The Boston Celtics went down 2-0 to the New York Knicks in their Eastern Conference semifinals playoff series on May 7.
Superstar forward Jayson Tatum has averaged 18.0 points on paltry shooting splits of 28/25/77, with even worse numbers in the fourth quarter of the first two losses: 1-of-12 FG and a minus-12 on the floor.
Chill Town Hoops’ Jermaine Womack let it rip on Tatum during a live NBA stream on the Playback platform.
CHILLTOWN GOES OFF ABOUT JAYSON TATUM’S PERFORMANCE‼️
(🎥: @PlayersChoice_)
“This is Jayson Tatum’s fault. They built a 20-point lead with Jayson Tatum shooting bricks. You got nothing from him in the second half,” an impassioned Womack said. “This is Jayson Tatum. This is your star.”
Womack urged the NBA media to hold Tatum accountable for his horrible performances, suggesting that he must be held in the same standard as Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic and the league’s other superstars.
1-12 FG 0-7 3P -12
Jayson Tatum’s Legacy on the Line?
On the April 8 episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” analyst Kendrick Perkins suggested that Tatum’s basketball legacy was on the line in the final five games of the Knicks series.
“We’re talking about the city of champions here,” Perkins, a former Celtics player, said. “If you know what it means to be a Boston Celtic, we’re not just sold on getting one championship. That’s not why they brought this entire roster back… This team is costing nearly a billion dollars in overall salary.
“You’re definitely not supposed to go out in the second round, especially when you’re better than the team [Knicks] from top to bottom. You were up over 20 twice and blew it. Yes, this is a legacy-defining series.”
Tatum averaged 31.3 PPG in Boston’s opening series vs. Orlando.
6 PTS 1/12 FG (8.3%) 0/7 3PT (0.0%) 21.8% TS
Perkins also urged Tatum to show more “tenacity” and “dog” rather than capitulate to the more physical Knicks, as he allegedly did in the first two games of the series.
—@KendrickPerkins after the Celtics’ Game 2 loss to the
Celtics Vow to Bounce Back
Despite going down 2-0, the Celtics have more than a puncher’s chance to win the series. For one, they owned the best road record of any team in the regular season and fared better on the road than at home during their 2022, 2023, and 2024 playoff runs..
“What’s done is done,” Jaylen Brown said after the Game 2 loss, via Yahoo Sports.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re ready to come out for Game 3. I think we’re due for a lot of makes. I think we had a lot of great shots tonight that didn’t go in. We’ve just got to relax, take a deep breath and play Celtics basketball. Just like we’re down 0-2, we can tie this thing back up.”
Kristaps Porzingis felt going down 2-0 takes the pressure of the Celtics, which could free them up to more assertively.
“In a way, it kind of takes all the pressure off of us,” he said. “I don’t know, if you check the odds, maybe the Knicks are the favorites now to win. Who knows? We were expected to win, so for us to be in this hole right now — with our backs against the wall, we have nothing to lose.”
‘Jayson Tatum’s Fault’: Celtics Star Blasted After Loss to Knicks