Jayson Tatum sends shocking message on why Boston Celtics lost intensity during 2022 playoffs
Jayson Tatum shared with ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez the reason why he felt the Boston Celtics struggled with their second and third-round Eastern Conference postseason opponents (Bucks, Heat) during the 2022 postseason and why the Cs simply ran out of gas against the Warriors during the 2022 NBA Finals: the Nets. Tatum’s belief is that Boston’s first-round sweep of Brooklyn last April ultimately “hurt” them in the long run.
“That wasn’t a traditional 2-7 matchup,” Tatum said after Game 4 against the Hawks. “We swept them, but … that was the toughest sweep I’ve ever been a part of. And I think Game 1 against Milwaukee last year we got our ass kicked because it was a different series, a different team, more physical. It took us a game to adjust. And I think that kind of hurt us and made it tougher for us. Never be too comfortable with a lead because every game is just as important. There were a few times last year where we kind of relaxed.”
Every game of the 2022 Eastern Conference postseason matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Nets was decided by single digits. In three of those games, the leading scorer came from Brooklyn’s roster.
Boston Celtics went in the wrong direction after Nets series says analyst
Guiterrez voiced his belief that the Celtics went in the “wrong direction” following a first-round sweep of Brooklyn, being taken to seven games by both Milwaukee (without Khris Middleton) and Miami before falling short in six games to Golden State.
“The first round is hardly the time for self-congratulation,” Guitierrez said in the midst of Boston’s first-round series in 2023 against the Hawks. “In fact, if last year taught the Celtics anything, it was that the intensity needs to escalate as the playoffs continue. Last postseason, the Celtics believed they went the opposite direction after sweeping Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets in an intense first-round series.”
The Bucks, Heat, and Warriors all had veteran stars (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry) who had all either won a championship or a conference championship before — so it’s entirely possible Boston didn’t so much as slip but instead faced a murderer’s row of opponents. Even still, the Celtics still nearly overcame all of them.
Using the Nets series as a crutch doesn’t feel right if used as an excuse for last year’s Finals failures, but as a learning experience, there is value in its mentioning.