"Their fans want it so badly and those two gag on the shrieking expectations" - Skip Bayless talks about Boston Celtics’ All-Star duo, says they’re much more comfortable on the road
Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless recently offered a harsh take on Boston Celtics' All-Star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. He believes they have failed to cope with the pressure of playing at home.
The Celtics blew the chance to close their Conference Finals series against the Miami Heat in Game 6 at home but emerged winners in Game 7 on the road.
Here's what Bayless wrote about the difference between Tatum and Brown's performances at home and away after their win against the Heat:
"I'll say it again: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown choke at home because their fans want it so badly and those two gag on the shrieking expectations. Weirdly, they're much more comfortable on the road."
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics both struggled to win games at home, and the series was neck-and-neck due to that factor. The road team came out with more intensity to win crucial games.
The Celtics started the series without a homecourt advantage but that didn't matter much as they won three of their four games on the road against Miami.
We’ve watched them grow up together, now they’re Finals bound ☘️ https://t.co/W5uVTQtIPd
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's resurgence continues as they lead Boston Celtics to NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics will make their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010 this year. It's been a long journey for the C's, who made four Conference Finals appearances between 2011 and 2021. They have successfully reaped the benefits of sticking with the superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Both players came up big yet again in the Celtics' Game 7 win over the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat. Tatum tallied 26 points, ten rebounds, six assists and two blocks, while Brown had 24 points, six rebounds and as many assists.
Boston came out swinging and took a 32-17 lead in the first quarter. The Heat did well to make it a close contest, but their efforts weren't enough as the visitors stayed composed down the stretch and sealed the win.
The Boston Celtics' resurgence has been one of the key talking points this season. They made significant changes last offseason, with Ime Udoka's hiring as the new head coach and Brad Stevens moving into a front-office role. Boston also decided to stick with Marcus Smart, who won the Defensive Player of the Year award this season.
Revenge.
Boston eliminates the teams that beat them in the past three seasons to advance to the 2022 NBA Finals ☘️ https://t.co/ntrl3oEKaz
Meanwhile, they flipped Kemba Walker's contract for former star Al Horford, who has been key to the Celtics' success this year. The 17-time NBA champions haven't been afraid to go up against any team and have staged a remarkable resurgence.
They've now beaten the Brooklyn Nets, the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks and the conference leaders, the Miami Heat, in the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors are arguably their toughest opponents, but it won't be a surprise to see the Boston Celtics toppling Steph Curry and Co.