On Monday evening, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship over the Dallas Mavericks.
Tatum won the first title of his career, and he finished the game with 31 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists and two steals in 45 minutes of playing time, while shooting 11/24 from the field.
After the game, Draymond Green ( via The Draymond Green Show ) reported that he spoke to Tatum on the phone.
Green: “I called him the other day. He had the trophy. He was smiling from ear to ear. He was just holding the trophy, and he said to me, ‘I don’t know what I thought this would feel like, but it’s better than anything I thought it would be.’
Tatum reached the NBA Finals for the second time in his career.
The Celtics lost to Green and the Warriors in 2022 (in six games).
June 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the second quarter during Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Carrie Edmundson-USA TODAY Sports / Carrie Edmundson-USA TODAY Sports
Tatum finished the regular season with averages of 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 74 games, while shooting 47.1% from the field and 37.6% from three-point range.
The Celtics were the first-seeded team in the Eastern Conference with a 64–18 record.
As for Green, the four-time NBA champion finished the regular season with averages of 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 49.7% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range in 55 games.
However, the Warriors finished tenth in the Western Conference with a 46–36 record.
They lost to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament.
June 16, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports/Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
