Jayson Tatum had a team-high 23 points for the Celtics against the Warriors on Friday, but he disappeared in the second half.
Tatum dropped just seven points in the final 24 minutes of Boston’s Game 4 loss to Golden State at TD Garden. It was a fourth-quarter collapse by the entire team who began to lob up 3-pointers rather than driving the rim.
Still, the Celtics certainly could have used Tatum knocking down two’s rather than trying to play hero ball in the final five minutes.
Celtics head coach Ime Udoka addressed Tatum’s struggles after the 107-97 loss and offered a bit of advice for the forward.
“Yeah, what I would say is don’t be opposed to taking twos. Some pull-up jumpers, some of those things, instead of going all the way to the rim,” Udoka told reporters, as transcribed by ASAP Sports. “It doesn’t have to be either/or as far as that.
“We talked about the balance, how much we rely on him to score and get other guys involved. Sometimes that balance leads to taking some shots or over-penetrating when he has a clean pull-up or two. Nothing wrong with the floater, mid-range pull-up to get yourself going, especially when the crowd is sitting there at the rim.”
While it doesn’t help that Steph Curry turned in a vintage performance for the Warriors and dropped 43 points on the night, the Celtics will need Tatum — and everyone else for that matter — to make smarter shots if they want to win Game 5.
Boston and Golden State return to action Monday night. Tipoff from Chase Center is set for 9 p.m. ET.
