The Boston Celtics torched Madison Square Garden after crushing the Knicks 115-93 in Game 3, breathing life back into the series. Tatum stuffed the stat sheet (22/9/7), Pritchard erupted for a team-high 23 off the bench, and Boston’s offense clicked with 23 assists. After getting punched in the mouth at home, they answered with a dominant wire-to-wire win. Now it’s a fight. However, to analysts, the winning stats don’t scream “perfection.” Their approach to scoring points has been widely criticized. Especially after they missed 15 on 60 attempts, contributing to the Game 1 loss.
The Boston Celtics were able to score 20 of 40 attempts from beyond the arc in Game 3, though. However, to the legends, or even an average viewer, those stats are not impressive. Their offense feels overly reliant on numbers and lacks game feel. With players launching threes regardless of rhythm or context. Their game lately lacks adaptability, toughness, and real-time awareness, and to no one’s surprise, it is reflecting in the series. It’s like when the shots fall, it works, and when they don’t, there’s no plan B. The complaint is that they just played robotic, one-dimensional basketball without any balance or grit.
Boston Celtics’ blue-eyed boy breaks silence on recent struggles
Jayson Tatum’s recent playoff struggles had fans and critics talking. Especially after his rough start in the Celtics-Knicks series. Shooting just 28.6% in Games 1 and 2 wasn’t his usual standard, and he didn’t shy away from admitting it publicly. He owned up to it, saying, “I take responsibility for us not being able to get a shot up at the end of the game,” which shows a lot of maturity. Especially in a league where most stars would just brush off the criticism.
However, like a star, he bounced back in Game 3 with a solid 22-point performance. Proving he can adjust under pressure. What’s interesting is how he kept it real afterward. He acknowledged that even though he gets a ton of praise, it is not easy being “that guy”. He said, “You understand what comes with being that guy, right? I live a great life, I ain’t gonna lie. It’s a lot of, I make a lot of money, I take care of my family, I’ve been able to experience a lot of things. But you also have to accept what comes with that, right?” It’s not hard to understand the pressure that the stars have to withstand in order to meet the expectations.
The best part? His strong mindset. “I get a lot of praise, I get a lot of credit, I get a lot of accolades. But, I’m not perfect, and there’s times where I’ve needed to play better, I’ve needed to do more. And that’s what comes with being that guy. So just understanding that and it’s not that people don’t just criticize me.” He talked about being imperfect, and that’s the kind of attitude you need from your best player in the playoffs. The Boston Celtics are lucky to have a guy who takes accountability and doesn’t fold under pressure. If he keeps this up, they’ve got a real shot—but it all starts with Tatum playing like the superstar he is.
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