After making an emotional season debut Friday night in Boston where fans celebrated his return 10 months after Achilles surgery, Jayson Tatum was relieved to get back to a normal environment Sunday at Cleveland, writes Jay King of The Athletic. Tatum remained on a minutes restriction, but he scored 20 points as the Celtics posted an emphatic win in a battle of Eastern Conference contenders.
“The other day was such a big deal, and obviously, in a home game in the city of Boston, I had a lot of family in town,” Tatum said. “Today just kind of felt like getting back in the flow of things. And that felt good for me.”
Tatum scored 12 points in the first seven minutes to help Boston build an early lead. Although he missed seven of his nine three-point attempts, he sank a clutch one with about two minutes left to play to stave off a Cleveland comeback. King notes that the Celtics were already playing well without Tatum – holding the league’s best defensive rating and second-best net rating – and have won the two games since his return by an average of 15.5 points.
“I don’t think his game has gone anywhere,” Payton Pritchard said. “I’ve seen him working on it. I think it’s more now, after not playing in a while, you’ve just got to get your flow back. Like, one-on-one reads, stuff like that.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- After Friday’s win over the Mavericks, Klay Thompson offered some advice to Tatum, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe states in a subscriber-only piece. Thompson has plenty of experience in overcoming major injuries after suffering an ACL tear during the 2019 Finals and a ruptured Achilles tendon the following year. “One of his messages was like, ‘Man, just give yourself some grace,’” Tatum said Sunday. “He said that he wished he would have given himself more grace. Obviously, being elite athletes and competitors that we are, we want it so bad. But I’m still on the road to recovery and this is just a phase of it.”
- Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson views Derrick White as a major reason that the Celtics were able to remain competitive during Tatum’s absence, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “Derrick White, he’s a top-five player in this league,” Atkinson said. “I know no one says that in the standard media, but analytically, you look at all the advanced stuff, he’s (a) top-five player in the league, superstar. Jaylen [Brown] is obviously having a great year. [Neemias] Queta is analytically one of the top 30, probably. They have a lot of talent even without Jayson. So I think if you just kind of look, ‘Oh my gosh, Jayson Tatum’s out, they’re going to be terrible,’ I never bought into that.”
- Speaking to reporters on Sunday, coach Joe Mazzulla shared his advice for Nikola Vucevic, who will be sidelined for about a month with a fractured finger, relays Souichi Terada of MassLive. “Just stay in shape,” Mazzulla said. “Do everything he can with whatever the limitations are. He does a great job in the film room studying. Just continuing to do what he’s been doing. He’s a professional.”
White is a great player and a champion. But Top 5?
Drug test that man.
Top 10 2Way player I say. Pops loves White. There is a great article about it. Made himself into NBA player.
link to sports.yahoo.com
link to nba.com
Top 10 is arguable sure. Top 5? No way. And I love White! Great teammate and player!!
Celtics only 2gms in back of Pistons. With 18 to go. Unfortunately the Pistons schedule is weaker than Celtics. Big test tonight Celtics vs Spurs.
Celtics are a well coached team. They have overachieved all year. Jalen Brown is definitely an MVP player this yr. Gotta give the Celtics credit lols.
To me Brown should win MVP
Doesn’t get enough clicks lol ..
I say SGA, Jokic, Brown its close. If Celtics pull out top seed. Then he should win it.
Al the only reason I pick Brown is because of the team. SGA has more talent and to me they’re playing an impact has been about the same. If you swap the players, do you get the same result? Personally, I don’t think so because SGA isn’t a defender Brown is. Joker is 3rd too me. His team will have to be top 3
SGA is first team defender lol. And Jokic is having a historical year. All three are deserving. Still 18 gms to go.
AI appreciate the respect considering you’re a division rival. I’ll try not to be such a pain in your side from now on lol
I respect game ….
LETS GO CELTICS…
No one mentions Cade Cunningham. Brown is having a great year, but I question his MVP run. Celtics are 6-1 without him including wins over Houston and Toronto, 2 of the top 8 or 9 teams in the league. The C’s do not run an offense with Brown on the floor. He never screens for teammates, just brushes a defender in an attempt to get himself open for a pass. He has way too many turnovers and many games have been stat sheet stuffers like the game the C’s were up by 40 in the fourth quarter, and Brown came back into the game to score 8 points to keep his streak of 30 point games. He has improved as a team player with his assists rising.
I’m in the minority but as much as I like Browns talent I don’t like his game. Great players make their teammates better. Brown doesn’t do that. And he’s a turnover machine, makes bad decisions.