On Friday night, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics will face off against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Tatum got off to a strong start, shooting 4-for-8 from the field and 1-for-3 from three-point range in 16 minutes, while also recording 11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block.
He also made his mark in NBA history by passing Basketball Hall of Famer (and Celtics legend) Bill Russell (2,673) for 39th on the career playoff points list.
After Russell, the next player Tatum will overtake will be Hall of Famer (and NBA champion with the Celtics) Ray Allen (2,749).
From Dick Lipe of NBC Sports Boston: “Jayson Tatum’s final point moved him past Bill Russell for seventh on the Celtics’ all-time postseason scoring list.
Jayson Tatum 2674
Bill Russell 2673″
Jayson Tatum’s final point moved him past Bill Russell for seventh on the Celtics’ postseason scoring list.
Jayson Tatum 2674
Bill Russell 2673
— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) June 15, 2024
The Celtics lead the series 3-0 and can clinch the 2024 NBA championship with a win on Friday.
The team won their most recent Game 3 victory by a score of 106-99. Tatum led the team with 31 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal on 11-of-26 field goal attempts and 4-of-13 three-pointers in 42 minutes of playing time.
If the Mavericks advance, the teams will return to Boston for Game 5 on Monday night.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were all smiles as they arrived with a 3-0 lead in Game 4 ☘️ #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/qAanUlKDZl
— ESPN (@espn) June 14, 2024
Tatum has spent his entire seven-year career with the Celtics.
He will be appearing in the NBA Finals for the second time in the past three seasons.
