The Boston Celtics are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in twelve seasons. Led by a rookie head coach in Ime Udoka, this is a miraculous outcome for a team that was at one point 23-24. A huge part of Boston’s in-season turnaround was the impressive rise of Jayson Tatum. An All-Star turned bonafide MVP candidate, Tatum helped the Celtics roar their way through the East and on to the NBA championship series.
It was an especially grueling battle in the Conference finals against the Miami Heat. Two well-polished defenses made for physical, sometimes grueling play. At the same time, Jimmy Butler — who went for 47 points in Game 6 — did all he could to help his Heat team make its own return to the Finals.
At the end of the day, however, it was the Celtics who won the series and a trip to the Bay to face the Golden State Warriors. Buoyed by Tatum’s epic performance, Boston persevered. The former Duke Blue Devil won a bit of hardware as a result.
