Jayson Tatum Continues To Torture The Sixers, Their Fanbase, And Really The Entire City Of Philadelphia

Emilee Chinn. Getty Images.

At this point, you can fully understand why Sixers fans, their players, and really anyone associated with that franchise has to have nightmares of the Boston Celtics, and more specifically Jayson Tatum. All they (and he) do is repeatedly rip their hearts out of their chest. It hasn't mattered what version of The Process you'd like to use, it doesn't matter if it's the regular season or the postseason, it doesn't matter if it's at the Garden or on their own floor in Philly, there is just something about this team that activates something in Jayson Tatum, especially when things are looking dicey.

Now, let's be fair and honest here. The Sixers we saw last night were not the Sixers we saw on Christmas that beat the Celts by 4 points. But they were good enough to build a 26 point lead with 14 minutes remaining in the game. They were good enough to have a 99.6% win probability, and in that situation, I think every single Sixers fan was certain they were going to beat this team again and own a 2-0 H2H record this season.

Whoops!

Just like we saw in Game 6 back in 2023 when the Celts were again on life support and the Sixers and their fans probably felt like this was finally their moment, Jayson Tatum happened

I'm telling you, there's just something about the potential of being extremely embarrassed by losing to the Sixers that does something to Tatum in these 4th quarters. What we saw last night was the same exact shit we saw in that Game 6 win. A complete takeover. A player reaching a level that only a few players on earth can get to while playing both ends of the floor at an elite level. The shotmaking, the passing, the defense, the rebounding, 

That's the good news. Coming back from 26 points is nothing to sneeze at, and it ties for the largest comeback of any team in the entire league this season. That's fun.

You know what isn't fun? Being down 26 points to the hospital Sixers in the first place. What was that shit? Another case of the Celts facing an injured team and being double digit favorites heading in, only to play their worst basketball of the season for 24 minutes. It really is remarkable how every time they find themselves in one of these games, they all go the same way. That is both extremely frustrating and also the reality that in the NBA, nothing is given. Games are not played on paper, and as always, it comes back to execution. 

As I said after the Pelicans win, you never, under any circumstances apologize for winning. At the end of the day it does not matter how you do it, just that you end the game with at least 1 more point than your opponent. That's even more true at this stage of the season for a team where the only thing that matters right now is stacking Ws. There's nothing wrong with needing to find ways to execute in a close game, for guys to get reps coming through when Tatum is doubled, etc. That stuff matters.

Should the Celtics never even be in this position in the first place? Sure. I guess? That's not really how life works. Things don't always go how you planned, and when that happens it then becomes about what are you going to do to fix it? Are you going to pout, point fingers, and quit? Or, are you going to step up and fight back? Play with force, play together, and find a way to win.

Champions do the latter, and that's exactly what the Champs did. Let's dive in. 

The Good

- As a long standing blog rule, it's pretty simple. If you do something that we as Celtics fans have not seen since Larry Bird, you start the blog. It's the Larry Bird Rule, and nobody does it more often than Jayson Tatum. It seems like every single night we get a tweet about how he's done something awesome that only Larry Bird has ever done or that nobody has done since Larry. Last night was no different

Like most of the roster, it was pretty much a tale of two halfs when it came to Tatum's night. It wasn't like he was "bad" in the first 24 minutes (10/3 on 50%), but he was a -23 mostly because the lineups he was a part of got dogwalked in his first 20 minutes. Some turnovers, not enough aggression, it was certainly not to the standard of which Tatum is capable of.

The next 24 minutes? Perfect. The flip was switched and with it were the fortunes of this team. When Tatum is locked in like this he starts to take over by scoring at all 3 levels. Dominant at the rim, some midrange jumpers, and most importantly, the three point production. While playing every second of the second half, below is Tatum's shot chart which does a great job illustrating this point

25/5/8 on 10-14 (4-5) with just 1 TO and a +25 in the second half, this was vintage Tatum. The fact that he once again ripped Sixers fans' hearts out on their own floor to the tune of 13 points on 5-7 (3-4) in the 4th quarter alone was about as good as it gets. You could see it unfolding with each possession, everything he threw up was pure, he was reading the Sixers doubles perfectly (just like he always does), he woke up defensively, and it was a great display of what a franchise player should do in that spot. 

