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Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE via Getty Images
The Boston Celtics failed to exorcise their demons against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at Chase Center in their first meeting since the 2022 NBA Finals.
Golden State defeated Boston 123-107 to move to 14-13 on the season, while the Celtics dropped to 21-6.
In a game where Jayson Tatum was expected to come out firing on all cylinders, the budding superstar struggled, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block in 40 minutes. He made just 6-of-21 shots from the floor and 2-of-9 shots from deep.
Jaylen Brown was a highlight for Boston, finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one steal in 37 minutes. He made 13-of-23 shots from the floor and 3-of-9 shots from deep.
But with Tatum’s ugly performance, NBA Twitter was quick to question his MVP credentials in a game where the Celtics never found an answer to Stephen Curry and Co.
Tatum’s performance against the Warriors certainly hurts his MVP chances, but there’s still plenty of season left, and he’ll get the opportunity to redeem himself when the Warriors travel to face the Celtics at TD Garden in January.
Tatum entered Saturday’s game averaging 30.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 25 games while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from deep. It has been his best season since entering the NBA in 2017.
Still, if Tatum is going to beat out players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić for the MVP award, he’s going to have to elevate his game when it matters most.
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