Tatum on the Celtics’ success formula…
On Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-101 to extend their winning streak to four games. With his 44-point explosion, Jayson Tatum’s total for the previous two games is at 98. As of now this season, that is the most any NBA player has had.
Tatum and the C’s lifted things to a whole new level in the fourth quarter, but Charlotte managed to keep things tight for the first three quarters. And they had the support of a sea of green fans at Spectrum Center, where at one point there was a “Let’s Go Celtics” cry.
Ime Udoka was questioned about what it was like to have solely C’s supporters in the stands after the game. He thought that was fairly spectacular, but he also mentioned that when someone plays as brilliantly as Tatum did, it’s difficult to not celebrate.
Although Tatum was the team’s top scorer, the other Celtics players also played very well. Marcus Smart and Derrick White combined for 17 assists, and five other players scored in double figures. Towards the end of the season, Udoka stressed the importance of team basketball.
Nevertheless, Tatum has put on two absolutely spectacular performances in the last two games. Not only does he lead the club in scoring, but he consistently inspires his teammates to contribute each night.
Tatum was questioned about the current success of the Celtics and what it feels like to be so successful during his postgame interview. He listed the competitive nature of the game as one of his favorite aspects, even if it’s great to blow teams out.
And even after turning in consecutive outstanding outings on the offensive end, Tatum continued to attribute the team’s recent success primarily to their defense.
The C’s won their 40th game of the season with the triumph over Charlotte. Currently, they are two games out of second place and only half a game behind the four-seed in the East standings. They are in fifth position.
