Jayson Tatum speaks on the Celtics’ redeeming win over the Nets
“I just wanted to get back on track and try to dominate the game as best I could.”
The Celtics rallied to defeat the Nets 139-114 on Wednesday, one night after their disappointing loss to the Hawks.
Despite falling behind by 13 points in the first quarter, Boston came back strong, with Jayson Tatum scoring 36 points. He also had 10 assists and nine rebounds, while Jaylen Brown had 24 points and 12 rebounds.
In an interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin, Tatum admitted the team “didn’t feel great” playing on Tuesday night, but were “excited for another opportunity to respond” and “bounce back.”
“I didn’t necessarily play well,” Tatum said about his performance in the NBA Cup opener. “I turned the ball over too much, and I just wanted to get back on track and try to dominate the game as best I could.”
The Hawks outplayed the Celtics as Tatum and Brown together had 11 of the team’s 20 turnovers. The good thing about the NBA, though, is that “there’s always another game,” Tatum said.
Boston earned 38 points in the third quarter, went 7-for-11 from beyond the 3-point line, and had 74 points in the entire second half.
Tatum said he and Brown felt more pressure to set the tone with energy and lead the team.
“You’re not always going to make shots, but, you know, are you impacting the game? Are you getting other guys open? Are you attacking the rim? Are you asserting yourself on both ends of the floor?” said Tatum. “That’s what Joe [Mazzulla] challenges us to do on a nightly basis.”
The Celtics next host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday at 8 p.m.
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