Celtics’ Jayson Tatum on Warriors loss: “It’s all about how we reply.”

Of their first matchup since Sport 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors confronted off final evening on the Chase Heart in San Francisco. What ensued was an underwhelming effort from the Celtics as they fell to the Warriors, 123-107.

Boston appeared out of types, and it felt like the burden of the second received to them. With the entire issues they’ve accomplished nicely this season seemingly forgotten, the loss gave flashbacks of their Finals collapse, and all of these previous ghosts got here to life. Most notably, Jayson Tatum struggled underneath the Warriors protection, as they continued to throw our bodies and double protection at him as quickly because the ball touched his fingers; there have been barely any moments the place the MVP candidate regarded snug on the offensive finish. Tatum completed the evening with 18 factors on 6-of-21 taking pictures, 2-of-9 from deep, 7 rebounds, a pair of assists and turnovers, three steals and a block.

Regardless of the loss, the Celtics have remained grounded within the second and never let down video games deter them, and rightfully so. The staff continues to be 21-6 on the season, with the very best report within the NBA, and have accomplished so with out their defensive cornerstone Robert Williams. A loss like final evening isn’t indicative of the staff’s progress or development since final season, nor would a win have meant they’re a shoe-in to win the NBA Finals. Very like basketball being a recreation of runs, the NBA season is a marathon and Boston isn’t even on the midway level. To make daring claims on both aspect of the fence is half-baked at greatest.

“I believe they actually locked in on him, making it arduous for him,” stated Malcolm Brogdon on how Golden State defended teammate Jayson Tatum. “However I assumed he missed photographs that he makes 95% of the time. He’ll make them subsequent recreation, and after we play (the Warriors) once more, he’s gonna make these photographs. We don’t lose belief in him. He’s going to be our man regardless.” Very like every other Celtics season, this staff will go so far as their stars can carry them; the locker room realizes this, and so they’re not about to lose focus or religion over a bump within the highway.

When requested about what Tatum has to do higher, Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla got here to the protection of his star participant and took possession. ““He doesn’t must do something higher, we (teaching employees) must be higher,” stated Mazzulla. “We’ve received to place him in higher spots in sure moments of the sport, really feel the sport and get him to a spot to the place he could make a play for our staff.”

“I missed plenty of plenty of layups,” stated Tatum of his sub-par recreation amidst an MVP season. “Obtained two fouls within the first quarter, missed some open threes. They’re a superb staff, we clearly we received some historical past with them. They’ve been enjoying higher as of these days, and that well-balanced, gifted staff on each ends, they make it powerful on you. I believe I simply…perhaps my contact was off, however simply plenty of simple ones I missed made it slightly powerful tonight.”

Picture by Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

There are classes to be discovered from the sport, and within the public eye, the loss goes to carry weight just because it was towards the Warriors. “Tonight was in all probability extra significant to you guys than it was to us,” stated Tatum on the loss. “It’s one recreation. We wish to win each recreation we play for certain, but it surely’s powerful. We by no means wish to lose, we’ve been enjoying nicely, and to lose this one, particularly with the way in which we performed, is hard. However it’s not going to dictate our season… it’s all about how we reply.”

For what it’s price, Tatum is correct. This sort of loss might be irritating, there are issues for certain to be upset about, but it surely in the end is what it’s. It’s a quantity in a column, one other line to be tallied, one other alternative to be taught and develop. It doesn’t must be something extra to this Celtics staff, and the very best factor they will do is maintain their religion within the face of the franchise.

The Celtics could have an opportunity to get heading in the right direction on Monday with a matchup towards the Clippers, 10:30 pm EST tipoff.