Getty NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 20: Marcus Smart #36, Jayson Tatum #0, and Robert Williams III #44 of the Boston Celtics.
When the Boston Celtics lost Game 3 to the Milwaukee Bucks on May 7, there was a lot of blame to go around. Most fans would attribute the loss to questionable officiating. However, there is more to it than that. Boston’s poor play in the third quarter led to a 17-point swing that opened up a 13-point lead for Milwaukee to start the fourth. On paper, if Boston, who had shot 9-for-33 from three throughout the game, had hit only one more three-pointer, they would have won. ESPN Analyst Michael Wilbon however singled out the struggles of their individual players, namely Jayson Tatum, for why Boston now finds themselves down 2-1 going into Game 4.
“Jayson Tatum has never played worse. Not in a game of consequence,” Wilbon said. “Not only did he not shoot it well… but he didn’t pass it. He didn’t set up any plays for anybody. He didn’t rebound. Maybe it was all out of him on the defensive end, but Jayson Tatum, you just don’t think he could have a second consecutive game as badly as he played today offensively.”
It’s not a coincidence that when Tatum plays badly, so do the Celtics as a whole. Tatum scoring 10 points on 4-for-19 shooting from the field with three turnovers is not going to cut it if he wants to lead Boston to victory in this series.
Wilbon Later Criticized Marcus Smart for Poor Play
After giving his take on Tatum’s performance in Game 3, Wilbon later briefly criticized Marcus Smart. However, he used his criticism of both of them to provide a silver lining for Boston.
“Marcus Smart was terrible too,” Wilbon said. “The two of them together could not throw it in the ocean. They’re in Milwaukee. If either one of them makes one more basket, the Celtics steal that game and they are up 2-1 in this series with Game 4 coming.”
Just to add to that, the Bucks got an unreal performance from their two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, as he scored 42 points, notched 12 rebounds, and added eight assists on the night, and that was barely enough to get the Bucks the win by two points.
Because the stakes are much higher, moral victories don’t hold nearly as much value in the playoffs as they do in the regular season. However, the fact that Giannis put up amazing numbers combined with Tatum putting up the exact opposite yet the Celtics came within seconds of stealing Game 3 should tell fans not to panic just yet.
Tatum’s Comments After Game 3 Sounded Familiar
Following his underwhelming performance, Tatum attributed his struggles to, as he put it, “Probably just thinking a little too much.”
Jayson Tatum on his struggles today: “I was probably just thinking a little too much.”
Tatum’s comments about overthinking aren’t too concerning, but it does sound a lot like the same sentiment Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets shared on April 23 when he was asked about his subpar performances in the Nets series against the Celtics.
Kevin Durant: “I’m just thinking too much to be honest, this whole series.”
Tatum is capable of playing better than he did in Game 3, but Wes Matthews deserves credit for the stifling defense he played as the Bucks’ primary defender on Tatum that game.
Jayson Tatum finished 0-for-10 when Wesley Matthews was the primary defender. @ESPNStatsInfo
If Tatum truly wants to prove he’s the top guy on a championship team, he has to overcome the tight individual defense that Matthews played on him in Game 3. The Celtics have played excellent defense on Giannis in this series, but he’s still found a way to beat it because he’s been in this situation before.
For Tatum to prove he’s in the same league as Giannis, he has to make a similar leap.