be fun.”
They’ve withstood poor health, like the return of Marcus Smart in Game 5 after missing the previous game with a right ankle sprain, the latest in a chain for the Celtics guard that has also included a right foot sprain and a right quad contusion.
Robert Williams has been in and out of the lineup while he recovers from March 30 meniscus surgery and deals with recurring swelling and soreness. He’s dealing with a bone bruise in the same knee. And his impact on the last two games has changed how Miami plays.
No one on the Heat, anyway, has much appetite for attacking when Williams is protecting the rim, and chasing down jump shooters in the corners. He is, as much as Smart, the reason the Celtics have the NBA’s premier defense. His inclusion on the NBA’s second all-defensive team should not be a surprise.
“Huge. Huge. Rob is obviously a very big part of what we do,” said Al Horford. “I’m just impressed with him, with his poise, and just him being able to go out there and be put in different positions. He’s great. He’s great defensively. We’re very grateful that he’s able to play, and he’s giving us some minutes.”
He’s also helping to give the Celtics a crack at their first Finals appearance in 12 years. Tatum’s ready for something bigger.
“My rookie year, being up 3-2, you know, obviously different team now. I’m a lot better, (Jaylen Brown) is. We’re just older,” said Tatum. “And we’ve been through those tough times. But, you know, the mindset and the talk that we had after the game was, we was down 3-2 (in the last round against Milwaukee), had to go on the road and win a Game 6, and we did.”
Now’s not the time for one of those old habits, though — the scenario where the Celtics begin feeling a little too good about themselves.
“We can’t think that it’s over with,” said Tatum. “We need to go back home like we’re down 3-2, with that sense of urgency that it’s a must-win game, not relaxing because we’re up.
“It’s possible. Obviously, we did it last series, so knowing that, talking about that, obviously enjoying this one, but not being satisfied knowing that we still got things to clean up, we still need to play better. The job’s just not finished yet.”
