Jayson Tatum had just passed Kobe Bryant in playoff points earned before he turned 27. It was a moment filled with history, respect, and a symbolic passing of the torch. Tatum, a Bryant fanboy and delivered 22 points, had a great game with 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and a win for the Celtics that changed the direction of their second-round series against the Knicks. In Game 3, Boston roared back—and so did its star after they won by 115-93, making the series more interesting than ever.
However, beyond the surface of that 2,894-point accomplishment lurks a disturbing truth that no amount of shooting statistics or highlight clips can erase. In this particular series, the Celtics twice fell at home following 20-point leads. Boston’s home court became a venue for amazing comebacks, not because of offensive inconsistency. Defensive play did it. Or more accurately, it’s lack of it. Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade knows June success demands defense; that lapse, that failure to clamp down when it counted most, is a warning sign: Tatum cannot overlook the words of Wade.
“You got a 20-point lead, my brother…”
In a recent episode of “Which Teams Want It More” on his YouTube channel, the three-time NBA champion didn’t mince words. “Man up,” Wade said bluntly. “It’s on the defensive end of the floor. You got a 20-point lead… You may not make another shot for the rest of the game. You’ve got to win on the defensive end of the floor.”
Mar 14, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
He wasn’t speaking in abstract—he was calling out Tatum and the Celtics. Wade said that Boston’s plans were being “torn up” in crunch time by the fact that New York had come back twice at TD Garden.“They [the Knicks] figured your scheme out and they’re tearing it up… We’re going to need a little more from that sideline. A little more effort on that court. It ain’t about the offense.”
Wade’s criticism stings in a postseason when every possession is emphasized and margins are razor-thin. Though the Celtics are made to compete, their defensive mistakes have almost ruined a run they should control, but they have shown promise in Game 3. Wade’s message was an alert, not only veteran commentary.
The legacy battle isn’t just statistical; Jayson Tatum eyes perfection
Among NBA players under 27, Jayson Tatum’s 2,894 career playoff points trail only LeBron James (3,275), vaulting him past Kobe Bryant’s 2,889 mark in mid-May 2025. But statistics, as Wade subtly cautions, are just a portion of the legacy. Tatum has been Boston’s “that guy” for years, and with that title comes criticism as severe as accolades. “I get a lot of accolades… but I’m not perfect,” Tatum admitted after Game 3. “There’s times where I’ve needed to play better… That’s what comes with being that guy.”
Despite that scoring aura, the Celtics blew consecutive 20-point leads in Games 1 and 2—each collapse traced not to offense but to breakdowns in live-ball defense and end-of-quarter lapses. It’s here that veteran voices carry weight. Three-time champion Dwyane Wade warned Tatum that with a 20-point cushion, “you may not make another shot for the rest of the game…you’ve got to win on the defensive end.”
Tatum, long Boston’s recognized “that guy,” embraces both praise and scrutiny. His willingness to own mistakes drives home that legacy isn’t a number—it’s consistency under fire.
On the other side, Knicks star Jalen Brunson—who masterminded both 20-point comebacks—admitted New York “was subconsciously satisfied being up 2-0,” a candid confession that echoes Boston’s own warning signs and offers the Celtics a blueprint to exploit complacency
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