"You gotta dig deeper and find that inner strength to get it done" - Amar'e Stoudemire outlines what's gone wrong for Boston Celtics' 3x All-Star in NBA Finals
Amar'e Stoudemire believes that Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum's poor performance in the fourth quarter of Game 5 could be due to fatigue. However, Stoudemire believes that the finals is no time for Tatum to use that as an excuse.
Stoudemire also heaped praise on Jayson Tatum and his diverse array of skills. However, he emphasized that the youngster needs to dig deep to find enough strength to compete for the team.
Tatum scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on the night for the Boston Celtics. He looked solid in the first half and also had a great third quarter. But when it came time to deliver in the fourth quarter, he fell short and this eventually led to the Celtics' 104-94 loss.
Speaking about the three-time All-Star on ESPN's "Get up," Stoudemire said:
"Well, I think he maybe a bit fatigued. But at this point in your season there is no time for excuses right, you either have it or you don't, you gotta dig deeper and find that inner strength to get it done so its interesting to see because he is such a great player.
"So many tangibles that he has within the repertoire of his game or the skill set that he can bring out that would allow him to be aggressive in the fourth, but I don't see the enthusiasm, I don't see the aggressiveness, I don't see that in the fourth quarter and that's the problem with me."
Jayson Tatum has struggled to shoot the basketball in the last five games against the Golden State Warriors. Although he has made up for it by being a terrific playmaker, Tatum has also been giving away a lot of turnovers.
He has had spells of brilliance during the series, but none of them have helped the Boston Celtics get beyond the line.
Jayson Tatum now has the most turnovers by a player in a single postseason in NBA History, via @ESPNStatsInfo. https://t.co/jmogKrq5Tg
With the championship on the line in Game 6, he will be hoping to bring in his best. The 24-year-old has proven that he can play on the biggest stage. However, after a string of poor performances, Tatum will have to once again prove his superstar potential by leading the Boston Celtics to a win.
Jayson Tatum in the 4Q (2022 playoffs):
1st 2 rounds: 8.0 PPG, 58.8 FG%
East Finals: 4.3 PPG, 38.9 FG%
NBA Finals: 3.2 PPG, 23.8 FG%
.@kevinwildes' Game 5 Tatum report card:
A - ir ball
A - ndrew Wiggins locked you up
A - pair of missed FTs
A - nother boring 4Q https://t.co/e4zHxGttpP
What went wrong for the Boston Celtics in the fourth quarter of Game 5?
The Golden State Warriors only had a one-point lead over the Boston Celtics going into the fourth quarter.
However, from thereon they never really let the young team get back into the game. Although Steph Curry was not at his best, the Dubs got a big performance from Andrew Wiggins in the penultimate quarter.
He scored 10 points there while shooting 5-for-6 from the field. The Boston Celtics did not have any response to Wiggins, as he was everywhere on the floor. Not only did he give it his all on the offensive end, but he also contained Tatum to just five points in the fourth quarter.
Andrew Wiggins snatched 13 boards and dropped 26 points in Game 5 leading the @warriors to the win and a 3-2 series lead in the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV!
Wiggins: 26 PTS, 13 REB, 2 STL
Thompson: 21 PTS, 2 STL, 5 3PM
Curry: 16 PTS, 8 AST
Game 6: Thu. 9pm/et on ABC https://t.co/MZfaFnWFmt
With their best player looking off, the Celtics lost any chance of coming back mid-way through the fourth quarter. Turnovers proved to be costly for the Eastern Conference champions as they conceded five in the fourth and 18 in total.
ANDREW WIGGINS.
GOODNIGHT.
(via @warriors)
https://t.co/sp6l1pDWrJ
The series heads back to Boston for Game 6. They have been in situations like this before, but the Dubs are a different team altogether. If they are to take it to a Game 7, their stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart will have to step up and lead them to victory.