Jayson Tatum is playing like a man on a mission and much of that has to do with the loss in the NBA Finals last season.
The Celtics are on a three-game skid, but their 22-10 record still has them second in the Eastern Conference -- one game back of the Milwaukee Bucks. Boston, for the most part, has shown dominance this season including its start that included record-type numbers on the offensive side of the basketball.
Tatum has been one of the main reasons for his team's success as even in the Celtics' recent slump the forward continues to put up numbers. Coming off a 41-point game in the loss against the Indiana Pacers, the 24-year-old now is averaging 30.6 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
After losing the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors this summer, Tatum worked his way back to come into this season better than ever. He's now opening up about the Finals loss and knows what it'll take to get back there.
Speaking with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Celtics star detailed that the championship loss left him in a rut that he had to work himself out of.
"Talent-wise, we were right there with them, Tatum told Shelburne. "But you could tell that they had been there before. You could tell they didn't panic. They were just mentally tougher than we were and that's a hard pill to swallow.
"Deuce gave me a hug and told me he was proud of me. Then my mom gave me a hug and I just broke down crying. I felt like I let everybody down. I remember telling her just how tired I was and how hard it was, and I just kind of felt defeated."
The toll of a long season can make anyone feel defeated. The toll of a long season where you reach the NBA Finals and are left with nothing but defeat can be so much worse. But Tatum is using it as motivation with the goal to get back to the Finals and, this time, get the job done.
"My mindset was different after (the Finals)," Tatum told Shelburne. "I know what it takes now. I know what it feels like. They let me get there, and now I know what more I got to do."
As the NBA and fans have seen so far this season, the forward is not messing around. With his team facing adversity in its first bad stretch, it'll have to be Tatum who makes the difference to get them back on track.
The Celtics have a chance to do so Friday as they welcome the Timberwolves to TD Garden before hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day.
