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It wasn’t long after the Boston Celtics drafted Jayson Tatum that we started to see him hang out with his new teammate, Jaylen Brown.
That led to a string of nicknames for the duo as 7-11 (Brown’s No. 7 jersey and Tatum’s No. 11 jersey could have been); Jay Team; and Problem 07 (Tatum’s number ‘0’ shirt and Brown’s number 7 shirt) to name a few.
Nothing stuck.
But that whole nickname process was the opening salvo, if you will, of how intertwined these two would be when it comes to their success and that of the Celtics in achieving the ultimate goal for them, which is to win an NBA title.
That goal is well within their grasp now as they attempt to close out their second-round series tonight in a Game 6 showdown against the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors.
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Boston leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 after an impressive 111-89 victory in Game 5 in which Brown led the way with 27 points, while Tatum contributed a second consecutive double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
There is no doubt that Tatum and Brown have grown considerably in skills, talent and ability to impact games at the highest level. But what is often overlooked on their rise to be where they are today are the setbacks and struggles along the journey.
The most recent for Brown was his late-game miscommunication that he was involved in which greatly influenced Boston’s Game 3 loss and the struggles he had in the Celtics’ Game 4 loss.
There was a clear hangover effect from Game 3 to Game 4 for Brown, only for him to shake off and bounce back with a strong and commanding performance in Boston’s Game 5 win.
Tatum also had a poor Game 3 (15 points, 5 of 18 shooting) but has since rallied to an average of 21 points in the last two games on 45.4 percent shooting from the field.
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What they’ve been showing lately are the benefits you get after some growing pains.
For most of the Boston Celtics’ postseason trip, Brown and Tatum’s growth has been a topic of discussion.
Tatum was included in his first All-Star team in February and has been among the best players of the postseason. When Brown is at the top of his game making an impact on both ends of the court, the Celtics are almost invincible.
But despite all the talk about his growth and improvement, the true litmus test of everything to come tonight.
For Boston’s dynamic duo, who are just 23 (Brown) and 22 (Tatum), respectively, tonight’s closing game against the Raptors provides them with an opportunity to show that constant improvement in their individual games can bring closer Boston one stop. The collective goal of the franchise: to bring home Banner 18.
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“Kemba has been great for them, but this is Jayson and Jaylen’s team,” he texted an Eastern Conference executive on NBC Sports Boston. “If they close the series in Game 6, beat Miami and make it to the NBA Finals … both guys have to be huge for them.”
Boston winning an NBA title this year may have seemed a bit difficult at the beginning of the season, and perhaps to a lesser extent, when the season restart began as well.
But seeing as how they passed over the Philadelphia 76ers and came within half a second of putting the Raptors to a 3-0 hole in the series, there is no denying that this team is real and you have every reason to believe that they will lead. to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the Miami Heat after Miami eliminated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in just five games.
Tatum and Brown’s goal is to be champions. Part of being a champion is recognizing golden opportunities and capitalizing on them.
The winner of the game OG Anunoby on ringing the bell in Game 3 was an incredible shot that will be one of the most unlikely finishes in a playoff game.
But the way Boston came out for Game 4 raised a lot more questions about whether this team has really matured to where they can not only get through this series, but also make it to the NBA Finals.
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In Game 4, Brown had arguably his worst playoff game when he blocked one wide shot after another. Tatum’s stat line (24 points on 10 of 18 shooting) was solid, but they needed him to take over in the fourth quarter and he didn’t do that.
Just when they had given people ample reason to question their growth when it comes to winning big games, Tatum and Brown’s 1-2 hit of the Celtics responded with solid performances that helped pave the way to victory.
And here they are, about to return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three seasons together.
But going back to the end of the conference cannot be enough; not with this team and certainly not with the roles they are called to play with this group.
The Celtics are thinking about the NBA Finals, an achievable goal for them that will require many to contribute, a group that includes their dynamic, unnamed duo of Tatum and Brown.
