Subscribe
Follow Us
As unstoppable as Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics looked the past month, they're only human. And humans fall down from time to time. Such was the instance on Sunday, when the Celtics squandered a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Led by a career game from forward Dean Wade, the Cavs went on a shooting barrage in the final nine minutes to come out on top, 105-104.
The final possession of the game, in particular, went down to the officials' decision. With his team down by one, Tatum attempted a game-winning fadeaway in the dying seconds. The shot missed, but Tatum managed to draw a foul on Cavs guard Darius Garland. Upon review, however, the referees decided to overturn the call, sealing the game for Cleveland.
During the press conference, a visibly upset JT admitted that he could have executed a faster attempt during the ending possession.
“(I) probably should have went a little faster just in case some sh** like that happened. Maybe we have more time or another opportunity,” Tatum said, per SB Nation's Noa Dalzell and Celtics on NBC Sports Boston.
Jayson Tatum on the last possession:
“Probably should have went a little faster, just in case some shit like that happened, maybe we have more time, or another opportunity.”
(Via @NBCSCeltics) pic.twitter.com/hOZrgImpkU
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) March 6, 2024
The Celtics superstar milked all 19 seconds of the remaining game clock before firing the final shot. If he did throw up an early attempt, another opportunity could have possibly transpired. Regardless, what's done is done and Tatum knows what he has to do moving forward.
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics are still top contenders
While their recent winning streak halts at 11 games, the Boston Celtics are still the league's leading team record-wise (48-13). They're breakaway frontrunners in the Eastern Conference and their team stats show dominance all across the board.
The Celtics are third in team points per game (121.0) and lead all squads in rebounding (47.2 per game). In addition, Boston is the top three-point shooting squad in the league (16.3 made per game) and their defensive presence is highlighted by their second-overall ranking in blocks per game (6.6).
Jayson Tatum himself is having another stellar year. The five-time All-Star is putting up 27.1 points, 8.5 and 4.8 assists per game. And following multiple playoff heartbreaks, one of which includes a finals defeat in 2022, Tatum is surely hungrier than ever for a title. With a talented supporting cast at his back, he has another shot at bringing the crown back to the city of Boston this season.
