Perkins takes Tatum honestly after Celtics lose to Sixers in Game 4 originally appeared nbc sports boston
The Boston Celtics should be up 3-1 in their second-round playoff series against the philadelphia 76ers, but they made too many mistakes late in the fourth quarter and in overtime of Game 4 on Sunday afternoon and lost 116–115 at the Wells Fargo Center.,
The result is a similar series with the action shifting to the TD Garden in Boston for the all-important Game 5 on Tuesday night.
celtics superstar Jayson Tatum hasn't been as consistent this series as you'd expect.
it was Boston's unprecedented loss in Game 1Scored 39 points on 56 percent shooting, along with 11 rebounds and five assists. He struggled in Game 2, mostly because he got into foul trouble early, and finished with seven points in 19 minutes as the Celtics won 121–87.
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Tatum was solid in game 3And he had moments late in Game 4 that were impressive — especially during Boston's 10-0 run in the fourth quarter to take the lead — but there were also some head-scratching moments from the veteran forward.
The biggest mistake occurred on the last possession of the game in overtime. The Celtics were trailing 116–115 with about seven seconds left when Tatum got the ball near midcourt. He waited two more seconds before driving to the basket, and then kicked the ball out Marcus Smart for a potential game-tying 3-point shot, the clock had run out, and Philly had won. Waiting too long to start the action, especially with the Celtics trailing, was a mistake on Tatum's part. Of course, head coach Joe Majulla Could have also called timeout.
Former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins thinks Tatum has no excuse not to win a championship this season. The Celtics have all the motivation they need after last season's NBA Finals loss, as well as plenty of talent at every position on the roster.
“With Giannis and the Bucks out, he has no excuses this season as far as (winning a championship) goes,” Perkins said on the ESPN show “First Take” on Monday. “Jason Tatum would be better when it comes to bringing it back to Boston. Period. When you talk about having a full roster, he has it. When you talk about playing elite point guard and the guys who make it can bring and mix it with Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart, and You Have Another Superstar on Your Team Jaylen Brown. You're Missing Nothing When You Look at the Interior robert williams And Al Horford.
“He has zero excuses not to get it done. I heard how miserable his offseason was, and how he's been waiting to get this moment, and how he cares about this right now.”Jason Tatum has to complete it.” Not only in this series, but throughout the season and bring a championship to Boston.”
The Celtics are still in good shape. They have homecourt advantage with two of the last three games being played at the Garden. They have outscored the Sixers by 41 points in four games, which is a very strong advantage. Boston could have easily won Game 1, especially if James Harden didn't score a career playoff high with 45 points.
The Celtics were the better team entering the series, and nothing drastic has changed for people looking at the situation differently going into Game 5. In games, Philly could end them.
It's time for Tatum to show why he's a first team All-NBA caliber player and set the tone from the start of Game 5 with an offensive mindset.