The Knicks completed yet another 20-point comeback against the Celtics 91-90 to go up 2-0 in the series, and Jayson Tatum is to blame.
No team has ever blown TWO 20-point leads in back-to-back playoff games.
Tatum was the cause of the loss, there’s no sugar-coating that.
The Celtics star headed into the locker room at the half with a measly two points.
Just like in Game 1 in overtime, Tatum fumbled big moments.
In Game 1, Tatum couldn’t get past Mitchell Robinson because OG Anunoby and Bridges were waiting in the wings and missed a stepback three.
In Game 2, he tried to attack and was left to hunt Robinson again on a switch during the last possession, but failed miserably.
Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald sums up Tatum’s two games against the Knicks perfectly:
“Tatum’s touch appears to be gone. He’s shooting 28.5% from the floor and 25% from 3. The Knicks’ cycling of defensive schemes – from switching to drop coverage to meeting him at the level of the screen – is unsettling him. A top-5 player in the world looks lost.”
After the game, Tatum was saved by the bell, literally.
A fire alarm was triggered at TD Garden, causing a brief evacuation.
Jayson Tatum’s planned interview session was canceled and he was let off the hook completely. (FYI: TD Garden officials released a statement saying that an alarm was tripped and that no one was injured.)
Tatum’s running mate Jaylen Brown wasn’t as lucky and had to face the media head on.
He wasn’t hiding from the team’s shortcomings.
“Two games we were up 20 points, and somehow we come out not with wins. It’s inexcusable,” Brown said. “But we’re going to learn from it. We’re going to respond.”
He added, “It should sting. Let it sting. Let it sting for the night. Then, tomorrow’s a new day. We move forward.”
