He didn’t defer when the Bucks started to chip away at Boston’s 14-point lead in the final frame - a number Celtics fans now fear, given the events of Game 5 in Boston. The Celtics have always been better when Tatum scores and creates for his teammates, and last night fit that bill to a tee.īut perhaps what Tatum did most imperatively was pace (and buoy) the Celtics in the fourth quarter with a performance as balanced as his team required. On top of the 46 points he scored, he created nine for his teammates through four assists. These are the drives that Boston needs and these are the quick decisions you want to see from Tatum. His drives still teeter back and forth between being purposeful and erratic, but when he’s as deep in his bag as he was last night, getting between him and the rim is as ill-advised as cutting off a wild Antetokounmpo en route to a slam, albeit less painful. He made quick decisions on whether or not he should drive or kick, or stop on a dime for the pullup jumper he’s been crafting for the better part of his still-young career. Tatum’s impact on Game 6 was indelible and vital, the performance that will serve as the one we can point to as the bellwether for success should the Celtics close out the Bucks come Sunday. “Definitely a signature game for the Celtics and for Jayson. “That was a big-time performance,” Jaylen Brown added after the win. He was anything but a background player in Game 6 he was the creator, director, chief executive, and top-billed star. His 30-point night in Game 4 was matched by the heroic efforts of Al Horford, and he more or less faded into the background due to the varying outcomes of the other matchups. Despite being Boston’s top source of offense for most of the series’ first five games - save his forgettable 10-point outing in the Game 3 loss - he had never quite exploded for the sort of performance that you’d expect from a long-listed MVP candidate. Through much of this series, Tatum seemed to be lying in wait. Like I said, that’s why he gets paid the big bucks.” - Smart on Tatum He asked for it, and that’s what we’re going to do. “He was aggressive, he was coming to us: ‘Give me the ball.’ And we’d give him the ball.
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