Jayson Tatum was three months old when Dirk Nowitzki was drafted in 1998, but the first playoff run to the Finals for each player is strikingly similar. Consider:
ROUND 1:
2006 Dirk sweeps Memphis, 31.25 pts/game.
2022 Tatum sweeps Brooklyn, 29.5 pts/game.
ROUND 2:
2006 Dirk beats defending champion Spurs in 7 on 27.1 pts/game.
2022 Tatum beats defending champion Bucks in 7 on 27.6 pts/game.
ROUND 3:
2006 Dirk beats Phoenix in 6 on 28 pts/game.
2022 Tatum beats Miami in 7 on 25 pts/game.
FINALS (First 5 games):
2006 Dirk down 3-2 on 21.6 pts/game (37.3% FG)
2022 Tatum down 3-2 on 23.2 pts/game (36.7% FG)
In the playoffs as a whole, both players had signature moments. Dirk had a game-saving drive in the closing seconds to force game 7 overtime in San Antonio, then a round later dropped 50 points on Phoenix in a comeback win that helped swing that series. In game 5 of the finals, Dirk hit a fall-away jumper over Shaq to give the Mavericks a one-point lead with 9 seconds left in overtime in Miami. (Amazing clutch shot, but his team lost, so no one cares!) Meanwhile, this year, Tatum had a spinning layup to beat Brooklyn at the buzzer, and then scored 46 in Milwaukee to force a game 7 in that series.
In the Finals, both Dirk and Tatum were up 2-1, then down 3-2. Both got pushed around a bit, were sometimes too passive on offense, and had subpar production. Tatum is a much better defender, Dirk was a better rebounder and more dominant offensive presence.
What about the next game? In game 6 of the Mavs series, Dirk went for 29/15/2 on solid shooting for the game, but in the 4th quarter he missed all his FG attempts. In the closing moments of the game, with Miami up 3, Dwyane Wade missed back-to-back free throws with a chance to seal the championship by making one. (Stunning choke, but he won, so no one cares!) Then Jason Terry had a chance to force overtime with a good look at a three-pointer, but missed at the buzzer.
Dirk lost his series, and had to wait five years for revenge against Miami. It should be fun to see whether Jayson Tatum meets the same fate as Dirk on Thursday, or whether the Celtics find a way to get a win.
