Tatum is a six-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA First Team selection, and played a key role in leading the Celtics to the 2024 NBA Championship. This season, he averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists across 72 games, helping Boston secure the No. 2 seed in the East.

Mazzulla went with his usual starters, but mixed and matched throughout the entire first half searching for some rhythm of both ends of the floor. The starters came out uneven offensively, and the bench was much of the same outside of Payton Pritchard until halftime.