Put the team on your back and win the goddamn game. Forget about what took place in the first 30+ minutes and execute. I can only imagine the war flashbacks this Tatum performance gave everyone in that building, and for us, it was really just more of the same. This is what Jayson Tatum does. This is why he's a champion. This is why he's a perennial All NBA player. This is why he's Top 5. Because as long as there is time left on the clock and Jayson Tatum is breathing, he has the ability to bury you no matter what your lead is at the time. 

I'll leave you with this little nugget. If there's one thing I think we'd all like to see happen is Tatum's 3 ball start to come back to a more respectable percentage given the volume of 3s he takes. Well, he's 9-18 over his last 2 games from deep. Considering he was shooting 28% in the previous 7 games combined from behind the arc, it'd be sweet if this was water finding it's level for him. His pullup 3 is too valuable of a weapon that he needs to keep taking it, and as we've seen over the last two games when he's back to being himself, it's an unstoppable shot. 

- To pull off a comeback of this magnitude, you need everyone on the roster to snap out of it, cut the shit, and get back to playing winning basketball, Tatum did his part to turn things around in the second half, and thankfully he was not alone. Jaylen Brown's 1st half was also mostly a disaster. Couldn't make a shot, the defense was awful as he couldn't stay in front of anyone without fouling, it was gross.

Then the next 24 minutes happened

In the end, 21/10/6 and a +17 in his 43 minutes. Like Tatum, Jaylen played every single second of the second half, and while he was also efficient with a 6-8 half (3-5 in the 4th), where Jaylen's impact was most felt in my opinion was the fact that he completely eliminated Tyrese Maxey from the game.

In the first half, Maxey got whatever he wanted. Nobody could stay in front of him, nobody could guard him without fouling, and that includes Jaylen for some possessions. His 23 points on 7-14 shooting was a huge reason why the Sixers built that big lead in the first place.

In the second half, Jaylen took that assignment full time and completely shut the water off. Maxey scored just 7 points in the second half with a couple of turnovers and honestly was a non-factor. Limiting his offensive production and forcing the other Sixers to beat them is how the Celts got back into the game and when the Celts two best players lock in as we saw in those final 24 minutes, anything is possible.

When the game got close in the 4th quarter, I thought Jaylen did a great job of only taking what was there. There was no forcing his offense or FGA, everything came within the flow of the offense, even his misses. Just like in the NO game when the game got tight late, Jaylen went right back to his patented midrange, which he once again buried. Using the gravity of Tatum to get to his spots and then convert is what makes the Celts so tough to defend. 

If it feels like Jaylen's efficiency is starting to come around, that's because it is. Over his last 8 games, Jaylen is shooting 50% from the floor. In his last 3, that number shoots up to 56.6%. What has been working? 

During this stretch, Jaylen has been incredible from the paint, averaging 59.5% from that zone. From midrange? 51.6%. It's no surprise then that recently he's looking way more like himself as a scorer. Let's also not forget about the 65% at the rim and 40% from the corner 3s. You combine the efficiency coming back with another game with at least 6 AST with low turnovers paired with solid defense, and I'm not sure you could come up with a better Jaylen showing. 

For the second straight game we saw why it's so important that this team has BOTH Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. You'd think this wouldn't be an issue by now but ya know.

- I'm going to be honest with you. Considering the Celts are easily the worst 4th quarter team on the planet, it took me a while to understand how the hell a quarter like this was even possible

Some might say we were due for a 4th quarter like this given all the bullshit we deal with when it comes to those final 12 minutes. At some point, the Celts were going to have a showing where they weren't the worst team on earth when things mattered most, but even I can admit this is completely insane. 

A good balance of 3s and 2s, 9 AST on 15 FGM, only 1 TO, 3 blocks and only 2 OREB allowed. I'm not sure you could come up with a better quarter to cap off a comeback if you tried, and watching it in real time was what I would describe as a religious experience. We were witnessing the highest level of basketball execution a team could possibly have, and it came on the road. 

