"This is not the time for another 6-19 or 4-23; Time for SUPERSTAR!" - Skip Bayless on 3-time All Star needing to turn it up and deliver in Game 7 after his Game 6 heroics in the Celtics vs Bucks series
Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks saw Skip Bayless issue a challenge to Jayson Tatum on Twitter. The superstar eventually led the Celtics to a 108-95 win to avoid elimination with a big performance.
In one of the most exciting and chippy series' in the 2022 NBA playoffs, the Celtics emerged as winners on Friday night. The series is now level at 3-3 and Game 7 will be played in Boston on Sunday.
Featuring a heroic performance by Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, the C's enjoyed a valuable win on the road that saved them from elimination.
With Tatum dropping 46 points in a masterful performance, Skip Bayless offered a realistic take while praising the young star.
He tweeted:
JAYSON TATUM: superstar performance to save the season in a road Game 6. NOW FOR THE BIGGER QUESTION: Can he validate tonight with another superstar performance in a home Game 7? This is not the time for another 6-19 or 4-23. Time for SUPERSTAR. Celts go as JT goes.
"JAYSON TATUM: superstar performance to save the season in a road Game 6. NOW FOR THE BIGGER QUESTION: Can he validate tonight with another superstar performance in a home Game 7? This is not the time for another 6-19 or 4-23. Time for SUPERSTAR. Celts go as JT goes."
While Skip Bayless showed love to Tatum in his reaction Tweet, he raised a genuine question while challenging the Celtics star.
With the series heading home to the TD Garden for Game 7, Boston are in a solid position to come away with a win. However, the trend in this series does not favor the Celtics one bit.
Tatum has been relatively consistent but has had alternate games with drastic shifts in performance. Boston will need their superstar to bring up another heroic performance to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Skip Bayless's valid concern for Jayson Tatum ahead of Game 7
Jayson Tatum is coming off a heroic performance in Game 6. With a 46-point scoring night to send the series home for Game 7, Boston undoubtedly came away with a huge win.
46 seconds of @jaytatum0 torching the Bucks for 46 points 🔥 https://t.co/olJEtfbFJP
But as Skip Bayless mentioned, Game 7 will require a sustained streak of heroic basketball from Tatum.
Given the trends of the series, Boston has struggled to build upon their momentum as they come off wins. While this could be attributed to poor defensive execution down the stretch or just a lack of rebounding effort when considering Tatum, his field goal percentage stands out.
Other than the loss in Game 5, Tatum shot 33.3% in Game 1 and 21.1% in Game 3. Game 5 saw a significantly better performance as he shot 41.4% from the field to notch 34 points on the night, but a loss hurt nonetheless.
But with scoring performances in mind, the last three games have remained a solid indicator of consistency. Despite C's loss in Game 5, Jayson Tatum has scored over 30 points in each of those games.
Although his field goal percentage will continue to be a concern, his output is beyond valuable. In this regard, more so than individual effort, contributions from role players will be the deciding factor for Boston.