In a way, it’s obvious. Jayson Tatum shot well and was aggressive. But even for a superstar, that doesn’t always lead to the type of performance he churned out in Game 7.
Tatum went off for 51 points on 17-for-28 shooting from the floor and 11-for-14 shooting from the line. He not only surpassed Sam Jones’ franchise Game 7 record (47 points), he also became the first NBA player to score over 50 points in a Game 7.
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“I think, going into Game 6, I was too … it sounds crazy to say I was too locked in. I was too tight. I was too in my own head thinking about what I need to do … how many points I need to score — you know, it’s the big moment,” he said. “(Sunday), I was more myself. (Saturday and) pregame, I was relaxed, laughing and joking. That’s when I play my best, when I’m having fun.”
Tatum’s fun didn’t end with the points he put up, either. In fact, Joe Mazzulla believes Tatum’s historic performance was the result of everything he did beyond his scoring.
“I told him (before Game 7), ‘When the game starts, don’t listen to people and try to get out (and) start scoring. You’re not defined by scoring in my book, and that’s most important. Don’t let your identity be caught up in what others say about you. Your identity is in who you are as a person and how well you can dominate the game in areas that don’t get all the attention.’” Boston’s head coach said. “I thought I saw that from him today, and when you do that, you get moments like that. When he plays a well-rounded game, our team is different.”
Not only did Tatum set the NBA’s Game 7 scoring record, but he also became just the second player to log 50-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and five-plus 3-pointers made in a single playoff game, joining Denver’s Jamal Murray. Additionally, Tatum didn’t turn the ball over once. As a result of that and his 51 points, Tatum owns the highest point total without a turnover in an NBA playoff game.
“As I’ve gotten older and gone through my career, just trying to grow. I’ve always been able to score the ball, I’ve always kind of been looked at as a scorer,” Tatum said. “But to be the best player, to be one of the best players, what can I do each and every night on both ends of the floor besides scoring to impact the game and dominate in those ways? Dominating is not only about scoring.”