Jayson Tatum Left Speechless by Reporter’s Brutal Comment as Celtics Coach Addresses Bizarre Team Behavior!
USA Today via Reuters
The 15th-seeding Pelicans almost defeated the Celtics at TD Garden. This isn’t the first time that the C’s have produced a few shocking performances this season. Notably, the loss against Trae Young-less Hawks at home. Last night was one such performance where it seemed like the team was adamant about throwing the game away. Especially when Jayson Tatum pulled off a blunder in the clutch. While Coach Joe Mazzulla addressed the growing concern, JT shrugged it off, unfazed.
With 13 seconds left in the game, The C’s held a 3-point lead and Tatum could make it 5 with two free throws. Shockingly, the superstar tanked both of them. A reporter after the game, without any hesitation, questioned JT’s lapse in clutch. In return, the superstar shrugged it off, saying, “Uncharacteristic, missing those two free throws. Just put the game away, no excuse for that, but I mean, I made countless plays to win games and stuff over my career.”
Above all, Jayson Tatum added, “Wasn’t happy about that but we still won.” While the team’s centerpiece was happy with the way the game ended, Coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t exactly happy. In fact, he picked up a pattern. Following Tatum’s free fumble, the C’s still had a strong chance to win the game until Derrick White conceded a turnover with a 5-second violation on an inbound pass with 6 seconds remaining on the clock and the home team leading the game by one point. Fortunately, the Pels missed the game-winning bucket.
Pointing out the team’s fading effort, Mazzulla said, “There were mistakes with effort and but when you have a few games in the bank where you make mistakes without effort, it’s harder to, you know, accept.” Moreover, Mazzulla also revealed the growing concern in the defending champions’ locker room.
This month, the Celts have a 4-2 record which is quite underwhelming for the defending champions. In fact, in the last 10 games, the team has 4 losses. It’s indeed an alarming sign. Notably, a few of those losses came against teams that were struggling to find their footing like the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
via Imago
Speaking of the situation, Joe Mazzula said, “It’s been a challenging month and so when you’re in a challenging month, you need situations like this to be able to work through it.” The championship looked to find positives out of this close win over the Pels.
Mazzulla further added, “I think I told the guys it’s a great space to be in, you know, we are whatever the heck our record is, and, you know, the standard is high, the expectation is high, and, you know, we’re in a challenging spot and it’s a great place to be in.” So, will the Celts learn their lesson from last night’s close win? Will Jayson Tatum comeback harder in response to the clutch fumble? Let us know in the comments below.
