The Celtics ultimately fell at home. After 20 matches, Jayson Tatum and his teammates had not yet lost on their floor this season. It was the Nuggets, the defending champions, who achieved this feat after a high-level match.
However, Boston had the ammunition to win. Two even, which each time ended in the hands of Jayson Tatum. It is obviously the second, the last shot of the match, that we mainly remember. A mid-distance shot against Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
“I think I rushed. It's my fault “, entrusts the Boston star, who recovered the ball with 4.6 seconds left and sent his shot 2.8 seconds from the siren. “I didn't know if they were going to make a mistake or not. They still had one more fault to give. I had more time than I used, so I should have taken my time. I can't go back. I must learn my lesson. »
Two shots too fast
The final possession was off to a bad start for the Celtics. This is why Joe Mazzulla took a time-out, to better manage the last five seconds. Still with this uncertainty: were the Nuggets going to make their last foul, before giving away free throws?
“They had a fault to give,” insists the coach to justify his management of this last possession. “I wanted to make sure we had the shot and the system we wanted, but I wasn't sure about their choice to foul or not. We found Jaylen Brown in the post, he was in the paint and brought the ball out. They were going to foul when I took the timeout. We put Jayson Tatum in position to make the decision. »
Restless and sometimes spectacular, the winger was not skillful in this part with a weak 9/24 shooting including 1/8 at 3-pts. “I missed a bunch of shots at the end of the game. I have to do better to conclude”he slips.
But more than his last shot, certainly quick, it is perhaps his choice 17 seconds from the end which is the most questionable. He went up the court alone, facing three Denver players, almost lost the ball, ending with a rather difficult layup, ultimately missed…
“Your best player has the ball and a chance. Even if he has two or three players in front of him, he has a layup, which he missed,” summarizes the Celtics coach. “We have confidence in our best player to make the difference. He did not succeed. »
| Jayson Tatum | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | BOS | 80 | 31 | 47.5 | 43.4 | 82.6 | 0.6 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 13.9 |
| 2018-19 | BOS | 79 | 31 | 45.0 | 37.3 | 85.5 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 15.7 |
| 2019-20 | BOS | 66 | 34 | 45.0 | 40.3 | 81.2 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 23.4 |
| 2020-21 | BOS | 64 | 36 | 45.9 | 38.6 | 86.8 | 0.8 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 26.4 |
| 2021-22 | BOS | 76 | 36 | 45.3 | 35.3 | 85.3 | 1.1 | 6.9 | 8.0 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 26.9 |
| 2022-23 | BOS | 74 | 37 | 46.6 | 35.0 | 85.4 | 1.1 | 7.7 | 8.8 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 30.1 |
| 2023-24 | BOS | 38 | 36 | 47.5 | 37.3 | 81.0 | 0.9 | 7.5 | 8.4 | 4.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 27.1 |
| Total | 477 | 34 | 46.0 | 37.5 | 84.3 | 0.9 | 6.2 | 7.1 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 22.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
