Jayson Tatum’s swaggering self-belief is something that the Celtics emulate, as Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis lead the NBA’s best Boston defeats the injured Knicks team 116-102 in an altruistic victory.
One little digression from his job description occurred on Saturday night during Jayson Tatum’s warm-up.
He spent most of his time on the floor practicing the abilities he would soon need as the arena steadily filled up for a game between the Celtics and the Knicks. He tried his dribble, practiced post moves, and splashed in some jumpers.
However, he briefly engaged in a light basketball back-and-forth with a Celtics staff member on the floor of Madison Square Garden. This exchange lasted perhaps a minute.
When you’re winning and performing well, why not enjoy yourself a little?
With a commanding 45-12 record on the season, Tatum and the Celtics easily defeated a diminished Knicks team 116-102, while Jaylen Brown scored 30 points to lead Boston.
Kristaps Porzingis, an ex-Knick, also finished with 22 points.
Tatum declared he was the best NBA player in an interview with ESPN earlier this week.
“The way he expresses it, but also demonstrates it through his professionalism, work ethic, teamwork, and coachability—I think it’s critical that he thinks that way,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said prior to Saturday’s game.
Tatum has played in more memorable games than his 19 points on Saturday, when the Celtics defeated the Knicks for the fourth time this year. However, when they defeated New York, it was evident that his teammates had the same confidence and composure.
On Saturday, it appeared as though Tatum was playing more of an understated role and letting his surprisingly deep team make plays.
“I thought that Jayson’s basketball performance tonight was beautiful,” Mazzulla remarked after the game. It won’t be placed in the most valuable category and will be ignored.
However, he had excellent game management skills thanks to his pick-and-roll passing, pace, and defense. We should give him credit for seeing that’s how we can begin working on that.
