The NBA’s newest superstar continued his stretch of otherworldly play against Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia 76ers Sunday, sweeping their Eastern Conference foes for the first time in franchise history despite 14 previous postseason meetings with their 110 – 106 Game 4 win.
And the Duke product had a very big imprint in the victory, Tatum scoring 28 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 2 blocks while shooting 10-of-18 from the floor and hitting two of his five 3-point attempts.
The first-time All-Star was a terror on both ends, and at least part of his inspiration was the birthday of his recently-deceased friend and mentor Kobe Bryant.
“Everybody knows how much he meant to me, and still means to me,” explained the St. Louis native via the Associated Press. “I know he’ll always be watching and I’m just trying to make him proud.”
After watching his Game 4 performance, it’s fairly safe to say he would have been had he been able to witness it.
See all the highlights for yourself in the video embedded above.
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