Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum drives the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Jayson Tatum thanks every member of Celtics organization after return to conference finals

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 5/16/24

The Boston Celtics are returning to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth time in eight years. This will be Jayson Tatum's fifth time making it to the third round of the playoffs. Joe Mazzulla's team secured their spot following a 4-1 series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, which mirrors the team's performance against the Miami Heat in the opening round.

Tatum thanked every organization member for helping the team return to the conference finals during his postgame news conference following Boston's 113-98 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday.

"People might think that it's a given, that we're supposed to be here," Tatum said. "I give a lot of credit to everybody in the front office, coaching staff, trainers, guys who hand out the equipment, the ball boys, the cooks, the chefs, the security team, we're all in this together. I do, I mean that. Everybody has an effect on each other. We all impact each other to help winning and build this culture that we have. Everybody should be proud of themselves...We're doing something right."

Pretty cool of JT to shout out all members of the organization – from the front office brass to the ball boys – on helping Boston get back to the ECF.

“We all impact each other to help winning and build this culture that we have, and everybody should be proud of themselves.” pic.twitter.com/h692i5PbLn
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) May 16, 2024

The Celtics must now wait to find out who they will face in the conference finals, as the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are currently battling for the opportunity to face off against Mazzulla's team. However, the Celtics figure to already have one eye on the NBA Finals. They came into this season touted as one of the most talented rosters in the NBA. So far, they haven't disappointed.

Jayson Tatum has emerged as one of the most complete players in the league. His scoring, passing, rebounding and defending make him a nightmare matchup for any team. Whoever the Celtics draw in the next round must find a way of slowing down Boston's star forward. Of course, they also need to watch out for Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, all of whom have proven capable of winning games for their team.

Still, the Celtics will be weakened until Kristaps Porzingis returns from his right soleus strain. Once he is back in the rotation, it's unlikely that either the Knicks or Pacers will be capable of stopping Boston's charge to the NBA Finals.

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