Tatum holds high the NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy. Picture/IC photo
html In the tiebreaker of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 30, the Celtics narrowly defeated the Heat 100-96, returning to the finals after 12 years. Tatum scored 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists in this game. In the Eastern Conference finals, he averaged 25 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. While leading the team to the top of the Eastern Conference, he became the greatest player in team history Larry Bird received the first-ever Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy.Heat star Butler 's performance was already great, but in the end he lost to the extremely tough "Green Army" and the "green blood" flowing in the opponent's body.
The last time the Celtics made it to the Finals was back in 2010. It was the era of the "Big Three" of Pierce , Garnett , Ray Allen . In the past 12 years, the team has successively selected Smart, Jaylen Brown, Tatum, Robert Williams, Grant Williams, and failed many times in the playoffs Finally, these loyal warriors finally broke through the shackles of the Eastern Conference and are about to stand on the coveted finals stage.
The self-selected rookies have matured and helped the team break through.
Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen were once the most dominant "Big Three" in the league. They led the Celtics to the Finals twice, ending in 2008. 22-year championship drought. After losing to the Lakers in 2010, it took the "Green Army" another 12 years to return to the finals.
Seeing the historic breakthrough of his juniors, Pierce celebrated wildly on social media. All "Green Army" fans also feel the same way. In the past 12 years, they have witnessed the team take the most difficult, most inspirational and most "Green Army" characteristic reconstruction road.
The real reshuffle of the Celtics occurred in the summer of 2013. Pierce and Garnett left the team, Rivers resigned, Stevens took up the coach, and the star players became Jeff Green and Bradley. In the 2013-2014 season, the team They only achieved 25 wins and 57 losses in the regular season, ranking fourth from the bottom in the Eastern Conference and missing the playoffs.
Re-recruiting big-name stars and patiently cultivating young players have become two choices before the "Green Army" management. They were wavering for a time, but they also inadvertently recruited future main players into the team.
In the summer of 2014, the Celtics selected Smart with the No. 6 pick. In the 2016 and 2017 drafts, the team received two more draft picks, Jaylen Brown and Tatum. In the summer of 2018 and 2019, The management used two first-round picks to select Robert Williams and Grant Williams.
During this period, All-Star players such as Thomas Jr., Hayward, Irving also became the core of the "Green Army". However, from 2014 to 2019, the team played in the playoffs for 5 years. They were swept in the first round twice, stopped in the Eastern Conference semifinals once, and failed in the Eastern Conference finals twice. They were never able to break out of the Eastern Conference.
Until the rookies selected by the Celtics gradually matured, Tatum and Jaylen Brown grew into All-Stars, Smart and Robert Williams became the league's top defensive players, and "green blood" became more and more popular among fans. Boiling, they also slowly see the hope of the team returning to the finals.
Veteran Horford knelt down to celebrate the team's advancement to the finals. Picture/IC photo
Tatum Finals vs. Curry
After Irving left the team in the summer of 2019, the Celtics began to focus on cultivating the two stars of Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum was shortlisted for the All-Stars for the first time in 2020, and Jaylen Brown also became an All-Star in 2021. The double selection lived up to expectations and became the signature of the "Green Army". Although there were disappointing moments, it was finally completed this season. Positive result.
In the 2020 playoffs, the Celtics eliminated the 76ers and Raptors and entered the Eastern Conference finals, but unfortunately lost to the Heat led by Butler 2-4. In the 2021 playoffs, as the No. 7 seed, the Celtics lost 1-4 to the Nets led by Durant. So much so that before the start of this season, the prospects of the "Green Army" were infinitely underestimated.
After rookie coach Uduka took over the team, the Celtics did have some ups and downs in the regular season, and their ranking once fell to 11th in the Eastern Conference. However, Tatum and Jaylen Brown both played the peak season of their careers. Against the Wizards and Nets, Tatum scored 51 points and 54 points respectively. Jaylen Brown also contributed 50 points in the game against the Magic. Under their leadership, the "Green Army" finally ranked second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 51 wins and 31 losses.
once again participated in the playoffs. The "Green Army" did not deliberately avoid the Nets with Durant and Irving, and swept their opponents in the first round. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, they faced the defending champion Bucks. Facing the two-time regular season MVP and last year's Finals MVP Antetokounmpo, the Celtics advanced through a tiebreaker. After two years, they met the Heat again in the Eastern Conference finals. The "Green Army" generals did not return with hatred this time. With Butler's historic performance, they won the tiebreaker and advanced to the finals.
It is undeniable that in the process of advancing to the finals, Tatum and Jaylen Brown had their downturns. Smart, the new best defensive player, and veteran Horford made fatal mistakes. Robert William was affected by injuries. James' condition has had its ups and downs. But it is precisely because of the experience of losing many tie-breaks and Eastern Conference finals that they have gained tickets to the finals with more experience and fewer mistakes.
If you only consider his personal performance this season, the "Green Army" star Tatum is undoubtedly one of the five best players in the league. He and Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Booker Shortlisted for the best first team. After the playoffs pierced the window paper, Tatum sighed: "We took the most difficult route and finally crossed the mountain (Eastern Conference Finals)."
What awaits the Celtics generals will be what they once were. The Warriors who have achieved three championships in five years, Tatum and his teammates will challenge Curry, Thompson and Wiggins. Can they help the "Green Army" win the O'Brien Cup after 14 years? The answer It will be revealed soon.
Beijing News reporter Xu Bangyin
editor Han Shuangming
proofreader Liu Jun
