Xavier Tillman has massive moment in NBA Finals (Video)

Has anyone missed Xavier Tillman recently? I know I have after the past few Michigan State basketball seasons. But thankfully for Spartan fans everywhere, we are still able to watch him shine in the NBA.

Tillman was traded from Memphis to Boston in February of this NBA season. He became a solid contributor while he was with Memphis, but that hasn’t always translated to individual success in Boston. That isn’t completely his fault as the Celtics are the best and deepest team in the NBA.

But fast forward to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, and Tillman finally had his moment.

Midway through the third quarter, with the game far from over, Tillman stepped up and knocked down this big three for the Celtics.

This may have been the only points Tillman scored in the game, but he did much more for his team in his 11 minutes of playing time. Tillman grabbed four big rebounds and even had two blocks on defense as well. And overall he was +9 during the 11 minutes he was in the game. The Celtics only ended up winning the game by six points, so those minutes from Tillman proved to be critical.

All of Spartan Nation obviously was pumped to see him excel in his first appearance the Finals, but his Boston Celtics teammates were as well. Here is their reaction to his made 3-pointer on Wednesday night.

With the win on Wednesday, the Celtics now hold a 3-0 series lead against the Dallas Mavericks. No NBA team has ever lost a series after taking a three-game lead, so Tillman is likely just days away from becoming the next Spartan NBA champion.

Game 4 of the NBA Finals is Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET in Dallas and will air on ABC.