Jayson Tatum, the Celtics power forward, whose exceptional on-court work rate fueled the Celtics’ 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Finals run and earned him the All-Star MVP, is gradually gaining influence in the league.
The ongoing NBA in-season tournament, announced back in August, has sparked a lot of discussion among fans and analysts. While other players have yet to highlight the tournament’s downsides, Jayson Tatum appears to be the first to note an obvious issue within the competition.
Jayson Tatum takes shot at NBA’s In-Season tournament
The Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has apparently proven to have a lot of respect for the league’s undocumented rules. As per Jack Simeone of Celtics Blog, Jayson Tatum expressed his displeasure over the tournament permitting teams to disrespect each other. Jayson Tatum believes that a team scoring after the game is won, shouldn’t be encouraged to show respect to the losing team.
With a 2-1 record in the tournament, the Celtics currently stand second in Group C after their loss to the Orlando Magic. A concerning aspect is the zero in the point differential column, which they aim to improve. The Celtics’ matchup against the Hawks demonstrated the team’s ability to bounce back after a loss. The team is garnering attention outside of the tournament, and they are undoubtedly aiming to secure the substantial prize of $500,000 for the NBA Cup.
Celtics triumph against Hawks
The Boston Celtics recently clinched a 113-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks, owing to a game-changing performance by Jayson Tatum. The Hawks had combined points of 103, in which Trae Young notched 33 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, DéAndre Hunter with 24 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic with 23 points, which made it the Hawks’ lowest of this season.
Meanwhile, Celtics star Jayson Tatum had a stunning 34 points and 9 rebounds, AI Horford with 15 rebounds, Derrick White with 15 points and 11 assists, Jaylen Brown with 21 points, and Neemias Queta with 10 rebounds. While the Celtics missed the services of both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the Hawks only missed Jalen Johnson, but the Celtics still managed a great victory.
Following the victory, the Boston Celtics currently lead the Eastern Conference with 13 victories, while the Atlanta Hawks sit at the 9th position with a less impressive 8-9 record. Despite the Hawks’ loss, their performance remains commendable.
Expectations are high for the Boston Celtics to maintain this momentum and secure the first seed in their group. Nevertheless, the Brooklyn Nets and Magic are the two possible teams left for contention.
