Celtics make unique NBA playoff history in Game 5 win

Jayson Tatum led all Celtics with 35 points, joining Larry Bird as only the second player in franchise history to record 35 or more points in three consecutive playoff games. 

The aggressive Tatum attacked the rim constantly and was rewarded for his physicality. He shot 11-of-11 from the free-throw line just 48 hours after going 14-of-14 on his foul shots in the Game 4 victory. He was similarly perfect from the charity stripe in Game 3, shooting 12-of-12. 

By making 37 consecutive free throws without a miss, Tatum has become the first player to average 35/10/5 over a three-game stretch while shooting 100 percent from the free-throw line. 

It can be argued that the Magic didn't truly test the Celtics in their first-round series win, but there's even a stronger case to be made that the champions forced the young Magic into submission. 

Through the first few games, Jamahl Mosley's team tried to rattle the C's by getting overly physical, leading to several altercations and technical fouls. The physicality reached a boiling point when Jaylen Brown was shoved to the floor by Cole Anthony in Game 3, following which Brown warned the Magic that a "fight might break out" if the teams weren't careful. 

In Tuesday's Game 5, there was noticeably less physicality, and the referees called a lot of fouls they hadn't called earlier in the series. Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, Orlando's two best players, were in foul trouble for most of the game and couldn't be as aggressive on either side of the floor, allowing the Celtics to deliver the knockout blow.

The Celtics will now await the winner of the Knicks-Pistons series for the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.