Game 46 of the regular season usually doesn’t matter for a 33-12 team. There are 82 of these. Each one is a unique learning experience and an opportunity to develop good habits. No matter how discouraging a loss or elated a victory, players usually don’t lose sleep over a single contest. Especially when he’s a dominant MVP candidate averaging 30+ per game.
But for Jayson Tatum, Thursday night’s win over the Warriors was a little different.
have Famous for struggling in the 2022 NBA Finals, Tatum, who had a 39.3 field goal percentage and 15 turnovers in his final three games, laid eggs in his first rematch with the champions last month. According to Basketball-Reference’s GameScore metrics:, it was Tatum’s second worst performance of the season. He scored 18 points and took 21 shots in a 16-point loss. “Everybody wanted to win so badly,” Tatum said. “It was the first season we played out of character.
The Celtics’ second meeting with the Warriors this season hasn’t been an aesthetic delight either. Tatum turned it over seven times (nearly costing Boston the game with a few late head scratches) and finished 9 for 27 from the field. But despite the blemishes, his 24-year-old franchise cornerstone for the Celtics provided the type of performance needed against his team, the Warriors, who until then had been his Kryptonite. Instead of sticking to the same approach that led to a rough first half, or repeatedly eyeing his 1-1 possessions in the late hours that tipped the game in Golden State’s favor, Tatum threw his showed off everything that made it special, and delivered countless quick attacks. Instead of overthinking how to get the ball on and off and ultimately what they want to do, think about your opponent.
Golden State’s defense has been about average this season. But the Warriors’ starting five rushed out on Thursday, and Kevon, who replaced Looney for Jordan Poole (who was in a train wreck), didn’t seem to help them in that regard. “We just wanted to open up the floor and give it a slightly different look,” said coach Steve Kerr of the decision to downsize and dismantle his five-man unit, the best in the league. 500. Let’s try something else. …We have to open the floor, especially against Boston. they have [a] big front line. big wings. ”
But a small Warriors group led by Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green held up well. When they lock in and take something away, they’re as tough as any group in the league. And they test you to stay disciplined,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzura later said.
Against Tatum, it robs him of his driving lane, clogs his paint, and translates into a hyper-aggressive look that makes him think twice every time he attacks an ostensibly favorable matchup. When he was the ball handler, Golden State on Thursday made the shot clock bleed by squeezing the ball out of his hands in a blitz or keeping the screener man level with the pick until Tatum’s first defender recovered. I was.
Everything was difficult, but Tatum kept coming anyway. When the defense told him, he got off the ball, read the floor and trusted his teammates.It wasn’t all smooth sailing and he had to make some decisions (this was last year’s starting It was Boston’s first game of the season in his five).
As the game progressed, Mazura used Tatum in different ways. He started the pick-and-roll, and instead of allowing Golden State (aka Draymond Green) to load into the paint (Second, according to his Spectrum, Tatum only had his two of them in the 4th quarter). ), he got some open looks. Boston’s patented Flair and Marcus Smart and Malcolm become screeners for small-small action with his Brogdon to force the switch, get the matchup he wants, and then attack.
Soon he became more patient and assertive. On his 4th down with 90 seconds remaining, perhaps his most important and impressive play, Tatum denied Brogdon’s screen (which would have probably resulted in a switch to pool), I drove left and put pressure on the green to slide all the way. Al Horford Allows Open 3:
This was someone who refused to settle, not wanting a tricky driving floater over two defenders or a step-back isolation 3 that is unlikely to drop. “You can’t do the same thing over and over again against this team and expect it to work,” Tatum said. He acclimated overnight and brought Golden State back to life in the game’s biggest moment. And, in the end, it paid off. 121-118 extra time win.
As with all NBA games, there are many reasons why one team won and the other lost. Horford looked like he was 27, Poole passed out in the fourth quarter, and Rob his Williams recovered about 73 of his shots after Tatum’s misses.
But what Tatum did to the Warriors matters.he already established himself as the NBA’s most complete superstar, someone who can score, draw fouls, rebound traffic at all three levels, play from anywhere on the floor, defend five positions at a high level, and do pretty much anything the Celtics need. But this exact type of performance (brave, inefficient, and overcoming a slow start against the Boogeyman Final Boss opponent we might see again in this year’s Finals) is essential. I felt it was. “Can you operate in chaos?” Mazura asked. “Can you go back even if you make a mistake?”
Tatum may have thrown the keys to Jaylen Brown, Brogdon, or smartly and started thinking about Saturday’s game in Toronto. With 6 assists, 3 steals and a 12-12 performance from the line, it ended when all the other Celtics finished 10-18.
After the win, Tatum admitted that Golden State was on Boston’s mind. TNTChris Haynes. “There’s nothing we can do about it. And I think we might have been too tight in the first game. attack Championship. that’s all. lost. “
The basketball game is still six months away, but this time it felt like I was witnessing maturity in real time.Tatum makes first team All-NBA past Season. he is very skilled. But at his 24th year, he still has room for his growth and a lot to learn about himself. Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry and many other all-time greats struggled to win at the highest level well into their late 20s. Tatum is ahead of schedule and has time for self-discovery.
He made a mistake on Thursday and missed the shot. But he also acknowledged how Boston’s whole mindset has changed since its last game against the Warriors. rice field. “They all count as one.
But at the same time, this meeting gave him a test that other opponents could not. Tatum passed this time. The Warriors are no longer his nightmare. And given how open the Western Conference has been and how impressive Boston has been all season, that statement might be relevant months from now in ways the Celtics feel better.
