Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics failed to halt their slide on December 21, losing to the Indiana Pacers, making it five defeats in their last six games.
Following the contest, Jayson Tatum, who was speaking to the media during his post-game press conference, shared his frustration at the Celtics’ poor body language throughout the contest.
“I get a sense of, everybody wants to make every shot, myself included. Our body language when we miss shots… it’s contagious.”
Jayson Tatum on how things snowballed in loss to Pacers
“We just got to regroup. We gotta learn how to win again. I think it’s not as simple as that, but we gotta get back to having fun. I think we playing a little timid, a little tight. Basketball is supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be loose, it’s supposed to be competitive, but I get a sense of like everybody wants to make every shot, myself included. Our body language when we miss shots and things like that, it’s contagious. And that’s just part of it. We’re not going to make every shot. We’re going to turn the ball over. It’s all about how we respond,” Tatum said.
Boston shot just 31.7% from the perimeter against the Pacers, despite taking 41 attempts from deep; however, their 16 turnovers certainly didn’t help their cause against a young and fearless Indiana team.
Jayson Tatum Addresses Boo’s From Celtics Fans
As the Celtics struggled to keep pace with Indiana, the TD Garden crowd voiced their frustration by booing the team. Considering the amount of lethargy in Boston’s first-half play and their inability to close the gap down the stretch, it’s easy to understand why the fans chose to air their grievances that way.
Following the game, Jayson Tatum addressed the fan’s boos, noting that it was justified and the Celtics need to find a way to snap out of their current slump.
“We got booed, you never want to do that. Rightfully so.”
Jayson Tatum talks about C’s getting booed at TD Garden during Pacers game
“We got booed, you never want to do that…Rightfully so. But it’s all about how we bounce back. There’s literally nothing we can do right now to change what happened. So you gotta get ready for the next one,” Tatum said.
In terms of individual performances, Tatum was once again the best player on the court, ending the contest with 41 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block while shooting 52% from the field and 36.4% from deep.
Executive Questions Celtics Commitment to Defense
Last season, the Celtics were the top-ranked defensive team in the NBA and had built their identity on an ability to contain the opposing team’s best players. However, to begin the new season, Boston’s defense has been significantly worse than expected, although it has begun to trend upward in recent weeks, and now the Celtics find themselves ranked 7th for defensive rating.
However, according to an Eastern Conference executive, who spoke with Heavy on Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, Boston appeared to be waiting for Robert Williams to return from injury before honing in on the defensive end – an approach which could be seen as a gamble.
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“They need him to rescue their defense. I mean, that is asking a lot but it is pretty much what they’re doing. They’re such a good offensive team but they have let the defense sort of die on the vine there, and I think one of the things they were looking at was, ‘Well, it will all be OK when Rob gets back.’ OK, but you still have to go out and defend with some intensity, and they do not always do that,” The executive said.
Unfortunately, as Boston’s defense has begun to trend upward, their offensive execution has fallen off a cliff, and now, interim head coach Joe Mazzulla will need to strike a balance if the Celtics want to get back to winning ways before the end of the calendar year.