Getty Luke Kornet, Grant Williams, Boston Celtics
NBA players are fiercely competitive, so it should come as no surprise that the Boston Celtics locker room was filled with disappointment and frustration following their March 3 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
According to Bobby Manning of CLNS media, the Celtics roster was so upset by their loss that they failed to notice backup big man Luke Kornet has personally baked and provided pastries for his teammates.
“Made a bunch of deserts, some sort of Lemon pastry. Untouched. Untouched in the locker room, only Mike Muscala tried one after the game. Luke (Kornet) made them. Put them on the locker room table. Untouched. That’s the mood in the locker room,” Manning said.
The Celtics fell to a tough defeat against the Nets, in what was their second straight loss, having suffered defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks on March 1. Now, Celtics fans are hoping the team can turn around their poor form in time to build some momentum for the postseason.
Jayson Tatum Putting Losses Behind Him
The Celtics haven’t been at their best since returning to action from the All-Star break, but that doesn’t mean Jayson Tatum is letting it get him down. When speaking to the media during his March 3 post-game press conference, the superstar forward shared how he’s focusing on the team’s upcoming challenges rather than focusing on games that have already finished.
“I don’t even know if it’s anger, we play too many games to be angry … it is what it is essentially.”
— Jayson Tatum after the #Celtics blow a 28-point lead to the #Nets
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“I mean, like Joe said, we came in, we lost, it was tough,” Tatum said, “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.”
Tatum struggled against the Nets, shooting 10-of-23 from the field and 0-of-7 from three-point range as he went for 22 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in what was widely deemed as a sub-par performance from Boston’s All-Star forward.
Al Horford Has Faith in Jayson Tatum
Despite struggling since the All-Star break, Tatum has been the Celtics’ best player this season and has even found himself being discussed as a potential participant in the MVP race.
When speaking to ESPN’s Malika Andrews during a March 1 episode of NBA Today, veteran big man Al Horford heaped praise on Tatum, noting how he will eventually become an NBA champion.
“People are gonna have to acknowledge him as a winner. He is gonna win championships. He is gonna be an MVP. Hall of Famer. All that comes with it. He has the work ethic. He has the drive. I feel like he’s mature beyond his years in that regard, and he wants to win, so I think people are gonna remember him as a winner,” Horford said.
The Celtics are set to face the Knicks on March 5 as they bid to get back into the win column and begin closing ground on the Milwaukee Bucks, who currently sit atop the Eastern Conference following Boston’s recent struggles.