Once the Celts made their run in the 3rd and got within striking distance, I'm sure there were some out there that thought it was just going to be a fake comeback gimmick because of how bad this team is in 4th quarters. For them to pull the Uno reverse card like that was incredible to watch.

- Kristaps Porzingis has changed our lives. At this point, it is now undeniable that he's been the 2nd best Celtic this season, and last night was no different. The production, the rim protection, the spacing, every time he plays we get another reminder of why he's such a cheat code and why he's the piece that takes this team to another level

18/7/3 with 5 blocks, KP wasn't even all that efficient (5-14, 3-7) and it didn't matter because he was able to make such a positive impact in a variety of different ways. In the first half while the entire roster couldn't make a shot, both KP and Tatum's scoring is what kept them somewhat attached. 

I keep going back to how KP was the one who told the truth and admitted the Celts play like bitches for stretches. He then has been the one to go out and back it up with awesome, consistent play. KP told us things were starting to turn for them, and they're 7-3 in their last 10. 

Most important? He's been available. KP has been in the lineup every single night outside of his normal scheduled rest, and you can tell he's starting to feel more and more comfortable on the floor. Who knows when the other shoe will drop, so my advice would be to enjoy these moments while we have them because KP is the difference maker of our dreams.

- Another solid win for the Mazzulla Ball believers. What you saw in this win is exactly why Mazzulla Ball works. No matter the results, you stick with it as long as the process is correct. The Celts were shooting sub-29% from deep in the first half and my mentions were filled with people raging at their approach.

I'm sorry, are you all new here?

The Celts stayed the course in the 2nd half and you'll never believe this, but water found its level. The Sixers got their lead by dominating the 3pt battle, and when that happens it's even more important that you find a way to close that gap. When you're trying to make a comeback like this, you cannot trade 2s for 3s. 

In the 3rd, the Celts did a great job being aggressive and closing the gap in the 2pt FGM between the two. In the 4th, they closed the 3pt gap and ran away with the game.

Their process did not change from one half to the next. The difference was they simply started to make their open shots. That's it.

I look at this as a good reminder of whenever the Celts struggle like we saw in the first half and at times during the last 2 months. They do not have a system or strategy issue. Their issues come via execution. Making open jumpers. That's it. I know there are some who want to make it this big thing and try and dissect all these supposed problems etc.

That's all bullshit. It's shooting production. It has always been their shooting production. This team is too talented to not shoot the ball with confidence even during a slump, because eventually, they'll snap out of it. This was yet another example of that.

- Look at someone like Derrick White. Nobody has been slumping worse than him recently, but we're seeing why it's so important that he continues to let it fly from deep whenever he has the space. It's going to start falling, and once it does the Celts essentially become unbeatable

One thing we know is that when a game is close in the 4th quarter, every single team is going to sell out to double Tatum and get the ball out of his hands. When that happens, we know he's going to make the right play and trust his teammates. If you want those doubles to stop, then those teammates HAVE to hit their open 3PA.

In those situations, Derrick White is often going to be the guy who Tatum finds. His ability to make that shot is so important, and it's no surprise that twice in this game with the score within 1 point under 4 minutes, that DWhite made not one, but two massive 4th quarter 3PA. It's what he does. There is not a player on the roster I feel better about taking a big time momentum 4th quarter 3PA than Derrick White. He oozes the clutch gene. 

The way he went right into those shots without even a sliver of hesitation is Mazzulla Ball at its core. Now that Derrick seems to be shooting like ball like his old self recently ,it's not surprising the Celts haven't lost a single game in the last 4 he's played in. That production was even more important when you remember Pritchard wasn't playing, so someone had to produce from behind the arc once it was clear the Sixers were going to have the best outside shooting game of their season. 

White stepped up like he so often does in those moments, and to me that's a HUGE part of why the Celts feel like themselves again.

