Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen has had a busy week, but not too busy for him to pay attention to Boston’s local happenings.
Just a couple days after locking down his historic 400th career save, Jansen gave his pick for who he believes will punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals when the Boston Celtics take on the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their semifinals series at TD Garden.
“I think they got it, man,” Jansen said regarding the Celtics’ chances, per Rob Bradford of Audacy. “I know Philly’s a really good team, but them boys showed up. I would say Celtics by 10-15 (points).”
The big righty hasn’t always been so convinced, however.
“Watching the third quarter yesterday scared me a little bit,” Jansen said. “It’s like, ‘Are they trying to give this game away?’ Credit to everybody, though. Jayson Tatum, that showed toughness right there. That mindset by taking that one shot and next thing you know, he scored like 16 points in that quarter. It’s big.”
The story of the Celtics’ victory in Game 6 was one of perseverance, as Tatum put together a stunning fourth quarter performance after turning in roughly 40 minutes of putrid play.
The Red Sox closer expects to see the same Tatum we saw in the fourth quarter of Game 6 on Sunday.
