In Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics suffered a historic defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, 122-84.
Tatum thinks Boston’s defense is to blame for the rout, as the Celtics suffered their worst defeat in Finals history—a 38-point deficit.
“I believe that for us, it begins on defense. We received very few stops,” Tatum remarked. “Therefore, they were free to set up their defense, and naturally, you feel good about yourself when you’re scoring a lot of goals.”
In response to Tatum’s criticism of the defense, the Celtics gave up more than 100 points for the first time in the series in Game 4. The Mavs, who already have a potent offense, had an easy time of things because of the defense’s lethargic play.
Tatum also discussed the Celtics’ lackluster play during the defeat.
“We’ve been the most stagnant team this series, and we did the worst job of controlling our territory offensively and doing what we wanted to do instead of what they made us do,” Tatum remarked. “In the first three games, we did a great job of that; in this one, we didn’t.”
Although Tatum stated that the Celtics cannot afford to be as passive as they were in Game 4 if they hope to avoid blowing a 3-0 lead, they still hold a commanding lead in the series.
However, Boston must move on from the lopsided defeat quickly as it gets ready for Game 5.
“Whether you win or lose, you have to move on,” Tatum stated. “Obviously, when we watch the film, there will be a lot of things we need to improve on and clean up. However, you shouldn’t worry too much about it because we play another game on Monday. We need to improve greatly, and I think we will.”
