"He was a game-worst (by far) minus-36 in 34 minutes. Superstar???" - Skip Bayless highly critical of Jayson Tatum during Game 2 against Warriors, highlights his 2-of-10 shooting on shots except 3s
Jayson Tatum had a strong start followed by a poor finish in Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics suffered a blowout 88-107 loss against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Tatum scored 13 points in the first quarter but could only manage 16 more points over the next three periods.
The defeat to Golden State means that the ongoing finals are tied at 1-1, with the action now shifting to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4.
DUBS WIN https://t.co/NSdgimNupR
Tatum even had a poor outing against the Warriors during the Celtics' Game 1 victory. Although he stacked up a playoff career-high 13 assists, he managed only 12 points on a 2022 postseason-worst 3-of-17 (17.6%) shooting in the finals opener.
Tatum had hoped to shoot better, but that wasn't necessarily the case in Game 2. Although he did go 6-of-9 from downtown, he was only 2-of-10 from inside the 3-point line as he finished with 29 points on 8-of-19 shooting (42.1%) overall.
Longtime NBA analyst and commentator Skip Bayless was quick to criticize Jayson Tatum for his poor shooting night, particularly from inside 3-point territory.
Bayless tweeted:
"Jayson Tatum was hot from three, but just 2-10 on other shots. He was a game-worst (by far) minus-36 in 34 minutes. Superstar???"
Jayson Tatum was hot from three ... but just 2-10 on other shots. He was a game-worst (by far) minus-36 in 34 minutes. Superstar???
Irrespective of Bayless' criticism, Tatum can take heart from the fact that he was Boston's best player in Game 2.
Al Horford, Robert Williams and Marcus Smart combined for just six points, while Jaylen Brown struggled from the field (17 points on 5-of-17 shooting).
Even Derrick White, who has been a solid contributor off the bench for the Celtics, mustered only 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting (30.8%).
A third quarter takeover by Golden State helped them come back to tie the series with a 107-88 finish. https://t.co/0w886RKMIC
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics now head to Boston, where they have a 5-4 record in the 2022 playoffs
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics snatched home-court advantage from the Golden State Warriors by winning Game 1. However, they have been better on the road than playing at home in these playoffs.
Despite their latest loss at Chase Center in Game 2, the Celtics boast an 8-3 record playing on the road but only a 5-4 record at TD Garden.
Moreover, the only regular-season victory that the Warriors had against Boston was when they beat the Celtics 111-107 at TD Garden on December 17, 2021.
Steph Curry drained 5 3-pointers on his way to 29 points to lead the @warriors to the Game 2 victory and tie the series at 1-1! #DubNation
@StephenCurry30: 29 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 5 3PM
Game 3: Wed. 9:00pm/et on ABC 🏆 https://t.co/jLo9c0HVtQ
This means the Boston Celtics will have their hands full when they host the Golden State Warriors in Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday.
Celtics loyalists can only hope that Tatum will discover his shooting form in time to help the franchise land their first NBA title in 14 years.