Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla doubled down on Jayson Tatum’s eye-opening response to those who continue to question him and the team’s toughness. The 35-year-old tactician praised his superstar forward even if he hasn’t put up his usual playoff numbers thus far.
In five games against the Miami Heat, Jayson Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on 41.6 percent shooting from the field and 29 percent from three-point land. But instead of focusing on the box score numbers, Mazzulla pointed out the intangibles that the five-time NBA All-Star brought to the table, which helped set the tone for the team.
“I thought his defense was tremendous. I thought his pick-and-roll (defense) on the ball handler was really good,” Mazzulla said about Tatum via Noa Dalzell of SBNation. “I thought his defensive rebounding was good, and I thought the discipline to fight to take difficult shots versus making the extra pass – he showed that.”
“He’s really grown this year, and it’s just going to look different every night. It’s going to look different in every series. And he was able to really adjust this series and find other ways to impact the game, which I think is super important,” he added.
Boston Celtics still have a long way to go
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown said that eliminating Miami early is a huge stepping stone for them. However, with Kristaps Porzingis out, the Boston Celtics’ mental fortitude will be tested, as they are going in for a tougher test in the second round.
“We still have tests to go through throughout this playoffs, especially now with KP being out, but I think we’re up to the challenge; I think I’m up to the challenge, and I’m excited about that. So, we’re graduating; we haven’t graduated yet,” said Brown.
Fortunately for the Boston Celtics, they’ll have two more days to recharge their batteries because the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic will have to play Game 7 on Sunday.
