DALLAS (AP) — There are two versions of Jayson Tatum in the NBA Finals.
The first is shooting poorly, hitting 12 of 38 attempts from the field, 31.6%. This is the worst percentage so far for any starter in the Celtics’ series against the Dallas Mavericks. The second is second in total rebounds in the Finals, leads the series in assists and according to BetMGM Sportsbook is a favorite to win the Finals MVP.
Ultimately, the Celtics seem completely satisfied with what they’ve seen Tatum do. The Celtics have a 2-0 lead in the Finals heading into Game 3 in Dallas on Wednesday and this means the top regular-season team is halfway to winning its 18th title.
“I understand that I have to be more efficient,” Tatum acknowledged Tuesday. “I need to throw the ball better, I don’t disagree with that. But I don’t let it bother me. “I’m looking for a way to impact the game and dominate in other areas.”
Digging deep into Tatum’s numbers in the series — and even adding those from the 2022 Finals — isn’t a good idea simply because of the eight-game sample size. It is not enough to reach a conclusion.
Still, if he averages 17 points, 10 rebounds and 8.5 assists the rest of the series, he would become the second player with those numbers in the Finals.
The other? LeBron James, who did it four times.
It’s good news for the Mavs, the good job they have done against Tatum in two games.
The bad news, of course, is that it hasn’t really mattered. Tatum has made an impact in other ways and the Celtics took the first two games at home.
“I think he’s one of the best players in the world,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “You just try to make it harder. He is the only thing you can do, defend the first move, the second, the third and fight.”
In terms of shooting, these two games are his worst two in a row of the season for Tatum. He was hardly better against Denver and Houston in mid-January, shooting 31.7% from them.
In the next game, Tatum scored 39 points. The Mavericks know it because he went before them. So they know Tatum’s offense will heat up again.
2024-06-11 21:46:00
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