Xavier Tillman Sr. Shares Celtics Star's Message Before NBA Finals Game 3

Bobby Krivitsky | Aug 13, 2024

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics forward Xavier Tillman (26) during the second quarter during game three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout his career, Xavier Tillman Sr. has stepped up when called upon. Despite his dependability, it's not an easy role to fill.

"Yeah, I would say it was difficult early on because your ego and your pride is in the way," he told this author a day after helping the Celtics seize a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

"You dream of yourself being this great big thing, and you want to be the star of the show and stuff like that. But when you realize that you have to be a star in your own role, I feel like that's when it becomes easier day in and day out of just doing as much as you can, whether that's in the weight room, on the court for your own individual workouts. If you're not playing, that's you encouraging your teammates. Just owning your role and doing everything you're supposed to do within it."

Tillman worked diligently with Celtics' assistant coach D.J. MacLeay to make sure that if Joe Mazzulla called his number, which went from possible to probable after Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in Game 2 against the Mavericks, the former Michigan State star would be ready.

"I was super, super ready for it," said Tillman in an appearance on Spaces on the NBA's account on X, formerly Twitter, with host Jason Fisher. "I felt like my coach, I call him D. Mac, we would work out all the time...He kind of preached the confidence that comes with staying ready, like, 'Do the work.'"...He really gave me the blueprint on exactly what I needed to know going into it.

"Once I got the opportunity to play, there really wasn't too much nerves. At that point, in my head, I was like, 'You made it this far; we're here now; this is the championship; you might as well go out there and leave it out there."

He responded with a crucial contribution to Boston's title run. In Game 3 in Dallas, the six-foot-eight, 245-pounder showcased his defensive versatility, most notably switching on to Luka Doncic and twice blocking his shot.

Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Tillman also grabbed four rebounds and buried a corner three in the third frame. That was arguably the best quarter the Celtics played in the postseason.

"I don't know if I had played a game in a while where -- like -- I wanted to win so bad," Tillman, who the Celtics acquired at the trade deadline from a Grizzlies team that injuries had ravaged, shared on Spaces. "I was so prepared mentally."

Jaylen Brown, who saw the work Tillman put in behind the scenes, also recognized that Porzingis' injury likely meant Boston would lean on the fourth-year veteran while pacing Al Horford.

"JB had been watching my workouts the past couple weeks, and he walked up to me, and he was like, 'I think you're gonna get an opportunity to play, like, be ready.' And I was like, 'I got it.'"

It's fitting that Brown was the one who delivered the ball to Tillman for that corner triple in front of Dallas' bench.

Tillman hits the 3 and has a BIG smile for the Mavs bench 😁 pic.twitter.com/Zw4FoCmeK3

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 13, 2024

"I think Lively, Dereck Lively (II), was right behind me when I shot it, he was like, 'Hell no,' and when I hit it, I looked right at him and smiled, and was like, 'Yup,'" said Tillman during his interview on Spaces.

"For me to be able to back up how I was playing and feeling and talking trash, that was an amazing feeling...And then, to see the video of the bench, JT (Jayson Tatum), Svi (Mykhailiuk), Jaden (Springer), everybody going crazy after I had hit the three, I was like, 'Man, that's sweet, man,' to see the team hyped over me making that shot, that was pretty cool."

Celtics bench went CRAZY with that Tillman 3PT pic.twitter.com/OHyz5UJ7bP

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 13, 2024

Further Reading

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