"I don’t want to hear about Tatum being young" - Shannon Sharpe criticizes Jayson Tatum for lousy Game 6 loss in Finals with 2 second-half points and 5 turnovers, says "Wiggins locked Tatum up"
Jayson Tatum was unable to rise to the challenge on the biggest stage as the Boston Celtics came up short against the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The Warriors were locked-in throughout, while the Celtics wavered in their intensity. Tatum, who was supposed to be their savior, failed to live up to expectations.
Jayson Tatum scored just 13 points in 40 minutes and failed to make any sort of impact on the game. The final stage demands hunger and determination and the 24-year-old simply failed to deliver. Tatum scored just two points and had five turnovers in the second half.
Wiggins locked Tatum up. I don’t won’t hear about Tatum being young. He no showed tonite. IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE. 2 2nd half pts and 5 turnovers
Prior to the game, Shannon Sharpe backed Jayson Tatum, but he did not cut him any slack after his disappointing display.
“Wiggins locked Tatum up. I don’t won’t hear about Tatum being young. He no showed tonite. IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE. 2 2nd half pts and 5 turnovers,” he wrote on Twitter.
Tatum’s partner, Jaylen Brown, turned the ball over quite a bit as well. But Brown put up 34 points, shooting 52.2%, while Tatum made only a third of his attempts.
Jayson Tatum is the first player in NBA history with 100 turnovers in a single postseason. https://t.co/Jd7PKvYHCJ
Barring the two of them, Robert Williams and Al Horford were the aggressors and kept the Celtics in the game until late in the fourth. Horford recorded a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds, making timely buckets and defensive plays.
Steph Curry came up with another great performance for the Warriors, dropping 34 points, including six 3-pointers. His efforts earned him his first-ever Finals MVP trophy and, more importantly, his fourth NBA championship.
Jayson Tatum handed reality check against the Golden State Warriors
Jayson Tatum had an exceptional 2021-22 season, averaging 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He led the Celtics to the second seed in the East. Tatum followed that up with a strong display against the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs.
Against the Milwaukee Bucks, with his back against the wall, he stepped up and dropped 46 points to force Game 7.
55 possessions
Jayson Tatum when guarded by Andrew Wiggins:
◽️ 55 possessions
◽️ 13 points
◽️ 5/15 FG
theathletic.com/live-blogs/war… https://t.co/PNOPl1M9h5
Jayson Tatum started poorly against the Warriors in Game 1, shooting only 17.6% from the field. He upped his performances in the following games, averaging 26.0 points over the next four.
However, when the moment demanded it, Tatum turned into a non-factor, failing to make an impact with Boston's season on the line.
Tatum has grown a lot in the past few years and has now got a taste of the intensity of the NBA Finals. He will need to learn his lesson and deliver in the next season.