Jayson Tatum struggled in the Boston Celtics’ 102-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Tatum went 0-for-4 in the first half, which included a missed layup. The former All-Star also had a turnover that prompted fans to criticize Tatum’s play.
Tatum had his best stretch early in the third quarter when he rattled off seven points and added a steal. A fan noticed the improvement and tweeted about it on X, earning a response from Drew Hanlen, Tatum’s trainer:
“He’s a lot better with the ball in his hands.”
The six-time All-Star spent nearly the entire first half on the corner waiting for a pass. He didn’t make his first attempt until midway through the opening quarter. Tatum also looked hesitant when he had the ball.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla made some adjustments to open the third quarter. Right off the bat, Mazzulla went to Jayson Tatum, who quickly scored over Rudy Gobert. Two plays later, Tatum drained a 3-pointer against Julius Randle.
Former NBA player Jamal Crawford, who called the game for NBC, said that Tatum found his rhythm after the Celtics involved him more in the offense.
After the triple over Randle, Tatum also made a superb defensive play. He stepped in to steal a pass intended for Gobert before racing to the other end to make a layup. The 2022 Eastern Conference finals MVP ended the period with 13 points.
Jayson Tatum also struggled in Boston’s 117-112 win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Tatum went 3-for-15 and finished with 13 points. He found it hard to find rhythm after playing off the ball.
Drew Hanlen, who has trained Tatum since the basketball star was 13, was spot on with his comment. He knew the Celtics should involve the 6-foot-9 forward on offense more.
Celtics Struggled With Jayson Tatum Sitting Out First Six Minutes of Fourth Quarter
The Boston Celtics led 77-73 when Jayson Tatum went back to the bench with 1:11 left in the third quarter. When Joe Mazzulla sent back the star forward with 5:21 remaining in the fourth period, the Celtics trailed 94-81.
The Celtics were so bad that Mazzulla called two early timeouts in the fourth quarter. Despite the breaks, Boston still allowed Minnesota to dominate the opening half of the final frame.
The Celtics played well with Jayson Tatum back, but they could not overcome the lead. Tatum finished with 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting, including 2 for 7 from deep. He added 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Boston’s loss was its first to Minnesota at TD Garden in 21 years.
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