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After beginning his bubble career with a 2-for-18 shooting night against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, Jayson Tatum looked more like himself in the Boston Celtics' 128-124 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
Tatum dropped 34 points (plus a career-high eight assists) on 11-for-22 from field, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range. His jumper — and specifically, his pull-up J — resembled the form that earned him Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors in February.
After the game, the Celtics All-Star cited one key factor in his improvement between the first two games in Orlando. No, it wasn't a new haircut, but rather returning to the basics.
According to The Athletic, Tatum FaceTimed with his trainer Drew Hanlen on Saturday to review how Tatum's awry footwork was affecting his balance on his jumper. Tatum spent time correcting the mistake through a series of off-the-dribble shooting drills with Celtics assistant coach Jay Larranaga, to go along with some extra film study and a practice with his teammates.
Clearly, the work paid off:
“I was just watching film, had to stay on balance,” Tatum said after Sunday's game. “I think I was more on balance today shooting 3s and pullup 3s that I missed the other day. Just getting back to the basics, getting back to my routine, shooting the ball the right way.”
Tatum was also more effective finishing from close range against Portland, though part of that can be chalked up to Milwaukee's elite interior defense.
For Boston to make an NBA Finals run, Tatum will have to play like he did on Sunday against the East's superior defensive squads like Milwaukee, the Toronto Raptors, and the Miami Heat. The Celtics will face the Heat on Tuesday.