Jayson Tatum: ‘I love being here, I love getting to put on this uniform’

Jayson Tatum loves it here in Boston, he said after dropping an NBA Game 7 record 51 points at TD Garden on Sunday.

The All-Star forward, who is in his sixth season with the Celtics, said that the crowd helped lift him to his historic performance.

“I can’t express it enough: the genuine love that I kind of feel from the crowd,” Tatum said. “Whether it’s pregame, during the game, at the free-throw line. I’ve been here my whole career. I feel that they embrace me almost as one of their own and that means a lot.”

The Celtics eliminated Philadelphia with a blowout 112-88 home victory on Sunday. Both of Tatum’s parents were in attendance. Tatum hugged his mom after the game, which was on Mother’s Day.

Tatum went from a historically bad shooting slump during Games 4 and 5 (along with the majority of Game 6) to a pair of the most dominant playoff performances of his career in the closing moments of Game 6 and the totality of Game 7.

Getting to take over Game 7 at home and send Philadelphia, which was led by league MVP Joel Embiid, home made it that much more special.

“I love being here, I love getting to put on this uniform,” Tatum said. “I love getting to play big games and put on big performances in front of them. They feed off of emotion and energy and it’s reciprocated. I can’t express enough that I just love being here and love playing in front of this crowd.”

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The post Jayson Tatum: ‘I love being here, I love getting to put on this uniform’ appeared first on Boston.com.