Jayson Tatum has not performed his greatest sport in opposition to the Knicks coming into Saturday’s Sport 3. Over the primary two video games of the collection, Tatum had scored 36 factors on 12/42 from the sphere.
He was higher on Saturday afternoon, however I didn’t assume he performed his greatest sport within the Celtics’ 115-93 win over the Knicks. He missed quite a lot of photographs across the rim, however the excellent news for the Celtics was that he had his three-ball going, hitting 5 threes on 9 makes an attempt. After the sport, he gave nice perspective and was as levelheaded as he normally is.
Tatum was requested about responding and the way he has handled the criticism over latest days.
“Don’t assume an excessive amount of of it,” Tatum stated. “It’s the playoffs. It’s the most important time of the 12 months. There’s gonna be a unique narrative after each sport… Simply not using the emotional rollercoaster after a win or a loss. This core group, we’ve been by means of quite a lot of collection collectively, quite a lot of video games, quite a lot of moments so simply proceed to depend on one another.”
He was then requested if he blocks out the noise, to which he merely said, “yeah, I do.”
Two poor video games to open the collection began but once more a referendum on Tatum’s star standing, and with a Knicks staff gaining confidence in dethroning the defending champs, many within the media questioned his potential to make a press release.
“I wasn’t making an attempt show something at present to anyone. It was an vital sport, it was vital for us to reply as a staff. Simply wished to come back out right here and win, that’s all that was actually on my thoughts,” Tatum stated.
You perceive what comes with being that man,” he continued. “I reside an incredible life — I ain’t going to lie. I make some huge cash. I maintain my household. I’ve been capable of expertise quite a lot of issues. However you even have to just accept what comes with that. I get quite a lot of reward. I get quite a lot of credit score. I get quite a lot of accolades, however I’m not good and there’s occasions the place I’ve wanted to play higher, I wanted to do extra, and that’s what comes with being that man.”
In opposition to a bodily Magic staff, Tatum was that man, averaging over 31 factors, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. His numbers are down throughout the board in Spherical 2, however that hasn’t deterred the First Staff All-NBAer.
“Individuals don’t simply criticize me. There’s lots of people that got here earlier than me that they criticize and there’s going to be folks that come after me that they criticize,” Tatum stated. “For me, there is a sense of pleasure that I play with. Coming right into a sport with an offended face and mad on the world, that’s not who I’m. That’s not after I play my greatest. You gotta be the identical individual when issues are going nice and when issues aren’t going nice. You possibly can’t change up. That’s the character of a great man.”
