Midway through the third quarter on Sunday, Jayson Tatum made another 3-pointer, outscoring the Philadelphia 76ers for the period. He then turned to the boisterous Boston crowd and let out a cathartic yell.
Tatum led the Celtics to a 112-88 victory and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals with 51 points, the most ever in an NBA Game 7.
Stephen Curry's 50-point performance in Game 7 of the Golden State Warriors' first-round series against the Sacramento Kings two weeks prior set the previous record, which Tatum broke.
Tatum finished the game with a 17-of-28 field goal percentage, 13 rebounds, five assists, and became the fifth player in NBA history to record at least 50-10-5 in a postseason game.
Marcus Smart, a guard for the Celtics, said, "It's a movie. It's a big film. being able to relax and watch while enjoying some popcorn.
Tatum responded with one of the best performances in franchise history after battling through one of the worst shooting nights of his career in Game 6.
In Game 7, he outperformed the Sixers' star duo of James Harden (nine points) and Joel Embiid (15 points), who together scored or provided assists for 44 points.