Jayson Tatum appears like a person on a mission this postseason

Just a few ideas on the Celtics whereas questioning what number of occasions Paolo Banchero muttered, “Please put me again in now, Coach” and “How about now, Coach?” in the course of the champs’ decisive third quarter Tuesday evening …

Permit me to make an overdue apology: It was a giant mistake to choose the Celtics play the Magic within the first spherical moderately than the Hawks, which certainly is a nonsense take I believed in the course of the play-in spherical.

The collection with the Magic truly went how I figured it might ― Banchero and Franz Wagner would give the Celtics some matches, however the champs would overcome any frustrations and points with Orlando’s physicality to win the collection in 5. However I underestimated simply how bodily the Magic could be, and wayyy overestimated the doable impression Trae Younger’s taking pictures and playmaking may have on a collection had the opponent been the Hawks.

I’m in all probability within the minority on this — and perhaps I’m fallacious once more — however I don’t suppose there was any explicit worth gained or lesson discovered in dealing with a tricky crew akin to Orlando within the first spherical, both. I’ve unyielding belief lately within the Celtics’ skill to regulate to an opponent, hold their composure, and do what they should do to win video games and collection. This isn’t 2022 or ’23 anymore; the Celtics grew up final spring and overcame every thing they wanted to beat.

The Magic have been a worthy opponent, and so they made the Celtics suppose and work, however that’s not a take a look at that they should cross, and even take, at this level. I’d have most well-liked the trail of least resistance within the first spherical, and the Magic resisted aggressively. No have to accumulate so many bruises as the beginning of the grueling playoff journey.

His bizarre and dwindling flock of detractors would possibly declare it’s subjective to declare that Jayson Tatum’s efficiency in Recreation 5 — 35 factors on 10-of-16 taking pictures, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 11 for 11 from line, 4 for five from three — was sensational by any customary, together with the stratospheric one set by Larry Chicken from 1984-86.

I don’t suppose it’s subjective personally, as a result of it’s as apparent as Kristaps Porzingis’s top. However objectively, information backs up the assumption. By basketball-reference.com‘s GameScore metric, Tatum’s efficiency was the third-best in his 117 profession playoff video games. His GameScore was 35.4, trailing solely a 46.0 for his 51-point, 13-rebound efficiency towards the 76ers in Recreation 7 of the 2023 Japanese Convention semifinals, and a 41.8 for his 50-point, 7-assist effort versus the Nets in Recreation 3 of their first-round collection in 2021.

This one would possibly sting anybody who considers comparability to Chicken to be borderline blasphemous, however Tatum’s 35.4 GameScore is increased than all however two of Larry’s 164 playoff performances. His high two: a 39.0 for his 40-point, 11-rebound, 7-assist masterpiece in Recreation 1 of the 1987 Japanese Convention semifinals towards the Bucks, and a 36.3 for his 42-point, 10-rebound, 6-assist output in Recreation 2 of the 1985 convention semifinals towards the Pistons.

Now, praising Tatum shouldn’t be an insult to Larry Legend. Nevertheless it’s a heck of a method to put into context how properly he performed Tuesday evening. It was a famous person efficiency in full, and another trace that he would possibly simply be on an unstoppable mission this postseason.

Membership within the Jaylen Brown Appreciation Society swelled when he received the Japanese Convention finals and NBA Finals Most Worthwhile Participant awards in the course of the championship run final season. His grace underneath strain was a tribute to his expertise, however extra so his psychological toughness, contemplating the agonizing ending to the 2023 postseason, when he turned the ball over eight occasions within the crushing Recreation 7 defeat towards the Warmth.

My admiration for Brown — on and off the courtroom — doesn’t waver, however I’ll acknowledge sporadic frustration when he will get within the behavior of dribbling along with his kneecaps by way of site visitors, or teeing up two or three too many 3-point pictures in a given quarter.

These are small, tolerable quirks at this level, although. Brown was wonderful in his personal proper in Recreation 5 (23 factors, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and a major energy-shifter along with his relentless protection within the third quarter), and that’s what we’ve come to anticipate from him in large moments. Make no mistake, the largest growth for the Celtics within the first spherical was the affirmation that Brown’s bothersome knee isn’t stopping him, at the very least now, from being at his all-around greatest.

We’ll play to the buzzer right here with a fast thought on the Celtics’ two elder statesmen.

Al Horford is 38 years outdated, however he’s someway nonetheless enjoying with the power of a 28-year-old. It’s amusing how slights and disrespectful opponents nonetheless appear to provide him a you-won’t-like-me-when-I’m-angry superpower. Brian Scalabrine talked about on NBC Sports activities Boston’s broadcast that Horford appears extra spry than he did final season. I don’t learn about that, however he hasn’t aged a bit year-over-year, and that’s fairly outstanding in itself.

As for the Celtics’ different super-veteran, 34-year-old Jrue Vacation, hopefully the break till the convention semifinals kick off Monday provides him sufficient time for his hamstring to heal. Vacation missed the final three video games towards the Magic after enjoying his greatest basketball of the season within the first two. A constructive report on the important Vacation — the final word win-in-the-margins participant, and the calm amid the chaos — within the subsequent few days could be greater than welcome.

Chad Finn

Sports activities columnist

Chad Finn is a sports activities columnist for Boston.com. He has been voted Favourite Sports activities Author in Boston within the annual Channel Media Market and Analysis Ballot for the previous 4 years. He additionally writes a weekly sports activities media column for the Globe and contributes to Globe Journal.