Jayson Tatum Issues Cold Statement After Celtics Win Game 3
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics needed a win on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics suffered an 111-97 home loss in Game 2, allowing the Sixers to tie the series at 1-1.
The Celtics responded with a 108-100 victory on Friday in Game 3. They are now up 2-1 and have reclaimed home-court advantage in the series.
Tatum had another big game for Boston. The six-time All-Star registered 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, to go along with four rebounds, seven assists, a steal and five three-pointers in 42 minutes of action.
It was Tatum's fifth and final trey that sealed the win for the Celtics. With Boston up three points with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, Tatum shut the door on Philadelphia with a dagger three-pointer. That put the Celtics up by six points with 25.3 seconds left.
Tatum spoke to NBA on Prime's Kristina Pink shortly after the final buzzer. When asked to explain his clutch heroics - including scoring 11 out of his 25 points in the final frame - the Celtics superstar had a cold-blooded response.
"I've been here before," Tatum stated. "Just a mindset to do whatever it takes to win. When you're trying to win a championship, when you're trying to compete, trying to make a run, it can look different every single night. Just give the game what it needs. As long as you win, it's all that matters."
"I've been here before."
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) April 25, 2026
Jayson Tatum tells @Kristina_Pink how he's able to keep composure down the stretch pic.twitter.com/xFGO8ez2DG
Tatum and Co. will have to do it all over again on Sunday for Game 4. The Celtics will be on the road again, but another win at Xfinity Mobile Arena will give them a commanding 3-1 lead as the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5.
Related: NBA Makes Jayson Tatum Announcement in Celtics Loss
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 7:39 PM.