The Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, earning a 2-1 lead over their opponents in Philadelphia.
This was obviously an important achievement for the Celtics and it happened to come on a very special night for Joel Embiid of the Sixers.
Just before the game started, Embiid was officially awarded his MVP trophy.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum witnessed his peer accept the prize, although he watched from the locker room.
Embiid’s big moment didn’t make Tatum jealous – instead, it made him driven.
“It just kinda got me really ready to play. You could feel the energy from the crowd in the building,” Tatum told the press Friday night.
“I am happy for him, he earned it, he deserved it. I was just focused on trying to win the game,” he said.
Jayson Tatum talks watching Joel Embiid’s MVP ceremony pic.twitter.com/H8q7YkvHkq
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 6, 2023
Whether it was watching Embiid get his trophy or the desire to take a series lead, something got into Tatum on Friday night.
He earned a double-double, scoring 27 points and 10 rebounds.
His five assists also helped the team score a 114-102 triumph.
Just a few months ago, Tatum was in the running for MVP alongside Embiid.
As time went on, the race for Most Valuable Player narrowed down to just Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
But that didn’t stop Tatum from having another blockbuster season.
He put up 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists a game in 2022-23 and helped push his team toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
With the Milwaukee Bucks now out of the picture, Tatum and his team have an even better chance of making the Finals again.
Tatum might not have earned MVP this year but he’s got his eyes on an even bigger prize: a championship ring.
NEXT:
Jaylen Brown Reveals How Grant Williams Has Impacted The Team
