Jayson Tatum makes history with 51 points in Game 7
The GIST: The Conference Finals are officially official and they look…familiar — both are rematches of the 2020 series. And the déjà vu sadly extended off the court this weekend with yet another top coach fired and a rising talent suspended for the second time in two months. Hold on tight.
Eastern Conference (EC): No. 2 Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum made history when it mattered most yesterday, scoring 51 points — the most ever in a Game 7 — in his team’s 112–88 blowout of the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers. Talk about clutch.
- Awaiting the C’s in the EC Finals are “Playoff Jimmy” Butler and the Miami Heat, the first No. 8 seed to make a conference final since 1999. They’ll battle for the EC title for the third time in four years, with action tipping off Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Western Conference (WC): It may be the end of an era after the defending champ No. 6 Golden State Warriors and their Big Three — Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green — suffered a second-round exit at the hands of LeBron James and the No. 7 LA Lakers.
- Meanwhile, the Lake Show moves on to face the No. 1 Denver Nuggets, with Game 1 set for tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET. If this season’s split record between the teams is any indication, this series will go the distance.
Off the court: Yesterday, the Memphis Grizzlies suspended Ja Morant for the second time this year after another video of him allegedly flashing a gun circulated on social media. Morant’s suspension is pending an NBA investigation.
- Elsewhere, the Phoenix Suns fired head coach Monty Williams on Saturday after their second-round playoff exit, meaning four of the last six NBA Coaches of the Year are no longer helming their squads. Brutal.
