Boston Celtics: 3 players that must step up in Game 5 of NBA Finals

Boston Celtics player No. 3) Jayson Tatum

It is the consensus belief amongst fans and media pundits alike that, in order for the Boston Celtics to win this series, let alone Game 5, Jayson Tatum needs to play like the budding superstar we all know he is.

This statement couldn’t be more right, and a major outing Monday night could go a long way for the ball club.

Despite starting off Friday’s contest quite hot, posting 12 points, three boards, and two assists on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and 3-of-3 shooting from deep in the first quarter alone, the All-NBA talent grew to be less and less effective/ efficient as the game progressed, as he shot just 23 percent from the field and scored just 11 points from then on out while also coughing up a whopping six turnovers by the sound of the final buzzer.

Inconsistent play throughout a game has grown to be a rather common occurrence for Tatum in this year’s postseason, as we’ve seen him on numerous occasions either come out of the gates swinging, only to completely disappear down the stretch (Game 4 he had just three points in the crunch-time fourth quarter) or vice versa.

His recent showing was so underwhelming, in fact, that the  wing went on to publicly state that he needs ‘to play better’ moving forward.

This will come with less foul hunting, more commitment to utilizing his famous jumper (far too often, we’ve seen him pass up on open shots for a drive towards the rim, likely in hopes of drawing a foul), and, most importantly, holding on to the dang ball!

There is absolutely no denying that Jayson Tatum is one of the most menacing players, not just in this year’s NBA Finals, but in the association as a whole. In Game 5, he needs to remind everyone exactly why he’s deemed as one of the future megastars of this league.