The Boston Celtics hold a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Despite the Celtics’ two-game winning streak, as many fans pointed out, their star player Jayson Tatum struggled in the Finals. Last night, the Celtics won a close game in convincing fashion, defeating the Mavericks 105-98. Jayson Tatum scored 18 points, most of which occurred in the second half. NBA fans mocked him all night long after he missed several layups and scored inefficiently.
The Celtics’ victory was led by Jrue Holiday, who scored one of the most efficient 26 points in NBA Finals history. Kristaps Porzingis came off the bench and had another solid game after missing nearly 40 days. Jaylen Brown has had his moments, especially on the defensive end against Luka Dion and Kyrie Irving. For much of the game, Jayson Tatum wasn’t the dynamic scorer everyone knew him to be. Many fans realize the Celtics are so good that Tatum doesn’t need to score at an elite level for his team to win. However, his potential to dominate the game is undeniable, and it’s a point of discussion among fans and media, who often view team sports as an individual game. He should have dominated the game.
Jayson Tatum criticized for poor performance in NBA Finals
In the second game, fans were frustrated with Jayson Tatum, especially in the first half when he only scored 5 points and missed many shots. The good news for Boston is twofold. They lead the Dallas Mavericks 2-0 despite their best player not having a great series. His all-around game isn’t bad at all. He plays excellent defense and fits in well with Dallas’ rotation of big men, grabbing rebounds at a high rate. His passing is also very good considering all the attention he attracts on offense. Overall, Tatum doesn’t have to play like Luka Doncic for the Celtics to win, which could be a good thing for Boston.
The Mavericks are looking to get their first win of the series on Wednesday in Dallas. Kyrie Irving is being hunted by the entire Celtics roster. He didn’t play well, and that’s because of the Celtics’ tenacious defense. Luka wasn’t 100% healthy but still put up good scoring numbers despite the loss. Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis may have adjusted to the injury that kept him out for the entire playoffs, so that’s something for both teams to keep an eye on. Overall, I bet Jayson Tatum is going to have a great game sooner or later.
