Boston Celtics: 3 main reasons why C’s won Game 1 in Golden State

Boston Celtics reason No. 3) Jayson Tatum knowing his role

Coming into this series, few thought the Boston Celtics had a chance without Jayson Tatum having superstar performances. He had asserted himself as one of the ten best players in this league coming in, showcasing his skills not only as a dominant offensive force but as a quality wing defender.

In Game 1, he couldn’t buy a shot, finishing with only 12 points on 3-of-17 shooting. That outcome is obviously not ideal, but Tatum did not continue to force up bad looks, instead looking to get others involved.

He set a number of 3-pointers in that fourth quarter, finishing with a career-high 13 assists on the night.

In his early years, JT would have ended this game with upwards of 30 shot attempts, just hoping to see one fall.

Thursday night, he continued to shoot when he was open on the perimeter but mainly deferred to those who had it going. He prioritized the win over his own personal performance, which is all you can ask from the face of your franchise.

He was on the court during the Celtics’ historic run but did not mess up any of the momentum gained from all those made perimeter shots. Even in previous games this playoff run, like Game 3 against Miami, the All-NBA talent felt the need to take over the contest when others had it going.

Tatum has matured enough to understand these situations, leading to one of the best playmaking games of his young career.