Getty Al Horford and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
The Boston Celtics have been struggling as of late. After blowing a 28-point lead to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, they lost again on Sunday, losing to the New York Knicks in double-overtime. Since the All-Star break, the Celtics are now 3-3.
On Sunday, the Celtics had plenty of chances to put away the Knicks, but New York just kept fighting. They even had a shot to win the game on the final play. Jayson Tatum dished the ball to Al Horford in the corner, but the shot fell just short. After the game, Horford credited Tatum for making a great play and discussed what went wrong on the shot.
“No, I mean, not legs, not tired. I just think I rushed it a little bit,” Horford said via CLNS Media. “And I probably had a little more time than I thought. But it was in that position, you know, a hard close out. He did it a few plays before that, or I don’t know if it was the first overtime, I can’t even remember right now, but it was at another point, it was similar. But this one, I felt like I didn’t stay in my shot long enough. So, it was a really good play by Jayson. And if I had to do it over again, I’m shooting it the same way. Just probably trying to stay into my shot a little more. Just tough.”
Horford had a pretty solid game against the Knicks. The veteran big man ended the night with 20 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and 6-of-10 shooting from distance.
Meanwhile, Tatum played fairly well, but his shot went cold late in the game. He finished the game with 40 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists on 12-of-30 shooting from the floor and 6-of-17 shooting from deep. However, he shot just 1-of-6 from three-point range in the fourth quarter and both overtimes combined.
Derrick White Sends Message to Celtics
It’s been a rough patch for Boston. Not only are they 3-3 since the All-Star break, but even in their wins, things haven’t been pretty. They barely beat the Indiana Pacers, it took a game-winner for them to take down the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers made a huge surge at the end of the game in what should have been an easy victory for Boston.
They’ve been fumbling a bit in games they should be winning, and after their loss to the Knicks, Derrick White said they have to get their swagger back.
“We just gotta get our swagger back. Find a way to play with each other, have fun out there. I’m sure we’ll get it back soon,” White said via CLNS Media.
Jayson Tatum Sounds Off After Nets Loss
But despite their struggles, the Celtics have been focused on moving forward. Even after their horrendous loss to the Nets on Friday, Tatum’s mind was on the next game, as the Celtics don’t want to get caught up in their losses.
“I mean, like Joe [Mazzulla] said, we came in, we lost, it was tough,” Tatum said via CLNS Media. “But disbelief? No, I mean, we didn’t play well. They played better than we did. And, you know, usually you lose. So, it’s not disbelief. I don’t even know if it’s anger. We play too many games to be angry. Move on, get ready for the next one. It is what it is, essentially.”
