Jayson Tatum has finally make his decision towards Johnson’s statement.
BOSTON — Whether it was a result of gamesmanship or pure honesty on the part of Dallas’ head coach, Jason Kidd’s declaration that Jaylen Brown is Boston’s best player undoubtedly brought the intense focus back to the struggle that has simmered throughout Brown and Jayson Tatum’s seven seasons together.
Jrue Holiday had to clarify his remarks about the situation from Saturday’s practice before taking questions from the media after scoring a career-high 26 points in the Celtics’ 105-98 Game 2 NBA Finals victory over the Mavericks on Sunday night. “I do not prefer one or the other. I prefer both of them are superstars, and it’s being shown here on the court.”largest platform globally.
Because neither Tatum nor Brown—and especially the first-team All-NBA pick—are an offensive machine in and of themselves or a pound-the-ball playmaker like Luka Dončić on this Finals floor, there is room for scrutiny when the two Celtics All-Stars fall short of their peak performances at the most crucial times.
During his most recent trial by Twitter on Sunday night, Tatum made several strong drives that caused the ball to trickle on the rim long enough to spin off and land in the hands of a Mavericks rebounder. This postseason, he has struggled to step back from both the midrange and 3-point range. Late in the third, during a swing-swing-swing sequence, Tatum converted his lone triple of Game 2.
He nodded his head, more out of relief than pride. He was only 1-for-7 from deep and 6-for-22 from the floor. Tatum remarked, “I obviously need to shoot better.” “Gah-lee.”
But this evening, as it did in Game 1, when Tatum posted five helpers to Dončić’s lone setup, Tatum played more of a facilitator role than Dončić. Tatum had eight assists by the half on Sunday night and finished with eight rebounds, twelve assists, and nine points.
Tatum remarked, “It wasn’t like I had to do anything spectacular.” “It only required locating the available man.” Every time he’s probed the paint, Dallas has forced him to twist through crowds; this is frequently because of Dončić’s matador defense, which creates a path for Tatum or Brown to drive. “Everyone There are usually three people nearby when I take a few dribbles, Tatum remarked. And in response, he has fired open teammates when he felt that too many Mavericks were trailing him.
The Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said, “Going into a game, it’s kind of like a puzzle, and he’s done a great job learning how to solve the puzzle and do different things.” “Making the right play at the rim was the most important thing tonight, given how they were defending and rotating.”
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 09: During the third quarter of Game Two of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum (#0) and Jaylen Brown (#7), traded high passes with the Dallas Mavericks.
Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on June 09, 2024. NOTE TO USER: By downloading and/or using this image, User explicitly understands and accepts that User is agreeing to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Maddi Meyer)
Jayson Tatum leads the NBA Finals with 17 assists through two games. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Maddi Meyer)
Tatum drew three defenders to the basket and then nailed a no-look, behind-the-back beauty to Al Horford for a dagger triple at the end of Game 3 against Indiana. When Tatum turned the corner and made Dallas’ rotations easy looks for perimeter shooters or Holiday hiding along the baseline, it was there the entire Sunday night.
“On occasion, when I I need someone to kind of drift with me or to kind of be in space and be in my vision because I might get stuck while driving,” stated Holiday. “I believe that most of the time, I just try to be there for him, give him a good outlet, and he’s been reading really well.”
After Milwaukee traded for its former playoff rival, Tatum became the first player to text Holiday after the team traded for Damian Lillard and acquired the veteran guard from Portland. Tatum has developed a unique partnership with Kristaps Porziņģis, a 7-foot-3 center from Boston, who is also an All-Star rookie. Together, they have honed a pick-and-pop move that presses most opponents until they give up.
