"We can't ease our way into the 3rd quarter. Wait till we down x amount of points to be like oh s**t we gotta figure it out” - 3-Time NBA All-Star opens up about Boston Celtics’ 3rd quarter struggles
Ahead of Sunday's NBA Finals Game 2 contest, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum opened up about the team's third-quarter struggles. The C's entered the second half of Game 1 with a two-point lead but found themselves trailing by 12 at the start of the fourth period.
Remarkably, they dug themselves out of that hole to win the tie. However, Boston cannot afford to be in a similar position again. Speaking about the importance of playing better coming out of halftime, Tatum told reporters (via House of Highlights):
"I think we just can't ease our way into the third-quarter and wait to get warm, wait till we down x amount of points, to be like oh s**t, we gotta figure it out and start playing faster and things like that. We gotta just be more aware to start the third-quarter."
Jayson Tatum and Co. outscored the Golden State Warriors 40-16 in the fourth quarter of Game 1 to turn the tie around and win by a 120-108 margin. The Warriors are an experienced team and may not offer the Celtics a similar chance of getting back into a game again.
That said, the margin of error remains low for Ime Udoka's men if they are to go all the way and win a record 18th NBA title this year.
Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum keen to bounce back after dismal shooting night in opening game of the NBA Finals
Jayson Tatum recorded one of his worst shooting performances during Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The three-time NBA All-Star went three of 17 from the floor to record only 12 points. Nevertheless, he had a career-high 13 assists on the night, making sure his off-shooting night didn't force a negative result for his side.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew stepped up big-time, overshadowing Tatum's poor shooting game. Al Horford scored 26 points on an impressive nine of 12 shooting (six threes), while Jaylen Brown had 24 points. Derrick White scored 21, and Marcus Smart finished with 18, as the Boston Celtics rounded off another brilliant team performance.
Jayson Tatum admitted he needs to get better, though. Here's what he said:
"Obviously, I know I gotta play better. I know I can't shoot like that every game and hope that we win. So I expect to play better shooting-wise, but you know just impacting the game in different ways to do my part and continue to help us get a win."
Tatum has a history of making strong comebacks after every off-night that he has had, especially during these playoffs.
Jayson Tatum, who scored only 12 points in Game 1 vs the Warriors, always seems to bounce back the next game this postseason 👀 https://t.co/ShowqM3GiM
He has also found a way to impact the game with his all-around ability when he can't get going scoring-wise, which is a positive sign for the Boston Celtics.