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Celtics Discuss Jayson Tatum Rising to the Occasion, Forcing a Game 7
It wasn't quite the 46-point masterpiece Jayson Tatum delivered last year in Milwaukee in Game 6 against the Bucks with the Celtics' season on the line. But in a similar situation in Philadelphia, when Boston needed him most, the four-time All-Star met the moment.
But before doing so, a day after earning a spot on the All-NBA First Team for the second-straight year, the four-time All-Star went 1/13 in the first three-quarters of the biggest game of the Celtics' season.
"Me and Malcolm (Brogdon) went up to him and told him, 'You're playing the game the right way,'" Robert Williams shared after the visitors prevailed 95-86 in the City of Brotherly Love, forcing a Game 7 at TD Garden on Sunday, as captured by NBC Sports Boston.
Brogdon, who delivered 16 points off the bench, conveyed the following.
"We encourage him. He's not a guy that needs a lot of talking. He's a guy that's highly critical of himself and demands the highest level for himself. So we know he's always going to bounce back. He's resilient. He's a superstar. So, he's going to make shots when we need him to make shots."
And even while seeming uncertain of where to turn for a reliable source of scoring, the defending Eastern Conference champions fought to keep the game close.
Robert Williams, who Joe Mazzulla inserted into the starting lineup on Thursday, logged 27:48, the second-most minutes he's played this postseason.
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The Time Lord responded by anchoring the backline of the Celtics' defense, protecting the rim, and helping limit the Sixers to 32 points in the paint. He also chipped in ten points, giving his teammates an above-the-rim threat to lob the ball to when they drove into the lane.
Marcus Smart was the visitors' most consistent player, registering 22 points on 8/15 shooting and distributing seven assists, both team-highs. He also grabbed seven rebounds and swiped two steals. And his plus-20 plus-minus rating was the highest in the matchup.
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Boston also got the previously mentioned 16 points off the bench from Brogdon and effective on-ball defense from Al Horford against Joel Embiid. And Tatum found other ways to make an impact, evidenced by his nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks.
But to extend their season and force a Game 7, the Celtics needed someone to give them a lift offensively.
With his team trailing 83-81 with less than 4:30 minutes left, the four-time All-Star shook off his shooting slump, drilling back-to-back threes en route to a 16-point fourth quarter, propelling the visitors across the finish line.
After the victory, head coach Joe Mazzulla gave his perspective on Tatum impacting the outcome throughout a game he struggled to buy a basket.
"His poise got him going. And so, the standard that is set for him to where if he's not scoring, he's not playing good basketball is wrong. He's had multiple games this series where when he's at his best, he doesn't need to score.
"And I thought his communication to his teammates, I thought his defensive intensity, and I thought, even his force, trying to drive the ball, kept him in the game. He plays with a level of poise regardless of how the game is going."
Mazzulla proceeded to praise Tatum for not allowing missed shots to impact his performance defensively, declaring his performance on Thursday his second-best well-rounded game behind last Sunday's 116-115 overtime loss.
Jaylen Brown, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists, said of his message to Tatum, via Jared Weiss of The Athletic as the latter struggled to find his rhythm, "Stop being apprehensive and just go. If you ask him, he’ll probably say, 'That’s exactly how I drew it up.' It ain’t gotta be pretty; you just gotta get it done."
As for the man himself, here's what Tatum had to say about struggling to find his rhythm and meeting the moment when his team needed him most.
Warning: the following video contains the use of explicit language.
"I've got to give a lot of credit to my teammates. They were extremely vocal throughout the game, encouraging (me)," said the former Duke Blue Devil.
"Being transparent, that was frustrating. You want to win so bad; you want to play so well, and shots not falling, things not necessarily going your way, and you want it, you want it so bad. But you try to stay present, try to stay in the moment, try to do other things.
"And every timeout, every huddle, my teammates telling me, 'the next one's going in. Keep rebounding. Keep getting assists. Keep getting blocks. Keep impacting the game. It's going to come; it's going to come.
"So that was helpful. And, just believing that the next one is going in, as cliche as that sounds. It's kind of as simple as that. And really, all it took was one to get that off my back and try to help the team come out of here with a win."
Further Reading
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Earn All-NBA Honors; Here's What That Means for Them and the Celtics
Celtics Share Their Perspective on Failing to Meet the Moment in Game 5 Loss to Sixers
Joe Mazzulla Explains Why He Didn't Take a Timeout in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers
Film Room: Recalibrating Celtics' Defense for Game 2 Against Sixers
