Tatum says he's 'one of the best players in the world' following Game 6 win
Jayson Tatum isn't lacking confidence.
Despite starting Thursday's Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers just 1-of-14 from the field and with the Boston Celtics facing elimination, Tatum scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including four 3-pointers, to rally his team to victory.
"Humbly, I'm one of the best basketball players in the world," Tatum told ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth postgame regarding his confidence down the stretch. "Go through struggles, go through slumps. It's a long game, and thankfully I got some great teammates that held it down."
Boston trailed 83-81 with under five minutes remaining in regulation when Tatum drilled back-to-back triples to spark a 14-1 Boston run. The Celtics didn't relinquish the lead again.
Jayson Tatum went OFF in Q4 of Game 6 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2023
16 PTS
4/5 3PM
Celtics force Game 7 on Sunday 👀#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/bvHuRTOZdh
Tatum added that he hopes he won't make a habit of starting slow.
"I don't wanna do that shit again. Hopefully, that's a one-time thing," he said, according to Jay King of The Athletic.
The 25-year-old has performed inconsistently in the series. Tatum scored more than 30 points in Games 1 and 5 but notched just seven points on 1-of-7 shooting in a Game 2 win.
However, Tatum has previously come up big in high-pressure situations. Last season while facing elimination in Game 6 on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks, he scored 46 points on 17-of-32 shooting to lead Boston to victory.
The Celtics star was recently named to the All-NBA first team for a second consecutive season.