Boston Celtics: C’s find new way to lose against San Antonio

Boston Celtics takeaway No. 3) A sluggish return for Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum had a return to forget in his first game back from Health and Safety Protocols, finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 30 percent shooting from deep. He struggled out of the game, missing open looks from beyond the arc and in the paint, but the offense continued to move despite his miscues.

There were only a few negative Tatum isolation possessions, something that has been a criticism of his game throughout the past few years. Many of his attempts were wide open but simply didn’t fall — he didn’t force many shots up, especially considering it was his first game back after an extended absence.

He was successful at getting downhill against the smaller Spurs defenders, but couldn’t finish easy looks at the rim. The overall offensive process for Tatum’s game was fine, but it didn’t translate to a victory or an efficient shooting night.

In future games, the Boston Celtics should continue to try to get Tatum and Brown downhill off the catch more, as they have the athleticism to get to the rim with ease. Once they get there, even if they miss the layup, the double big lineup of Rob Williams and Al Horford comes into play, with the former thriving off of putback dunks.

Ultimately, it was a sluggish shooting performance for Tatum, but not a performance to get overly worried about considering his shot process.

The C’s take on the Knicks on Thursday.