Jayson Tatum has proven himself to be a versatile player and his Finals record, which includes two triple doubles in three games and averaging 29 points per game, should make opponents fear him going forward.
Jayson Tatum is an NBA player who has been making waves in the playoffs this year. He has scored a total of 23 points in his first four games, and he is also averaging 5 rebounds per game. His impressive Finals record proves why the Warriors should be terrified. Read more in detail here: where is jayson tatum from.
On June 2, 2022, Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum dribbles against the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals. | Getty Images/Ezra Shaw
Is anybody else still reeling after Game 1 of the NBA Finals? It seemed like the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty was on its way to a triumph against the inexperienced (Finals wise) Boston Celtics heading into the fourth quarter. The Cs, on the other hand, stunned everyone by outscoring the Dubs 40-16 in the last session to win 120-108 on the road.
It was just one game, as we must all remember. This series is still heavily favored by the Warriors. One statistic, however, demonstrates why Golden State should be terrified.
The Celtics’ exceptional position is shown by Jayson Tatum’s 13 assists in Game 1 (a Finals record).
In Game 1, Jayson Tatum set a Finals record.
In Game 1, Jayson Tatum didn’t perform at the level we had anticipated. He only scored 12 points while shooting 17.6% from the field.
Tatum, on the other hand, set a new record for total assists in a Finals debut with 13. The previous record of 12 was shared by Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and Isiah Thomas. He continued to demonstrate his exceptional playmaking abilities and his ability to contribute to the Celtics in ways other than scoring.
Despite his terrible shooting, the three-time All-Star was instrumental in Boston’s comeback.
The Celtics trailed 92-80 in the fourth quarter, having split their regular-season matchup with the Warriors this season. The three-point onslaught started following scores from Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, and Payton Pritchard.
With 7:09 remaining and the Celtics behind 99-94, Tatum passed the ball to Pritchard, who hit a long-range shot to cut the deficit to 99-97. The Celtics took a 106-103 lead after Derrick White made two long shots and Al Horford made one, before Tatum found Horford again beyond the arc to make it 109-103.
The Celtics couldn’t afford to lose at this moment. Tatum added two more assists, one on a Horford mid-range jumper and the other on a Marcus Smart three-pointer, to help Boston complete a 14-0 run. With 1:44 remaining, the team led 117-103 and went on to win 120-108.
Tatum had a key part in the Celtics’ comeback, despite not scoring as many points as he usually does.
The Warriors should be afraid about Jayson Tatum’s awful shooting.
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As previously said, the Warriors still have a great chance of winning this series. They have a strong roster with Stephen Curry, the three-point champion. They should be concerned, though, about Tatum’s facilitating role in Game 1. Despite the fact that he wasn’t one of his team’s top scorers, Golden State still lost.
What happens when he begins to fire his gun?
This season, Tatum averaged 26.9 points on 45.3 percent shooting. He beat out Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler for Conference Finals MVP and is averaging 26.2 points in the playoffs thus far.
Throughout the remainder of the series, the Warriors will not restrict him to only 12 points each game.
If he gets his shots to fall and role players like Derrick White continue to play well, the Celtics will immediately become unguardable. The Warriors will have to keep their attention on Tatum, which may leave shooters like White and Marcus Smart vulnerable.
If Tatum had made his shot, White and company may not have made all of theirs. However, the Duke product has already played in the playoffs as both a facilitator and a scorer, collecting 29 points and eight assists in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this season. Against the Miami Heat, he scored 22 and nine points, respectively. Tatum can easily rack up the points while while assisting his teammates.
The Warriors may be doomed if that scenario plays out.
Will Al Horford and Derrick White continue to score 20 points each? No. But if Jayson Tatum makes a couple more shots, they won’t have to. The Warriors aren’t out of this series yet, but they must find a way to slow down Tatum and the Celtics’ role players. The 2022 Finals might be done sooner than planned if they don’t.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
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