BOSTON — As a consequence of an unlikely TD Backyard hearth evacuation on Wednesday night time, Jayson Tatum didn’t get the possibility to talk to reporters after the Celtics’ 91-90 Recreation 2 loss to the Knicks.
However the Celtics star, who has made simply 12 of 42 shot makes an attempt throughout two playoff losses to the Knicks, took duty for his struggles at observe on Thursday afternoon.
“I take full possession of the way in which that I’ve performed on this collection,” Tatum mentioned calmly on the Auerbach Middle podium. “I can’t sugar coat something. I should be higher. And, I anticipate to be so much higher.”
Jayson Tatum on his play within the collection to date:
“I take full possession on the way in which that I’ve performed on this collection. Cannot sugar coat something. I should be higher. And I anticipate to be so much higher.” pic.twitter.com/xBbkry8tgY
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) Could 8, 2025
Tatum had an opportunity to win the sport for Boston with the ball in his arms and the clock winding down, however he as a substitute dribbled into site visitors. Knicks guard Mikal Bridges got here away with the game-winning steal, and the Knicks rejoiced on the Backyard parquet.
“I simply made the fallacious learn,” he mentioned. “Went right into a crowded space. Clearly, if I had that chance once more, or the subsequent time it introduced itself, it’d have a distinct end result.
Joe Mazzulla credited Tatum for taking duty for his struggles, however mentioned that the blame prolonged far past one particular person.
“I admire the truth that he would do this, however I feel it’s on all people,” Mazzulla mentioned. “All of us might be higher. I might be higher within the issues that I may help our group execute, our total group might be higher. And yeah, he can too. So, simply as he’s taking duty for that, I anticipate him to be higher.”
Al Horford, in the meantime, mentioned that he’s had loads of conversations with Tatum by the collection, as is customary, however he mentioned he’d hold these between the 2 longtime mates slightly than share them with the media.
The place do the Celtics go from right here?
The urgency degree was excessive after Thursday’s observe.
“We’ve got to enter Saturday’s recreation and win the sport,” Mazzulla mentioned about 48 hours forward of Recreation 1. “That’s simply the way in which it’s. We’ve got to win. We’ve got to win. We’ve got to do what it takes to win. We’ve got to place ourselves ready to do this.”
However, maybe to the ire of followers, the Celtics received’t reinvent the wheel.
Regardless of making simply 25 of 100 three-point makes an attempt within the collection, they received’t lose confidence of their skill to shoot from the skin.
“We’ve got a method that we play,” Tatum mentioned. “We’ve got an id. And it might probably’t waver simply because we’re lacking photographs. We are able to’t change who we’re.”
The fourth quarter, specifically, was affected by missed open photographs — Al Horford, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown all badly missed clear threes. Brown and Horford missed some mid-range seems to be, and White even missed a layup tip-in. The Celtics made simply 5 of 24 photographs from the sector, and a pair of of 11 three-point makes an attempt.
Payton Pritchard, who checked out of the sport with 6:39, was chargeable for the Celtics’ solely two fourth-quarter treys.
“Loads of the photographs that we bought – we bought some actually, actually beauty from three,” Tatum mentioned. “We missed quite a lot of bunnies, quite a lot of layups. These are powerful, as a result of guys work actually onerous on their recreation, and their craft, and put together to be in these moments to hit open photographs.”
Few anticipated the Celtics to be trailing 2-0 to the Knicks.
However, internally, the message facilities round humility.
“You’ll be able to’t simply have a satisfaction and entitlement that we’re holier than thou, that we’re not allowed to be down 0-2,” Mazzulla mentioned. “It’s the scenario that we’re in. So we’ve to have an understanding of why we’re in it, and we gotta repair it.”
Mazzulla mentioned he relished the journey the Celtics have in entrance of them.
“These moments are all forgotten should you transition them into profiting from the chance that you’ve. Should you don’t, then it’s important to use it as a chance for the journey that you just’re on.”
Horford smiled when requested concerning the likelihood to return again from an 0-2 deficit: “I’m excited concerning the alternative that we’ve.”
