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Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have helped the Boston Celtics to the best record in the NBA at 32-10 just after the halfway point in the season. The Celtics had won 20 consecutive games at TD Garden to open the season. That all ended when the defending champion Denver Nuggets came to Boston on Friday, January 19, and escaped with a 102-100 victory.
After that game, Richard Jefferson, a former NBA player and current analyst, singled out Boston’s duo for their performance that saw the two combine for 2-for-17 shooting from 3-point land.
Richard Jefferson Makes a Strong Point About Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
There’s no need to panic in Boston, Celtics fans. The Celtics lost for the first time at home in 42 NBA games this season. It was by two points to the defending champs.
Boston’s top two stars had a tough game, and that’s what will make Celtics fans cringe. Tatum and Brown were outclassed by Denver’s tandem of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. It’s a case of been there, done that when it comes to Tatum and Brown underachieving in the biggest games.
Until Boston can win a championship with these two, that narrative will remain the same.
The Celtics certainly had their chances. Tatum went 9-for-24 from the floor and missed several key baskets down the stretch. Brown went 6-for-19. Tatum went 1-for-8 from 3-point land, while Brown was 1-for-9. After the game, Jefferson didn’t hold back and told it like it is.
“At some point in time you have to look at it,” Jefferson said on “NBA Countdown.” “You’re 2-for-17 from 3. You’re Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“These dudes are 6-foot-9, 6-foot-8, 40-inch verts, all of the length, all of the size. You know how many free-throw attempts they had? Five. You have five free-throw attempts, and you were 2-for-17 from 3.
“I’m sorry. At some point in time — you saw it with one minute to go. (Tatum) drives by Aaron Gordon, who is a physical specimen. You drive by him and get a dunk. Don’t tell me you couldn’t have done that three, four more times, gotten two more buckets, and two more free throws. Maybe a collapse and a wide-open shot for your teammate.
“Two-for-17 from 3?” You have to have a better feel for the game.”
Tatum Explains His Rushed Shot at the Buzzer
Jefferson is right on the money with his comment. The Celtics have been a team that relies too heavily on the 3-point shot. When those shots aren’t falling, the Celtics seem to play with the mindset that eventually they’ll fall, and they keep jacking them up.
Tatum has been better at going to the rim more this season, but he also had the opportunity to do that in the waning seconds, but he instead took an off-balance, fadeaway jumper that clanked off the backboard as time expired.
With 4.9 seconds left and his team down by two, Tatum got the inbounds pass and had Kentavious Caldwell-Pope guarding him. He quickly dribbled once, spun around, and threw up his off-balance shot.
“I think I kind of rushed it, and that’s on me,” Tatum said postgame. “In the back of my mind, I wasn’t sure if they were going to foul because they had a foul to give. I had more time than i gave myself, so I should’ve took some more time. Can’t go back, though. It’s something I can learn from.”
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