The Boston Celtics lost their second game on the road to the Denver Nuggets. The 109-115 loss is now being hung over the head of Celtics talisman Jayson Tatum, who had been in the MVP conversations up until now. The Celtics had a chance to turn the game around but Tatum’s missed three is now being scrutinized heavily on social media, with veteran NBA analyst Skip Bayless calling him out.
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With 45 seconds left in the final quarter of the game, the Celtics had the chance to take the lead with a 112-111 score. JT had the opportunity for an open three-pointer in the corner that he ended up missing. The Nuggets capitalized on offense following his missed shot to extend their lead.
After the play, the Denver Nuggets wrapped the game and took down the first-place Celtics team. Following the game, numerous fans and analysts of the game took to X to criticize and slam the 5x All-Star, including NBA analyst, Skip Bayless.
“Jayson Tatum is a great guy … who just isn’t That Guy. With 45 seconds left at Denver, he had a wide-open corner 3 for the lead … and left it a little short. That has been his story in the biggest moments.”
Apart from missing the open shot, Jayson Tatum did not have a good game at all. As per Statmuse, he finished the night with just 15 points, shooting on 5-13 shooting from the field, and 2-5 from beyond the arc for the night. He did manage to dish out 8 assists, while grabbing 4 rebounds, and also recording 2 steals for the game.
As for his performance, after being touted as the team’s leader and MVP candidate, JT did not show up to play tonight. If it weren’t for Jaylen Brown and his 41-point performance, the final score of the game would’ve had a much bigger difference than it was. The Nuggets, on the other hand, relied on their two-time MVP to lead the way.
Nikola Jokic finished the night with another triple-double, scoring 32 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists for the game. He also had 2 steals to go with that insane stat line.
Jayson Tatum takes the heat for the team’s recent losses
The Boston Celtics have lost two games in a row now. What may seem alarming to many is the fact that Jayson Tatum ended up underperforming in clutch situations in both of the team’s losses recently. His last-second shot in the game against the Cavaliers too came up short.
However, when things are going right, Tatum and the Celtics are a force not to be trifled with. Boston still has the best record in the league and is the first and only team to clinch a playoff berth right now. So, it would be a sign of worry if the Celtics let these two losses get into their heads, especially with the playoffs right around the corner. Even with this loss, the Celtics are 48-14 in terms of their season record so far.
Losing two back-to-back games should not be a point of concern for the Celtics or their fans. The team is already playoff-bound and they still have enough games left on their schedule to get their groove back. Let’s see if Boston turns things around after suffering these two heartbreaking losses.
