Jayson Tatum has been unusually quiet in the scoring department throughout the first two games of the NBA Finals.
Although he has had two consistent games that have contributed to two wins over the Celtics, the forward is averaging just 17 points, 10 rebounds and 8.5 assists on 4-14 shooting from three and 12-38 shooting from the field. .
Connecting shots from the field during the Finals seems to be a weak point for the C’s star, as he has the worst Finals shooting performance (35.4 percent) from the NBA / ABA combine.
The 26-year-old recognizes that he needs to step up offensively and is using his previous Finals experience to help him succeed.
“I think being in the Finals the last two years has helped me this time,” Tatum said at a press conference in Dallas on Tuesday.
“As I said, I understand that I need to work very well. I need to shoot the ball better, I won’t argue with anyone on that. But I don’t let it bother me. I’m still trying to find ways to influence the game and control the game in other areas.”
Dallas did a good job of limiting Tatum on offense and tied him up two or three times for points, so he had to pass the ball off to one of his teammates to score.
But to win the series, the Celtics will need more points from Tatum soon and he’s confident they’ll come.
“I understand it can take one game,” Tatum said. “One game, I can explode. All percentages and such are subject to change. So that’s just the idea, I’ve got one game left or whatever that means. As I said the other day, I know what it’s like to be in this position and lose. During this time, you try to do anything and everything possible to have a different result.
“So, yes, I know I need to shoot the ball better. And I plan on it. Not letting that get in the way of everything else I have to do on the court to help us win.”
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