Jayson Tatum is one of the biggest starts to come out of the Duke basketball program in recent years and now he's on the verge of NBA stardom -- if not there already.
Tatum and the Boston Celtics are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth time in his career as the 5-time All-Star looks to win his first NBA Championship this season. However, he has to get by the Indiana Pacers and the two teams delivered a classic in the first game of the series.
Tatum played outstanding defense on Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton on the final possession of regulation, forcing him into a difficult shot and sending the game to overtime.
Then, the former Blue Devil would score 10 points in overtime as Boston won, 133-128. He finished with 36 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
Prior to the game, Jayson Tatum met the new quarterback of the New England Patriots, Drake Maye.
Maye, the North Carolina football standout, was the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft and has been tasked with bringing the proud franchise back to relevance.
UNC and Duke finding common ground in Boston 🤝@jaytatum0 @DrakeMaye2 pic.twitter.com/HsLD9Gh2CF
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 21, 2024
Tatum, before taking a picture with Maye, signed a jersey for him as he explained that his brother, Tar Heel basketball legend Luke, had to guard Tatum in his first ever collegiate start.
The Celtics star said that he remembered playing against Maye but didn't know it was his first start.
In that game, which was a 86-78 victory for Duke, Tatum had 19 points, nine rebounds, and five assists while Luke Maye had eight points and two rebounds.
Jayson Tatum will return to the court on Thursday, May 23 as the Celtics will battle the Pacers in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN).