BOSTON — Because of an unlikely TD Backyard hearth evacuation on Wednesday night time, Jayson Tatum didn’t get the possibility to talk to reporters after the Celtics’ 91-90 Sport 2 loss to the Knicks.
However the Celtics star, who has made simply 12 of 42 shot makes an attempt throughout two playoff losses to the Knicks, took accountability for his struggles at apply on Thursday afternoon.
“I take full possession of the way in which that I’ve performed on this sequence,” Tatum stated calmly on the Auerbach Heart podium. “I can’t sugar coat something. I have to be higher. And, I count on to be so much higher.”
Jayson Tatum on his play within the sequence to date:
“I take full possession on the way in which that I’ve performed on this sequence. Cannot sugar coat something. I have to be higher. And I count on to be so much higher.” pic.twitter.com/xBbkry8tgY
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) Might 8, 2025
Tatum had an opportunity to win the sport for Boston with the ball in his arms and the clock winding down, however he as an alternative dribbled into visitors. Knicks guard Mikal Bridges got here away with the game-winning steal, and the Knicks rejoiced on the Backyard parquet.
“I simply made the incorrect learn,” he stated. “Went right into a crowded space. Clearly, if I had that chance once more, or the subsequent time it introduced itself, it’d have a unique consequence.
Joe Mazzulla credited Tatum for taking accountability for his struggles, however stated that the blame prolonged far past one individual.
“I respect the truth that he would try this, however I believe it’s on everyone,” Mazzulla stated. “All of us might be higher. I might be higher within the issues that I may help our group execute, our complete group might be higher. And yeah, he can too. So, simply as he’s taking accountability for that, I count on him to be higher.”
Al Horford, in the meantime, stated that he’s had loads of conversations with Tatum by means of the sequence, as is customary, however he stated he’d hold these between the 2 longtime buddies relatively than share them with the media.
The place do the Celtics go from right here?
The urgency degree was excessive after Thursday’s apply.
“We have now to enter Saturday’s sport and win the sport,” Mazzulla stated about 48 hours forward of Sport 1. “That’s simply the way in which it’s. We have now to win. We have now to win. We have now to do what it takes to win. We have now to place ourselves ready to do this.”
However, maybe to the ire of followers, the Celtics gained’t reinvent the wheel.
Regardless of making simply 25 of 100 three-point makes an attempt within the sequence, they gained’t lose confidence of their capacity to shoot from the surface.
“We have now a means that we play,” Tatum stated. “We have now an identification. And it may well’t waver simply because we’re lacking pictures. We will’t change who we’re.”
The fourth quarter, specifically, was suffering from missed open pictures — Al Horford, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown all badly missed clear threes. Brown and Horford missed some mid-range seems, and White even missed a layup tip-in. The Celtics made simply 5 of 24 pictures from the sector, and a couple of of 11 three-point makes an attempt.
Payton Pritchard, who checked out of the sport with 6:39, was answerable for the Celtics’ solely two fourth-quarter treys.
“Plenty of the pictures that we obtained – we obtained some actually, actually attractiveness from three,” Tatum stated. “We missed a variety of bunnies, a variety of layups. These are robust, as a result of guys work actually exhausting on their sport, and their craft, and put together to be in these moments to hit open pictures.”
Few anticipated the Celtics to be trailing 2-0 to the Knicks.
However, internally, the message facilities round humility.
“You possibly can’t simply have a delight and entitlement that we’re holier than thou, that we’re not allowed to be down 0-2,” Mazzulla stated. “It’s the scenario that we’re in. So we have now to have an understanding of why we’re in it, and we gotta repair it.”
Mazzulla stated he relished the journey the Celtics have in entrance of them.
“These moments are all forgotten for those who transition them into making the most of the chance that you’ve. In the event you don’t, then you need to use it as a chance for the journey that you simply’re on.”
Horford smiled when requested concerning the likelihood to return again from an 0-2 deficit: “I’m excited concerning the alternative that we have now.”
