Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals was anybody’s game at halftime. Then Jayson Tatum made it unequivocally his own. The four-time Boston Celtics All-Star put together the highest-scoring Game 7 in NBA history against the Philadelphia 76ers, one game after he shook off a 1-for-15 start and hit four fourth-quarter 3-pointers to avoid elimination. This time around Tatum started hot and stayed that way, posting 25 in a seesaw first half that ended with Boston up by three at halftime. An All-NBA First Team selection for a second consecutive year, Tatum then outscored the 76ers 17-10 in the third quarter on the strength of four more treys to turn a three-point lead into a 26-point rout. By the time it was over, Tatum had erupted for a league-record 51 Game 7 points on 17 of 28 shooting and 6 of 10 from deep, along with 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and zero turnovers in the 112-88 win on May 14, 2023. Tatum’s heroics propelled the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals to play the Miami Heat for the second consecutive season and third time in four years. · May 14, 2023