Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum scored only four points in the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s 111-101 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Tatum started Game 2 off strong, scoring 14 points in the opening quarter. The five-time All-Star ended his outing with 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one block in 41 minutes of action.
Per a few NBA betting sites, the Celtics remain the odds-on favorite to win the championship. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Jayson Tatum in the 4Q tonight:
4 PTS
1/3 FG
2/4 FT pic.com/mZ0G5yWmlh— StatMamba (@StatMamba) April 25, 2024
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Tatum said. “There’s a lot of history between these two franchises, especially recently. … It’s never going to go exactly as people expect it to go and that’s the beauty of it.”
Tatum finished 10-of-20 (50%) shooting from the field, 2-of-6 (33.3%) from deep, and 6-of-8 (75%) at the free throw line. It was his 66th playoff game with at least 20 points.
This performance came just days after he recorded his first career playoff triple-double on Sunday, amassing 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game in which Boston led by as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter.
Jayson Tatum has shot 36.1% from the field, 19.7% from 3-point range in the clutch the last three seasons
In Game 2, Miami went on a 10-0 run to take an 82-70 lead with under four minutes to play in the third before the Celtics trimmed their deficit to six. The Heat outscored Boston 53-40 in the second half.
Heat star Tyler Herro ended his night with 24 points and 14 assists, hitting six of Miami’s 23 3-pointers — the most in a playoff game in franchise history.
“It seemed we couldn’t get them to miss,” said Jaylen Brown, who led the Celtics with 33 points. “They had a record-breaking night. … They made a lot of shots that usually we’re comfortable with.”
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. There’s a lot of history between these two franchises, especially recently.”
Jayson Tatum talks about how the Heat came out and responded in Game 2 pic.com/3VrzXT5te3
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 25, 2024
According to the Basketball-Reference database, Tatum has shot 36.1% from the field and 19.7% from 3-point range in the clutch the last three seasons.
Furthermore, his fourth-quarter production was lacking in Game 2, finishing 1-of-3 (33.3%) shooting from the floor and 2-of-4 (50%) at the foul line. The Heat outscored Boston 26-22 in the final frame.
Miami hosts the Celtics in Game 3 on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.
