‘Mad’ Jayson Tatum Drops NSFW Line After Celtics’ Loss To Pacers

The $500,000 grand prize of the inaugural NBA in-season tournament probably doesn’t move the needle much for Jayson Tatum, who’s in line for a $338 million extension this summer.

But make no mistake, the Celtics’ franchise cornerstone was miffed when Boston was eliminated Monday night.

After clawing their way into the knockout stage of the tournament, the C’s were bounced courtesy of a 122-112 loss to the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tatum poured in a game-high 32 points to go along with 12 rebounds, but that wasn’t enough to oust an Indiana team paced by Tyrese Haliburton’s 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Tatum was asked about his feelings on the loss, and the four-time All-Star used some colorful language to express himself.

“Yeah, I wanted to (expletive) go to Vegas,” Tatum told reporters, per a video shared by NBC Sports Boston. “I didn’t want to go home. I wanted to go to Vegas, so yeah, I’m mad. Next year, I guess.”

The loss surely stung even more for Tatum since it was heavily influenced by self-inflicted wounds. The Celtics turned the ball over 18 times Monday night, triple the number logged by the Pacers.

Instead of traveling to the Entertainment Capital of the World, Boston will return to TD Garden on Friday night for a regular-season game. The C’s will play the loser of Tuesday night’s in-season tournament matchup between the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.