Jayson Tatum Sounds Off on ‘Concerning’ Celtics Slump After Loss to Wizards

The Boston Celtics may still be considered legitimate title contenders heading into this year’s postseason, but times have certainly proven to be tough during their second-half push.

Despite being at or near the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings all season long, since the start of the new year, the gap between them and the surging Milwaukee Bucks has only continued to widen.

Now, with their latest loss to the Washington Wizards, the Celtics find themselves 2.5 games behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and company in their chance for the number-one seed. With just six games remaining, the window of opportunity seems to be getting closer and closer to completely shutting.

In a post-game media session following their loss to the Wizards Tuesday evening, asked “how concerning” it is to be falling farther away from attaining the top slot in the standings, which would reward them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, star forward Jayson Tatum issued a statement that, for the most part, seemed to put things into perspective.

“In the playoffs, you have to win games on the road at some point, you know,” Tatum said. “Last year we beat the Bucs in Game 6 and last year we beat [the Miami Heat] in Game 7 on the road so, at some point, you’re gonna have to go on the road and get a win.”

Despite the loss, Jayson Tatum once again had himself a sensational game for the Celtics. Logging just shy of 32 minutes on the night, the four-time All-Star posted a stat line of 28 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and a block on 57.9% shooting from the field.

Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough to lift Boston to a win as the Wizards came out victorious, winning the outing by a final score of 130-111.

Marcus Smart Praises Kristaps Porzingis After Celtics Loss

Though the Celtics may have lost their outing against the Wizards, it appears that their players held no ill will toward their opponents.

Following the contest, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart shouted out Washington big man Kristaps Porzingis for his performance on the night, delving into how difficult it was for the club to try and guard him.

“It was the best he’s played (against us). He did exactly what he’s supposed to do,” Smart said during his post-game media session. “He’s 7’3”, shot over the top of us. You know, in a lot of those battles, he missed those shots. Tonight he didn’t. So you know, tip your hat off to him. 7’3” guy, you can’t teach that, there’s nothing you can teach and nothing you can do to prepare for it. There’s nothing you can train to be 7’3”. You 7’3”. You got to use that. And that’s what he did. He did exactly what he was supposed to do tonight.”

Even with the league’s fourth-best defensive unit hounding him, Kristaps Porzingis went on to have a tremendous performance against the Celtics, as he finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block on 66.7% shooting from the floor and 60.0% shooting from deep.

Kristaps Porzingis Opens Up on Wizard’s Win Over Celtics

Kristaps Porzings may have had a great performance for Washington Tuesday night, but even he’s aware that his efforts were not the sole reason for his team’s victory.

Following the outing, the former All-Star seemed to suggest that Boston’s inability to capitalize on their opportunities throughout the contest played a significant role in the game’s ultimate outcome.

“We started with good energy, we knocked down some shots, and they were missing a lot of shots, a lot of open ones, a lot of good looks for them, they were just missing,” Porzingis said. “And they were just playing uphill the whole game against us. We were rolling. Everything was happening for us. And they were just playing uphill. So [we] took advantage of that, and then they had no rhythm offensively.”

A lacking rhythm on offense is an understatement in regard to how the Boston Celtics executed against the Wizards. The team shot just 25% from deep and finished the night with an offensive rating of just 108.8, which is a major drop off from their season average of 117.0, which ranked third in the association.