Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Despite losing two winnable games, the Boston Celtics ended their road trip with a four-and-two record, courtesy of a March 21 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
In recent weeks, the Kings have been racking up wins on the back of some outstanding performances from Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, yet, throughout the contest, the Celtics found a way to nullify their threat.
During his post-game press conference, Jayson Tatum discussed Sacramento’s impressive season and noted how Fox is playing at an All-NBA level this season – the first All-Star campaign of his career.
I asked Jayson Tatum is he feels a difference in this Kings team vs. one’s he’s faced in past years.
He credits the turnaround to Mike Brown and says De’Aaron Fox is playing at an All-NBA level.
“Give a lot of credit to Mike Brown; got the guys playing a lot better,” Tatum said. “Fox is playing at an All-NBA level. Sabonis has been great for them. They just play with so much pace. I feel like all those guys have got a little more confidence. And when you’re playing with confidence and freedom, it opens things up for guys both individually and as a group”
Against the Kings, Tatum bounced back from his poor showing in the Celtics’ March 18 loss to the Utah Jazz, scoring 36 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, kicking out 4 assists, and garnering 2 steals, while shooting 56% from the field.
Jayson Tatum Praises Robert Williams After Return
In recent weeks, the Celtics have had to navigate their season without Robert Williams in the rotation as he recovered from a hamstring injury. However, against the Kings, Williams made his return to the court and made his presence felt throughout the game, which Tatum discussed during his post-game interview.
“Obviously, we’re a lot bigger when he’s out there,” Tatum said. “It just makes us much more dynamic, I feel like, his presence, even if he’s not blocking shots, maybe he’s deterring people away from attacking the basket. He’s grabbing rebounds. Giving second and third-chance opportunities. Obviously, a lob threat. So, it was just great to have the whole team out there. Obviously, we didn’t have P [Payton Pritchard], but having the starters and having Rob back, we’re just a different team.”
After returning from injury, Williams received 20 minutes of playing time, where he amassed a statline of 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block, shootings 2-of-4 from the field.
Joe Mazzulla Discussed Celtics Road Trip
While Boston’s record on their six-game road trip looks good, it didn’t come without some adversity, as the team dropped winnable games against the Houston Rockets and the Jazz.
When speaking to the media following Boston’s latest win, Joe Mazzulla spoke about the need to keep things in perspective and how a four-and-two record would be deemed good if it was earlier in the season.
“If it wasn’t nine games before the end of the regular season… and we went 4-2, everybody would be happy”
Joe Mazzulla talks about why going 4-2 over the road trip doesn’t satisfy him
“I mean if it wasn’t nine games before the regular season is over, and if we weren’t in first place for the entire year, and this road trip was at the beginning of the year and we were four-and-two, everyone would be happy,” Mazzulla said. “So, we have to maintain a level of perspective. Understand this was a hard trip. There were moments where we played really, really good basketball, and there were moments that we didn’t. I think we learned from that. Tonight we were able to put a full 48 minutes together, and I think that’s something that we gotta continue.”
The Celtics have nine games remaining on their regular-season schedule, with their next contest scheduled for Friday, March 24, when they will face the Indiana Pacers at the TD Garden.