WASHINGTON — This was quite the way to go. Jayson Tatumto lift him out of his shooting slump.
Tatum scored 51 — 48 in the three first quarters — to assist the Boston CelticsEnjoy a win of 116-87 over the Washington WizardsSunday
Tatum hit nine 3-pointers, and was 18-of-28 from beyond the arc. After shooting 0-for-17 beyond the arc in three previous games, Tatum made nine 3-pointers and shot 18-of-28 from the field.
Tatum stated, “When you miss shots, you know your capabilities, and sometimes, you have to laugh it off.” “Sometimes you just don’t make shots. There are so many games.
Tatum had 31 points at the half and was able to score 50 on a drive that took him to the basket just before the end of the game. With 3:55 left, Tatum added a technical foul free throw and was then able to exit the game. The crowd in Washington, which included many green-clad Bostonians, stood ovation.
Tatum said, “That’s a tremendous feeling.” “Seeing so many fans out on the road with a Tatum 0,’ jersey on is something I don’t take for granted. They took the time to buy my jersey, even though there are 450 players in the league.
Bradley BealThe Wizards were awarded 19 points by the team, which never led when coach Wes Unseld Jr. returned from the COVID-19 protocol. Washington has lost three consecutive games on its eight-game homestand.
Boston led 46 to 45 in the second quarter. However, Tatum’s 17-footer commenced a 14-0 run to end the half. Tatum scored 18 points, including a couple of free throws as well as two 3-pointers.
Unseld stated, “It basically came down to the end the second quarter.” “In essence, that was the game.”
Tatum scored 40 points, with two free throws and 4:48 remaining in the third. A dunk made him equal his season record of 42, which he had set against Milwaukee just moments earlier. Boston led 89-62 with two more 3s after the quarter was finished.
Unseld stated, “To Tatum’s credit, he enjoyed a night.” “Obviously, 51 points is a big number. He was probably 6-for-8 with pull-up 3, which are hard shots. No excuse. There is no excuse.
Tatum appeared to be realizing that his day was over, and took three more shots in quarter final, all misses. He left the game after finishing the third quarter one bucket shy of 50.
He returned with 7:21 remaining in the fourth, scoring enough to score more than 50 — though he was still far from his career-high of 60 against San Antonio last April.
Tatum knew he was close to 50 when he returned in. However, Ime Udoka, the Celtics coach, said that it wasn’t a factor when he put him in.
Udoka explained that the game was becoming “a little too heavy and stagnant”. “We have had our problems closing. So, get him back in to finish the game.”