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Brotherhood Playoff Watch: Jayson Tatum, Boston On To The NBA Finals

It took everything they had to beat a relentless Miami Heat, too.

By JD King
/ new
Boston Celtics v Miami Heat - Game Seven
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 29: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates with his teammates after defeating the Miami Heat with a score of 100 to 96 in Game Seven to win the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals at FTX Arena on May 29, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Jayson Tatum and his Celtics teammates have Boston back in the NBA Finals for the first time since they lost to the LA Lakers in 2010 - but it wasn’t easy.

The Miami Heat were down for much of the game but came back and at the end, Jimmy Butler had a chance to hit a go-ahead three with just under 17 seconds left.

But the leprechaun was back in the building after an extended absence and back on the rim and so Butler had an agonizing miss after a brilliant series. Marcus Smart hit a couple of free throws for Boston with 11.4 left and that was all she wrote.

Now all they have to do is beat the rejuvenated Warriors. Injuries robbed Golden State of opportunity the last several years but they’re back and very, very dangerous and obviously they have an enormous advantage in experience. These guys are deadly serious.

Thing is, that experience means they’re older too.

Stephen Curry is 34; Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are 32. Andre Iguolada, who is injured, is 38.

They’re building a really nice young core behind it but those guys are not fully up to championship speed yet. It’ll be on the veterans to come through.

They’ve been so great that you can’t rule it out and indeed they are favored. As we’ve seen so many times though in sports history, there are moments when young teams take over.

If Boston does that, this is going to be a historical series.

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