Former Michigan State Forward Xavier Tillman Sr. One Win Away From NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics are up 3-0 against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and are just a game away from reaching the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.
Should they make the championship round, Michigan State men's basketball will be represented by former Spartan forward Xavier Tillman Sr.
Tillman was traded to Boston this season after spending the start of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies. While he has only played five games for Boston so far in this year's playoffs, Tillman has a lot of crucial postseason experience from his days in Memphis.
Last year, Tillman started in every one of the Grizzlies' six games against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. The year prior, he played in four games (three starts) in Memphis' second-round series against the eventual NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, and played in five games (three starts) against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Grizzlies' previous series.
In his rookie season, Tillman played in three games in his first-career playoff series against the Utah Jazz.
Tillman has averaged 4.3 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in the playoffs over his four-year career. He averaged 8.7 points per game in last year's postseason.
Tillman has appeared in the playoffs in each one of his four seasons so far. He is currently in his first conference finals.
The former second-round pick could be the latest former Spartan big man to win a ring. The most decorated, of course, has been Draymond Green, who has won four titles with the Warriors.
Tillman played 13 minutes in Boston's most recent win over Indiana, the most he has had so far this postseason. Perhaps it could be a sign of things to come as the Celtics prepare to make yet another trip to the NBA Finals. No team has ever come back from being down 3-0, so Boston's spot in the Finals is almost inevitable.
On the other side of the bracket, the Dallas Mavericks just went up 3-0, themselves, as they, too, are one more victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves from advancing to the NBA Finals.
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