Jayson Tatum struggled with his shooting in Boston’s 111-97 Game 2 loss to Philadelphia. He finished the game with 19 points on 8-19 shooting overall, 2-8 from three, and 1-2 from the line. He did grab 14 rebounds and dish nine assists, though, so he found other ways to contribute despite shooting poorly and not getting to the free throw line.
Here’s everything he said after Game 2, with added analysis.
On the Offense Stalling
“I think the second quarter we gave up 37 points. Doing that in a playoff game is tough. It’s not a recipe for a win and you got to give them credit. They played better, obviously, and that was to be expected. Some live ball turnovers, some offensive rebounds that we gave up and then obviously, when you’re not hitting shots, it just puts more pressure on your defense. That’s kind of what happened tonight.”
Analysis: Everything is intertwined. The Celtics gave up 37 second-quarter points, which allowed the Sixers to go back and set their defense, which made it tougher for Boston to score. The Celtics tried to force a few things, which led to turnovers and more Sixers scoring, which led to runs. That led to Boston pressing and devolving back into some iso/hero-ball, which leads to offensive stagnation and misses across the board, which puts pressure on the defense to get stops, often leading to overreactions and missed assignments that allowed for putbacks.
That’s why it’s hard to pinpoint one thing and say “this is why they lost.” If they’re not careful, a loss of focus in one area begets another, and another, and another.
On Whether This Was a Mental Letdown
“No, I don’t think so. That’s a good team over there. The NBA is hard. There’s a bunch of guys over there that are prideful and obviously wanted to come out and play better. That was to be expected and you got to give them credit, they did.”
Analysis: This feels like Tatum being diplomatic and not giving the Sixers bulletin board material. Yes, the Sixers have good players, and those good players did great things. At the same time, the Celtics got away from the details of what worked and that’s a loss of focus and a mental letdown. It might be semantics, but I don’t think the Celtics felt they needed to be at their absolute best to win this game.
On What Went Wrong
“I mean, yes, there’s periods throughout the game, second quarter is where it kind of all started. Some lapses that we had on the defensive end, some coverages that communication things that we could be better at, offensive rebounds. I feel like they — only had one more shot, but, it’s just some things we got to clean up. I think just throughout my career and obviously just throughout the playoffs is just about emotional stability. Don’t get too high after a win or too low after a loss. They all count as one and you just got to stay level headed.”
Analysis: They definitely lost themselves in the second quarter. That gave the Sixers a ton of confidence, and once a team starts playing with a little swagger, it can be tough to put that toothpaste back in the tube. We saw in Game 1 that the Sixers are prone to losses of confidence in their jumpers. The Celtics defense has to be better about getting that communication back and understanding what they’re trying to do defensively. Don’t give Philly any waves of confidence to ride.
On Defending Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe Better
“Stick to the game plan. Just try to make things tough for them. Like I said, it wasn’t like we played bad defense. It’s just, when you’re not making shots at the rate we normally do, it just puts more pressure on your defense. We’ll be better next game.”
Analysis: Disagree on the bad defense comment. They didn’t play bad defense the whole game, but they made some bad defensive mistakes. Yes, poor offensive execution can easily be the first domino to fall that leads to defensive issues.
On What Changed with Tyrese Maxey
“I mean, great players in this league you just try to make it tough on him. He’s 11 for 28, so you’re gonna make some shots, you’re gonna miss some, you just try to make it as tough as possible, try to make them work for it. That goes for all the guys on the team.”
Analysis: Maxey hit timely shots, but 29 points on 28 shots is something you can actually live with. Edgecombe’s 12-20 and 6-10 from three is much worse. Kelly Oubre Jr.’s 5-10 shooting is much worse. Even Andre Drummond shooting 4-4 with two putbacks is much worse because those possessions involved Sixers misses.
Take Drummond’s two putbacks away and four points come off Philly’s score. Let’s say Boston clears those rebounds and gets a couple of fastbreak layups, then add four to Boston’s and it’s 107-101. So just those two plays alone make this a much closer game. Now defend just one three-pointer better and run better offense to hit one more of your own and it’s 104-104. That’s just THREE plays the Celtics very easily could have made to change the entire complexion of the game.
On How He Feels as He Continues to Rehab
“I’m feeling good. Sounds cliche, but man, I’m back in the playoffs. And for me, it’s a win every day that I get to — I’ve come back from what happened last May, and been able to play at this level for the last month, and obviously going to continue to get better. But I get to walk off the court on my own two feet, and as long as I do that every game, I win a little bit.”
Analysis: Not much more to say here. He has physically looked amazing. I’ll forever be shocked at how quickly he recovered. He will change the trajectory of how Achilles injuries are handled.
On Whether He Processes a Playoff Loss Differently Post-Injury
“I mean a little bit, yeah, especially since it’s just so fresh. And that’s not to say, obviously, I’m frustrated after the loss, wish I would have played better, wish we would have played better. But even before getting injured, I think just being through it so many times is — playoffs is a roller coaster. And I think what I’ve learned throughout my nine years in the playoffs is just stay even-keeled throughout right? And I think the team that sticks together and does that from an emotional standpoint will be fine.”
Analysis: Tatum’s perspective has clearly been shaped by his injury. The fact that he can walk off the court on his own two feet is a win. The fact that he is playing in the playoffs at all, less than a year after tearing his Achilles, is remarkable. He is not taking any of this for granted.
The Verdict: A Level-Headed Leader
Tatum did not make excuses. He did not blame his teammates. He did not lash out at the officiating. He acknowledged the Sixers’ good play, pointed to the Celtics’ own mistakes, and preached emotional stability.
That is the mark of a leader.
The Celtics lost Game 2. They played poorly. They shot the ball terribly. But the series is tied 1-1, and Game 3 is in Philadelphia.
Tatum is not panicking. He is staying even-keeled.
And that is exactly what the Celtics need from their franchise player.