Jayson Tatum openly took responsibility for his performance and the Boston Celtics’ struggles in their 91-90 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday. The loss, which gave New York a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals, came down to missed opportunities and turnovers late in the game.
In a recent press conference interview, Tatum discussed the final play of regulation when the Celtics were unable to get off a shot in the closing seconds. “I just kind of made the wrong read, went into a crowded area,” Tatum admitted. “If I had that opportunity again, it would have had a different outcome. I take responsibility for us not getting at least a shot up at the end.”
The Celtics had been in control for most of the game, building a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter. However, the Knicks mounted a 23-4 run, fueled by strong performances from Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart. Tatum, who had been a key contributor throughout the season, struggled, finishing with just 13 points on 5-for-19 shooting.
Tatum was quick to credit the Knicks’ defense but acknowledged that he needs to be better moving forward. “You got to give them credit, they’ve been playing well,” Tatum said, reflecting on his difficulties in the series. “But I take ownership and know that I just need to play better, and I will…. I take full ownership on the way that I’ve played in this series.”
The Celtics’ offensive issues were compounded by a cold shooting streak in the fourth quarter. Boston missed 13 consecutive shots after leading 84-68 with 8:40 remaining. Despite some open looks, the Celtics could not capitalize, especially from beyond the arc, where they went 10-for-40 from three-point range.
When asked about the team’s mindset with their season on the line, Tatum emphasized staying in the moment. “You can’t get too excited or too down on yourself from game to game. The really good teams don’t do that,” he said. “We have a game on Saturday that we’re all looking forward to.”
Despite the frustrations of losing two straight games at home, Tatum remained focused on the task at hand. “It’s just about one game at a time. We’ve been in situations like this before where we’ve had to get ourselves out of a hole, and we figured it out,” he said.
