16 points at 6/16 on shots during Game 1. 18 points at 6/22 on shots during Game 2. As against Golden State two years ago (21.5 points at 37% success), Jayson Tatum is struggling with his shooting in these Finals. While Jason Kidd had skillfully relaunched the debate between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on the eve of Game 2, the latter remains focused on the main objective of his team: winning the title, no matter how.
“I would have liked to score the layups I missed tonight and my open 3-pointers, but it’s going to turn out well in the end.” he said with confidence after the meeting. “For now, I'm focusing on other ways I can dominate the match. That is to say my defense, my reading of the game, my rebounds. That's my main goal. »
Big progress in punishing aid
After grabbing 11 rebounds and delivering 5 assists in Game 1, Jayson Tatum did even better last night, finishing on the verge of a triple-double with 9 rebounds and 12 assists. This last statistic is particularly important because it highlights notable progress in Jayson Tatum compared to the 2022 Finals.
The Celtics winger is aggressive towards the circle but more precise and quick in his decision-making. Every time he has the ball, the Dallas defense brings in one or two additional players to help block his access to the circle. And during the first two games of this final, Jayson Tatum was able to read this defense to make the right decisions, through his drives and his passes, rather than focusing solely on scoring.
“Every time I did one or two dribbles, there were three players on me” confirmed the person concerned after the meeting. “We have a lot of shooters on our team. Jrue was often free, I didn't do anything spectacular. I just tried to find the teammate who was open. »
“Over the last two seasons, Jayson has progressed in taking what the defense gives him and learning to influence the game in different ways. With the type of team we have this year, he's seen a whole bunch of different defensive strategies, different matchups because our opponents have to find a way to slow him down,” explained Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics coach after his team's victory. “Tonight, he started the game trying to solve the puzzle that Dallas presented him. Tonight, with the way they defended and their rotations, the most important thing for us was to make the right decisions near the rim. And I think Jayson understood what the match required of him. »
Al Horford also emphasized the accuracy of his teammate's performance. Even though he was clumsy, the shots he took were in the flow of Boston's offense.
Jrue Holiday thanks him
“He was incredible tonight. A lot is asked of him and he continues to rise to the challenge,” thus described the veteran. “He made sure everyone was involved, he took shots when needed, he was solid defensively, he was valuable on the rebound. JT (Jayson Tatum) was omnipresent. »
Jrue Holiday, who was the most efficient Celtic and the best Celtic scorer during Game 2, also wanted to point out that he could not have delivered such a performance without the attention that the opposing defense gave to Jayson Tatum . “JT was constantly able to attack the paint, they did a lot of double takes on him and he made the right decisions and often found me in the corner or in the dunker spot. It’s really his vision of the game that allowed us to dissect their defense. I was simply the beneficiary. »
Last night, Jayson Tatum became the first Celtic since Larry Bird to finish an NBA Finals game with at least 18 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds.
“We are so close to accomplishing our goal, why would I let my ego or my need to score every point get in the way of that goal? » he asked before leaving the podium of his press conference. “We always tell ourselves that we have to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to try to win a match. And if I have to have 16 potential assists every night and that's what's going to give us the best chance of winning, I'll sign right away! »
Comments collected in Boston.
