What Jayson Tatum, Celtics teammates said of game-winner vs. Pelicans
Tatum hit a jumper that put the Celtics up by two with just 0.2 seconds remaining.
The Celtics’ two All-Stars stepped up in the clutch in their win over the Pelicans on Friday night.
First, Jaylen Brown made a 13-foot jumper to give Boston a 116-114 lead with 34 seconds remaining after Jayson Tatum found him open due to a late double team on him.
Following CJ McCollum’s spinning shot to tie the game with 24 seconds left, the Celtics opted not to call a timeout. That decision paid off, with Tatum getting the switch he wanted before going to his left, falling in that direction, and firing a 20-footer that gave the Celtics a 118-116 lead with 0.2 seconds remaining.
“I seen when they scored their last shot,” Tatum told reporters of his mentality before hitting the game-winner. “There was 24 seconds left in the game, no shot clock. So, it was about getting the last shot. It was the matchup we wanted to get. We got our spacing right. It was all about making sure we took the last shot.”
To set up the play, Jrue Holiday took the ball up the court and initiated the Celtics’ offense. Tatum, who had 6-foot-5 athletic forward Javonte Green on him, set a pick for Holiday with just under 10 seconds above the 3-point line.
Tatum’s pick was strong enough to get the Pelicans to oblige for the switch that they wanted. With the 6-foot-3-inch McCollum on him, Tatum had a clear advantage. So, it was a question of whether the Pelicans would send a double team again like they did in the prior possession, when Jose Alvarado tried to come away with a steal while blitzing his blindspot.
Green initially showed double team when Tatum began his drive, but he retreated back to Holiday when the Celtics star spun to his left. That was all Tatum needed to see to get the shot off.
“I was looking at their coach. I was looking at Javonte,” Tatum said. “I was trying to see if he was going to tell them to hit, get the ball out of my hand. I thought he did. He hesitated. He stayed with Jrue. I turned my back, spin move, and I got to my spot.”
As Mazzulla didn’t call a timeout following McCollum’s game-tying bucket on the possession prior, it was a sign that the Celtics coach trusted his team to execute and get shot off to win the game. Mazzulla was pleased by the result.
“To me, it was more about playing the clock the right way,” Mazzulla said. “Getting to the spot he wanted, getting to the matchup, and making sure we got as close to the last possible shot that we did. So it was well-executed, and he made a great play.”
Even though Tatum got what he wanted earlier in the play and made the jumper, it wasn’t the most conventional-looking shot. Tatum had to go to his offhand before appearing to take a bit of an unbalanced jumper.
Tatum’s mentality to fight through that and still get a good look is what impressed Brown about Tatum’s shot.
“Tough shot,” Brown told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin. “That’s what we need. It’s about time. We’ve got to come out and be aggressive. And big-time players make big-time plays, so that was big-time by JT.”
Tatum’s late-game heroics Friday aren’t anything new. He made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to take down the Raptors earlier in the season and hit a layup with just seconds remaining to help the Celtics tie Monday’s game against the Rockets before losing.
With his shot on Friday, Tatum is 3 of 6 on shots to tie or take the lead inside five seconds remaining, per NBC Sports Boston’s Dick Lipe. That puts him in a tie for the most such field goals made with Heat guard Tyler Herro.
In clutch situations (games within five points with under five minutes left), Tatum has also been among the best in the league. His 79 points in clutch situations are the sixth-most this season. His 20 assists are the second-most in such situations this year. His 29 field goals made are also the second-most in the clutch.
So, Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t surprised Tatum made the game-winning shot.
“JT, he was due for a nice game-winner,” Porzingis told reporters of the game-winner. “Smooth, looked good, and he did it. He brought us home.”
The shot gave Tatum 27 points on the night. His assist on the prior possession gave him 10, as Brown scored a team-high 28 points in the victory.
With both of the Celtics’ star forwards arguably having their best showing together in weeks, Porzingis wanted to tip his cap to Brown as well, sharing the confidence he has in those two.
“This is a high, high-level team,” Porzingis said. “These are high-level guys. They’ve shown it year from year. In those moments, they’re ready to hit big shots.”
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