For a majority of the Eastern Conference finals, Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum hasn't been at his best.
That was especially true in Boston's Game 3 loss to the Miami Heat when Tatum turned in a horrendous performance, scoring 10 points on 3-for-14 shooting to go along with six turnovers.
It's easy to point the finger at Tatum for his uncharacteristic sloppy play, but the defense played on him, especially from one member of the Heat, has certainly played a large role in Tatum's substandard showings with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.
P.J. Tucker has been a defensive difference-maker when guarding Tatum. Tucker, a wily veteran, has been matched up on Tatum for 127 possessions in both the regular season and playoffs with Tucker allowing Tatum to score just 15 points across those possessions, according to StatMuse.
Tucker has without a doubt gotten the better of Tatum so far in their one-on-one battles. It isn't a surprise that Tatum's best outing of the series came in Game 2 -- he scored a team-high 27 points on an efficient 8-for-13 shooting from the field -- when Tucker exited the contest early due to a knee injury.
Tatum will definitely need to turn things around against the 37-year-old Tucker, who won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks last season, if the Celtics are going to dig out of another series deficit.
Tatum's first step in trying to do that starts in Game 4 on Monday night. Tipoff from TD Garden is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
