If the Celtics are going to become the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series, they need Jayson Tatum.
With their backs against the wall after losing three in a row to the Heat, Tatum has helped the Celtics win two consecutive games so Boston could force a Game 6 against Miami in the Eastern Conference finals.
Boston needs continued success from Tatum in order to advance to the NBA Finals for the second straight season. In the process, meanwhile, Tatum is also scoring at a shockingly similar pace to Celtics legend Larry Bird.
Larry Bird in his first 92 playoff games: 2,191 points
Jayson Tatum in his first 92 playoff games: 2,191 points pic.twitter.com/duYw6VW7CC
— ☘︎ (@CelticsRepublic) May 26, 2023
After 92 career postseason appearances, Tatum and Bird have scored the exact same number of points (28.3 points per game) for the Celtics.
Allow that thought to marinate for a moment because that is crazy!
For comparison, Bird played 287 additional minutes (or about 3.1 minutes per game) during those appearances.
Tatum is scoring a bit more efficiently, recording a slightly better true shooting percentage (57.0 percent) than Bird (54.6 percent). His effective field goal percentage (51.1 percent) beats Bird’s (48.5 percent) as well.
Scoring isn’t their only similarity, though. Through 92 playoff games, they have nearly as many defensive rebounds and blocks as well.
| AFTER 92 PLAYOFF GAMES | PTS | TS% | eFG% | DREB | BLK |
| Larry Bird | 2191 | 54.6% | 48.5% | 605 | 92 |
| Jayson Tatum | 2191 | 57.0% | 51.2% | 603 | 85 |
Bird clears Tatum in several other statistical categories, though, including assists and steals.
Most important is whether or not the performance leads to team success. Bird’s Celtics won 59 of his first 92 playoff games (.641) while Tatum has won 51 games (0.554) thus far.
Tatum has not yet won his first NBA championship, but if he keeps following in Bird’s big footsteps, the forward may end up with a couple of NBA Finals MVP trophies by the time his career is over.