- Along those same lines, I thought Sam Hauser's 3PM, especially in the 4th quarter, were equally as massive. Someone off the bench had to make shots, and Hauser's 4-7 from deep was a huge part of this comeback. The spacing he provided while being on the floor in the 4th was big, his defense was passable which is what allowed him to be on the floor, and when it came time to make his open looks, Hauser was pure.

Here's the good news too. Over his last 12 games, Hauser is now shooting 46.6% from deep on 4.8 3PA. Over his last 6, that number skyrockets to 57.6%

Celts are 5-1 in that 6 game stretch and 8-4 over the last 12.

I'm not sure how many times or how many ways I have to show it. The Celts stop missing every shot they take, and they win. It's not complicated! 

- Fuck it, let's relive the 26 point comeback in all its glory

The Bad

- It feels like forever since we've had a good Al Horford game, and I don't really know how to feel about that. On one hand, his time is the Spring, not February. What he does during the regular season means nothing to me as long as he's healthy and rested come the playoffs.

On the other hand, if he's going to play, he has to be playable. The shot has been a disaster, he's missing point blank bunnies left and right, the defense looks a step slow, the rebounding isn't quite there, and while he has lifetime immunity of course, Al needs to be better in his minutes.

I will say I did like how Joe clearly realized Al didn't have it and immediately pulled the plug. This is how I would treat his minutes. Those miles are too valuable on his legs to waste them on games where he doesn't have it. See how he looks early, and if it's clear it's not his night, then let him sit. Horford didn't play a single second in the second half, and I honestly think this is the way to manage him the rest of the year.

If he has it, play him his normal 25ish minutes. If not, save him for the next game and let the other bigs like Kornet get run.

- Someone is going to have to explain to me the thought process of biting on Ricky Council IV shot fakes. He's a slasher who is best at attacking the rim. Make him beat you from 3 before you close out so hard on him! I found that to be very weird and very frustrating. It was so obvious he had no interest in actually taking any of those 3s, yet whoever was close to him bit on the fake and put the Celts into rotation, which the Sixerx exploited.

I get they've been getting killed by fake shooters recently, but you have to remain disciplined in those moments. There is no way that was the scouting report on him, yet everyone couldn't help themselves. That was annoying.

- It pains me to say this, but unless Brad Stevens trades for Yabu in the next few days, we may have his first miss as GM of this team. Yabu wanted to come back, there was a need for him, but Brad went with Tillman. I get why he did it, at the time you could understand, but now? Yabu is basically exactly what this roster needs while Tillman is unplayable. That's tough.

Again, he can make up for this by trading for him, but why would the Sixers give him up? I can't lie, it was painful to see him go out and drop 21/6 on 8-13 (2-4). This is the Yabu vision we all knew existed way back when, and it was also very predictable that he would have this type of game. 

- Another game, another situation where NBA officials were complete dogshit. A 28-16 FTA difference, possession after possession where the refs were fooled by Tyrese Maxey driving bait, and more inconsistency when it came to the amount of physicality that both teams were allowed to play with.

Why is it so hard for things to be consistent? Why is it so hard for officials to not get baited by flopping? Just because a player yells DOES NOT mean he was fouled. As I said after the NO game, it's every night and every game all around the league with this bullshit.

The Ugly

- Gross. Everything about this was gross

I would argue this was one of the worst half of basketball the Celts have played all year. Either end of the court, the execution was awful. Couldn't make a shot, cuildn't get a stop, couldn't stop turning it over, it was pretty much the exact opposite of how this team should ever play.

What really hammered it home it was the final 105 seconds. The deficit went from 8 to 17 in that timeframe, and it was a combination of bad offense and then a complete lack of stops. Those are the mental lapses that bury you and then force you to expend even more energy to pull off the comeback.

Ending quarter strong is non-negotiable to me. Those are the margins of a game that so often decide an outcome. The celts were fortunate this time, but that's not how you want to live.

But hey, a win is a win. 3 in a row for the first time in a month, and now the big showdown with CLE is up next (winner of 4 straight). Win that game, and suddenly things will continue to feel a whole lot better.