The Boston Celtics are very much alive, and Jayson Tatum is the main reason why.
Boston delivered a dominant 115-93 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, narrowing the series deficit to 2-1.
After squandering 20-point leads in the first two games, the defending champions continued to embrace their identity, sinking 20 of 40 three-pointers to silence a pumped-up Knicks crowd.
Tatum led with 22 points, including five threes, while Payton Pritchard’s 23 points off the bench sparked the rout.
Tatum faced intense scrutiny after subpar performances in the first two games of the series. Yet, his post-Game 3 candor revealed an athlete unfazed by pressure, or at least at peace with it.
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“(It) comes with being That Guy,” Tatum said about the criticism.
“I live a great life … I make a lot of money … get a lot of accolades. But I’m not perfect. There’s times I’ve needed to play better. That’s what comes with being That Guy … be the same person when things are going great and not … (that’s the) character of a good man.”
Meanwhile, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized eliminating live-ball turnovers and maintaining three-point confidence as keys to Boston’s success in Game 3.
With Game 4 looming Monday, the Celtics, now 23-9 on the road over four postseasons, aim to tie the series. Tatum’s resilience and Boston’s rediscovered poise signal a team ready to reclaim control of the series, which is bad news for New York.
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