Tatum Surprised by Nuggets' Playoff Exit, Reflects on Celtics' Season
Jayson Tatum recently shared his astonishment at the Denver Nuggets' unexpected exit from the Western Conference, which was a pivotal moment in the NBA playoffs. Tatum, who had anticipated facing the Nuggets in the Finals, said, "People always ask me, when did you guys know you were going to win a championship? When Minnesota beat Denver, I felt like Denver was the only team that they matched up best with us. I thought that we were going to play Denver in the Finals and it was going to be a good one."
The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Denver in the second round of the playoffs, an outcome that no one had predicted, especially considering the Nuggets' dominant performance during the regular season. Denver had swept their season series against the Celtics, including an impressive victory on January 19 at TD Garden that tarnished Boston's then-perfect home record of 20-1. In their second meeting on March 7, the Nuggets triumphed once again, with Nikola Jokic recording a 32-point triple-double despite Jaylen Brown's valiant 41-point effort.
However, the playoffs told a different story for the Nuggets. Despite entering as the defending champions, they encountered significant obstacles starting with the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope openly discussed their struggles on a podcast, saying the team had "no gas," suggesting they barely advanced past the Lakers, who they defeated 4-1 only after overcoming double-digit deficits in three of those games. Jamal Murray, despite dealing with injuries to his calf and elbow, played a crucial role and made two game-winners against the Lakers, though he experienced fluctuating shooting percentages, hitting only 40.2% from the field and 31.5% from deep.
The semifinal series against Minnesota proved to be a nail-biter. In Game 7, the Nuggets blew a 20-point lead in the second half, with Murray scoring 35 points in a valiant but ultimately futile effort. Tatum's prediction of playing Denver in the Finals was shattered as the Timberwolves advanced.
As for the Celtics, they had a spectacular season, finishing with a 64-18 record and a plus-11.7 point differential. They were virtually unstoppable in the playoffs, going 16-3. Tatum vividly recounted the electrifying moments leading up to their eventual championship victory. "When we were in Dallas and we went up, 3-0, oh my God. Nobody has ever come back from 0-3, so I remember getting back to the locker room and I remember saying, 'I don't know what game it's going to be, but we're going to win the championship.' That was a weird feeling. I wasn't able to sleep that night and I remember the morning of Game 4 we had shootaround, and I had never been in the position that if we win tonight, we're champions. We were at shootaround and everybody was trying to act normal. I couldn't take a nap. We lost by like 30. We wanted to win so bad. We were so anxious and so tight. But I knew when we were coming back home for Game 5, we were going to win."
The Celtics' journey to the top was marked by resilience and a dash of unexpected drama. Despite their two regular-season losses to Denver, they managed to excel when it mattered most. Tatum's reflections provide a window into the intense emotions and strategic calculations that define professional basketball at its highest level. The unanticipated playoff dynamics, including Denver's early exit and the Celtics' near-flawless run, added layers of intrigue and suspense to a memorable season.