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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The Boston Celtics are 2-1 in the conference semi-finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And all because of their power forward Jayson Tatum. The 26-year-old was going through a rough patch before changing gears in match 3 and helping his team win. Previously the series was poised at 1-1 and the Celtics needed a hero to carry them through. And Tatum did exactly that. Post his astounding performance, NBA veteran Mark Jackson came forward to heap praises on Tatum. And that had all the fans excited.

Jackson came forward to support Tatum in his podcast ‘The Mark Jackson Show.’ The ‘Night Mode’ series had a lot of fans gushing over Jackson’s analysis.

Mark Jackson backs Jayson Tatum

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Jackson gave his all to Tatum and broke into applause for the Celtics star. As per his statements, if Tatum continues his performance, he might be a threat to the Cavaliers’ future plans. The podcast was posted on ‘Come and Talk 2 me’ and had the Celtics fans swooning over Jackson’s every word.

via Imago

“Jayson Tatum has been struggling coming into last night’s game. To find the rhythm, to establish the rhythm. To get it going offensively. It was a welcome sight to see him get up 25 shots, score 33 points, get 13 rebounds and dish out six assists. Let’s slow down and celebrate the game. Embrace that he… that he woke up. And… and… and got involved in playoff basketball in a huge win with his team tied 1-1, took care of business in a big game 3 in Cleveland, answering all the doubters emphatically. Celebrate that,” Jackson stated.

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Tatum smoked a whopping 33 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3. He also contributed defensively nabbing 13 rebounds and topped that up with 6 assists. Apart from that he had 11-for-25 field goals and cent percent free throws. He also had 2-for-8 three-pointers. He led the way for his team and helped them win the game by a 106-93 stat and what was striking was that Tatum got off to a good start after a long time.

Tatum had last in the season touched 30 was when he was playing in the regular season in March against the Atlanta Hawks. He had then basketed 31 points but post that he went through somewhat of a dry spot in the regular season along with the conference quarterfinals against the Miami Heat. But thankfully for his fans, he made a comeback when needed the most in the conference semi-finals. And if he continues his performances then he is going to be a threat for the Cavaliers.

What’s next for Jayson Tatum?

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The Celtics have a hectic schedule and will play the next four conference semi-final games against the Cavaliers in a matter of 7 days. The Celtics are up by 2-1 in the series but in the long run, it’s anyone’s game. And the Cavs too can have a jolly time if they play their strategies right. On the other hand, if Tatum goes big on numbers then the Cavs might have a difficult time proceeding to the next round.

Perhaps it is these words of appreciation that Tatum needs and hopefully, he will be able to continue his stellar performance for the Celtics in the coming games.