SUMMARY
- Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored a combined total of 60 points against the Cavaliers in Game 4.
- Tatum addressed nearly injuring Brown, the Celtics' togetherness, and possibly closing out the series in Game 5.
Jayson Tatum could barely catch a flow earlier in the playoffs, but his last two performances have been top of the class. Before the Boston Celtics visited the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road, it was a tied series at 1-1. The Cavaliers shocked the Celtics with a blowout win at the TD Garden and much of the blame got diverted towards Tatum. But now, the Celtics seem like the true contenders they were before the playoffs, dominant and consistently winning.
Jayson Tatum hit Jaylen Brown hard 😂😭 pic.twitter.com/kqPnQ2vkgx
— Celtics Junkies (@Celtics_Junkies) May 14, 2024
During Game 4, Tatum and his long-time teammate Jaylen Brown scored a combined total of 60 points. Brown made a few crucial shots after which Tatum gave him a solid pat on the chest. However, Tatum didn’t realize how hard he had hit Brown. “Yeah, I didn’t realize how hard I hit him. You know, I’ve been lifting a lot lately. But I was just so [hyped]. You know, a high-intensity game. I drove and he hit a big shot. I was just… I was hyped,” he said during the post-game press conference. The Celtics are currently 3-1 in the series ahead of Game 5 which is scheduled to take place in Boston.
Jayson Tatum praises the togetherness of his Celtics squad
Throughout the playoffs, the Celtics have experienced multiple highs and lows. Losing Kristaps Porzingis was a huge letdown but then losing Game 2 at home was a bigger blow below the belt. Jayson Tatum spoke about Brown encouraging him mid-game and how they handle the emotions on the floor. He said, “You guys got a screenshot of what it’s like being on a team. You know, it’s like having 15 brothers. We spend so much time with each other from preseason to this off-season till now not much later. 90-something odd games that we’re there for each other.”
He added, “Even the most mentally tough/strong person can use some encouragement sometimes from your teammates. And just letting you know that he got back and vice versa with the rest of the guys. We have talks like that all the time. You guys got to see it cause he had a mic on. But it just shows the togetherness of this team.” The Celtics certainly need to stay together, especially with one of their strongest pieces waiting to have a return timeline set up. Kristaps injured his ankle during Game 4 of the first round against the Miami Heat.
The Celtics are focused on closing out the series at Boston in Game 5
Until Games 3 and 4, the Cavaliers were undefeated at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Losing Game 3 was unfortunate, but losing Donovan Mitchell to a calf injury in the same matchup was much worse. Mitchell has been averaging an impressive 29.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in the post-season. The Cavaliers lost Jarrett Allen during the Orlando Magic series. Allen is their best rebounder and second-strongest scoring option.
BREAKING: The Boston Celtics take a 3-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZG3fnHfvka
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 14, 2024
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics have a good opportunity to close out the series at the Garden in Game 5. This would give them a big break before taking on the Eastern Conference Finals either against the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks. The Knicks also face a similar situation as the Cavaliers. Four of their most important players are injured at the moment.