Boston Celtics
As the playoffs approach, the Celtics couldn’t ask for a much smoother return than the one Tatum is having.
Jayson Tatum Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
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Jaylen Brown scores 18 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter to help Celtics beat Suns 120-112
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COMMENTARY
Jaylen Brown saw Devin Booker with his back turned trying to recover his handle after an around-the-back dribble went a little too far in the other direction.
A high bounce gave Brown the opening that he needed to poke the ball away and start the fast break that sliced the Suns’ lead down to one with a little more than three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Reaching for a steal like that is a risky move, but Brown’s instincts took over. and he caught Booker off guard.
“Steals and blocks are great plays for our team,” Brown said after scoring a game-high 41 points in the 120-112 win over Phoenix. “But sometimes just trying to stay in between your man and the ball and making them make tough shots is better for our defense than gambling.
“I could probably gamble more times and get more steals and blocks, and those would be great for statistical measures, but it would hurt our defense a little bit more. Even though it was a good play, I don’t know if I would do that again.”
Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard sprinted up the floor, creating a three-on-one opportunity, and Brown hit Tatum with a pass as soon as he stepped into the paint. A smooth Euro step led Tatum to the basket for a layup, and the TD Garden crowd erupted.
“It felt like old times,” Tatum said with a nod in the locker room after the game.
Tatum and Brown, ages 28 and 29 respectively, are too young and in too good of a position ahead of this upcoming playoff run to sit around thinking about the good old days, but Tatum’s lengthy recovery process rehabbing a ruptured Achilles’ added perspective.
Tatum said he woke up with a mix of anxiousness and excitement before his third home game of the season. His return sparked plenty of questions about how his game might look as he readjusts to the daily grind of NBA games, and also countless debates on how he’ll fit in with this year’s team that relied on Brown to lead the way in his absence.
One thing about the duo is already clear. Those guys care deeply about winning and executing at a high level, and they’re willing to do what it takes to get the job done. The Celtics have won four of the six games since Tatum’s return, and the fit has been seamless.
They’ve been playing together in Boston nine years now, and they’ve been one of the last four teams standing in the playoffs six times. They’ve won an NBA Finals, and they’ve lost an NBA Finals. They’ve had their battles with LeBron and Steph Curry.
After all these years, nothing surprises them about each other anymore, Tatum said.
“I wouldn’t say surprise. I think there’s an element of trust that we have in one another,” Tatum said. “We can rely on one another in the biggest moments, in the biggest games in the biggest situations.”
“We’ve been through all of them and we’ve come out on top in most of them. We’ve fallen short a few times, but I know one thing: When we step on that floor we know that the other person is going to try to do what it takes to win this game.”
Things can be both new and unsurprising at the same time. It should be no surprise that Tatum and Brown both approach things with a professional attitude that allows them to coexist with each other and win. But, at the same time, Brown has taken his game to new heights while Tatum faced the longest absence of his career.
This year has been different than any one they’ve experienced together. Brown has never averaged more points or heard more MVP chants than he has right now, and he admits that he’s enjoying every bit of the experience.
There are still things to work through as Tatum continues to ramp up his minutes. He has played 32 in each of the past two games, up from the 27 minutes per game he played in his first three.
“It takes some understanding,” Brown said. “JT is extremely important to us for what we want to do. Obviously, I’m having a great season, but not going to have to just think what’s the big picture. Sometimes that’s not easy, but always put the team first and what the bigger picture is first.”
“So it’s just kind of a feel thing. Kind of feel it out, and then take some time. We’re gonna be aggressive, how the teams guard, and kind of reassessing all of that stuff is different. This team is different but it’s been it’s been OK.”
Adding Tatum back into the mix is an adjustment for everybody involved. That’s what happens when you bring in a first-team All-NBA caliber player for the final stretch of the season.
But, just listen to the way Brown talks about what it takes to make the right play on defense even though the gamble he took wound up paying off.
Or, look at Tatum’s willingness to use every bit of his versatility, whether that’s moonlighting as a small-ball center to switch things up, or firing a one-handed baseball pass to Derrick White in the paint.
Winning is a priority and they chase down the details. It’s the same old story, just with a new twist.
“It’s just having awareness,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You never want to be put in a box. We have to continue to give the game what it needs, make 2 on 1 reads, make the right play as a team and be physical.”
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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