This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
Good morning to everyone but especially to...
JAYSON TATUM AND THE BOSTON CELTICS
Only four-and-a-half quarters ago, it seemed like Jayson Tatum hit rock bottom. Down 3-2 in the Celtics' second-round playoff series against the 76ers, Tatum was 1-for-15 from the floor and the famously agreeable Philadelphia fans sure made him hear about.
But with his team down midway through the fourth quarter, Tatum downed four 3-pointers to force a Game 7. That turned out to be a mere appetizer for the unforgettable main dish Tatum would serve Sunday in Boston.
Tatum powered the Celtics to a 112-88 victory in Game 7 with 51 points, making him the second player in NBA history to score 50-plus in a playoff game -- Stephen Curry became the first by scoring 50 in a Warriors win over the Kings in the first round. After leading by three at halftime, Tatum and the Celtics blew the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the 76ers 33-10 to build a huge lead they would never relinquish. Boston has now won six straight playoff series against Philadelphia, with Tatum doing his part in three of them (2018, 2020, 2023).While the 76ers have recently been more of a traffic cone than an actual obstacle for the Celtics, Boston's next opponent is one it cannot underestimate: the Heat. Boston and Miami will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals for a record-tying fourth time in the modern era, and three of those matchups will have come in the last four years.
After Game 7, Tatum told reporters he's "humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world." He'll certainly need to play at that level to eliminate a Heat team that kept him out of the NBA Finals in 2020 and was a Jimmy Butler 3-pointer away from doing it again last season.
Honorable mentions
And not such a good morning for...
DOC RIVERS AND THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Speaking of rock bottom... the 76ers somehow crashed below it. After blowing Game 6 at home, Philadelphia limped to an embarrassing blowout loss in Game 7, raising questions about the roster, front office and certainly coaching.
76ers coach Doc Rivers is now 6-10 in Game 7s, an NBA record by a whopping five losses, and is 17-33 in playoff series-clinching games. Our Bill Reiter believes it's cause for the 76ers to part ways:
Reiter: "Remember: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to get a different result. That's why the Sixers' decision to hire Rivers in the first place was insane, and it's why keeping him now would be even crazier. It's time to move on from the mistake they made when they hired him back in 2020."After the game, Rivers addressed his job security rather bluntly: "I think I got two years left."
Joel Embiid was a step slow defensively all night and went 5-of-18 for 15 points offensively, leading our Brad Botkin to declare Denver's Nikola Jokic the rightful league MVP. James Harden, meanwhile, put on a show in each of the last three fourth quarters -- if by show you mean disappearing act. The 10-time All-Star failed to score a single fourth-quarter point in Games 5, 6 and 7, missing all six of his shots.
The 76ers' future is seemingly hazier than ever, but it's clear a shakeup of some capacity is coming after this epic collapse.
