Jayson Tatum returned to high-level action Wednesday night as the Boston Celtics defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-109 at TD Garden, snapping the defending champions’ 12-game win streak. Tatum contributed 19 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists while reflecting on his performance and the team’s chemistry during the postgame press conference.
“It felt good. More importantly, just kind of like bouncing back from last game as a team that was started yesterday,” Tatum said. “We had a really good practice, and we just kind of wanted to come out here and play better and compete. We didn’t start that way, but we responded, and we played really well towards the end.”
Tatum emphasized the intensity of facing elite teams. “Defending champs, you know, the last two teams to win a championship. Just as a competitor, it raises your level of play. It was fun being out there in the intense game,” he said.
He also praised playing alongside newer teammates like Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Neemias Queta. “Guys like Neemy and Baylor and Luka and Hugo, those are guys that I haven’t played with as much over the years. It’s been cool to see their development this season and their impact,” Tatum explained.
On his growing connection with Queta, Tatum added, “Neemy is a very smart player. He has great feel for the game. He’s coachable. He listens, and he cares more than anything. When he does mess up, he really wants to make it right. He’s a great teammate, great person.”
Tatum also addressed his on-court rhythm after returning from injury. “It definitely feels different just from the standpoint of like it’s been a while since I’ve been in certain moments. Sometimes the best moments are when I don’t have a chance to think, when I just got to react and I got to move,” he said. He highlighted a first-half block as an example: “Somebody got beat and I was a low man. I just had to come over and help. It felt good that I didn’t think about it, and I just went up and tried to make a play.”
He acknowledged areas for improvement despite the win. “We’ve been a good team all season. We played against a really good team tonight, but they all worth one. Still a long way to go, and we still got ways to improve.”
Tatum also noted the advantage of matchups against Oklahoma City’s smaller guards. “Just making the right reads. Basketball is all about matchups, finding an advantage, playing to your strengths, following the game plan, and then just making the right,” he said.
The Celtics’ victory featured a pivotal third quarter from Jaylen Brown, who scored 14 of his 31 points to help Boston take control.
