NBA – In the midst of a short evening of skill, the Celtics winger, Jayson Tatum, still came close to a triple-double against the Lakers.
44 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. That was Jayson Tatum’s tally a week ago when the Celtics travelled to the Lakers. On Monday at the same venue, the Boston winger didn’t need to score as much for his team to win again in Los Angeles.
Too short on his long-range attempts, well defended sometimes by Cam Reddish, sometimes by Anthony Davis, who countered him in the circle, he had a lot of trouble expressing himself in the game. With 6/15 shooting, including 1/6 from distance, he had one of the few games this season in which he shot 40% or less (only six games).
The All-Star winger made up for this with a fine performance on free throws (12/13), as well as 8 rebounds and 7 assists (a season record). With 25 points, he had an undeniable impact on his team’s victory, while Kristaps Porzingis finished top scorer of the game (28 points), and the other three members of the Celtics five finished with at least 18 points.
“As a young player, I always try to find ways to have an impact on the game. You’re not always going to get shots in, but you always want to be the best player and dominate the game in different ways every night. That’s what I tried to do tonight,” explained the 25-year-old, who made a fine laser pass to Sam Hauser under the rim.
A reinvention
Opposite him, LeBron James wasn’t much better on his shooting (16 points at 5/14), but also came close to a triple-double (9 rebounds and 8 assists). “You have to give LeBron a lot of credit, he’s been the most complete player in the league for a very long time. There’s a lot to learn from a guy like him. Obviously the way he thinks about the game, two or three shots ahead of everyone else…” notes Jayson Tatum.
Tatum was inspired by the King’s game to make his game denser, and not just to score. Particularly since the Latvian’s arrival last summer, his volume of shots and therefore his average points have fallen slightly.
“That’s what we’re talking about when he has to reinvent himself. It’s not so much a sacrifice as a reinvention. We’re starting to see what his leadership and value look like. It’s not just about branding, it’s about defining yourself through creation. It’s about knowing how to generate opportunities for his team-mates and for himself,” says Joe Mazzulla, whose team, thanks to this “reinvention”, still has the best record in the league (23v-6d).
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