Approaching the midway point of the fourth quarter in Game 5, Jayson Tatum pulled up for three off a Derrick White screen.
Like the legendary Mike Gorman, seated courtside, would say, “Got it!”
The triple pushed Boston’s lead to 14, which, at the time, was its largest of the night, and prompted a timeout from JB Bickerstaff and the Cavaliers.
The timeout felt like Cleveland waving the white flag. The Celtics, and the TD Garden crowd, knew they were on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third consecutive year.
As Tatum walked to the Boston bench, Jaylen Brown, who was walking ahead of him, stopped and turned around. He saw a perfect chance to playfully get back at Tatum for the hard slap he received from him after his clutch shot in Game 4, so he turned around and open-hand slapped Tatum in the chest.
Brown, with a broad smile, then wrapped Tatum in a hug, maintaining his grin all the way to the bench.
Throughout their seven seasons together, they’ve shared numerous reasons to smile, and in that moment, it was impossible to overlook the root of those smiles – success – and the fact that the duo was once again heading back to the Eastern Conference, marking their fifth appearance together in seven seasons.
“We’ve just been in a lot of battles together. Seven years as teammates. He’s been in the conference finals six times. This is my fifth time,” Jayson Tatum said postgame. “We’ve been in a lot of crucial moments, regular season and playoff games, and just throughout the years, learning from our experiences.”
The Jays have been to more Conference Finals together than the Magic, Raptors, Hawks, Nets, Kings, Clippers, and Grizzlies have in their entire franchise histories.
Let that sink in.
At 26 and 27 years old, respectively, Tatum and Brown have already made more Conference Finals appearances than seven NBA franchises.
That’s not normal. It may feel normal, considering the Jays have reached the Conference Finals 71% of the time they’ve been together, but it’s absolutely not.
“It’s special,” Al Horford said on the Celtics reaching their third consecutive Conference Finals. “It’s very difficult to do. And it means a lot to me. I’m very proud of just the work that our guys continue to put in. JT, JB, how they’ve continued to get better. How no matter what gets thrown at them, things that people want to talk about or criticize, our guys continue to work, and they continue to make what’s best for our group. And this year, that’s been very obvious.”
We all know the end goal is Banner 18, so hold the “0 rings” and “nothing to show for it” comments. It’s okay to stop and appreciate the sustained, high-level success Tatum and Brown have brought to Boston, especially considering the unfair scrutiny they’ve faced throughout their time together.
“People might think that it’s a given that we’re supposed to be here, but I just give a lot of credit to everybody in the front office, the coaching staff, the trainers, the guys that handle the equipment, the ball boys, the cooks, the chefs, the security team. We’re all in this together,” Tatum said.
“Everybody has an effect on each other. We all impact each other to help winning and build this culture that we have, and everybody should be proud of themselves. Obviously, it’s not the end all be all if we don’t win the championship, but we’re doing something right.”
Sure, it’s a collective effort, but Tatum and Brown are pillars of that success. They’ve endured the changes brought by three head coaches, played alongside 71 different teammates, and faced numerous unique challenges along the way. Despite these hurdles, they persistently strive for improvement, continuously raising their game, which should be respected and appreciated.
Brown’s six Conference Finals appearances rank second only to Magic Johnson for the most in NBA history before the age of 28. Similarly, Tatum’s five appearances tie him with Brown, Kobe Bryant, and Darryl Dawkins for the second-most before the age of 27, trailing only Johnson’s record of six.
As the Celtics, and the Jays, await the winner of the New York Knicks/Indiana Pacers series to see who they will play in the Conference Finals, let's take a minute for the deserved appreciation.
Don't worry, their time is coming. In fact, they are right on track. Consider this: LeBron James won his first title at 27, Stephen Curry at 26, Kevin Durant at 28, and Michael Jordan, also at 28. Given their remarkable success in such a short span, this gets overlooked when discussing the Jays.
Boston has struck gold with Tatum and Brown, a pairing that embodies the kind of exceptional talent teams fantasize about. When they ultimately achieve their goal, it will be well worth the wait.
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