Share the Post:
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics were unable to close out their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, losing a nailbiter in front of the home crowd at TD Garden and sending the series back to Georgia for Game 6.
Tatum was not happy with the late-game technical foul he was assessed for his ill-timed rejection on Trae Young with 1:39 remaining in the fourth.
“You all see it all the time in the regular season after the whistle, guys shoot after the [whistle], guys block the shot after the whistle all the time,” the All-Star explained, according to NESN. “I wasn’t mad or anything. I just was doing something that I would normally do in the regular season that kind of happens all the time. I guess he didn’t see it that way.”
Tatum lightly swatted a Trae Young shot after the whistle, earning him the technical which he believes wouldn’t have been called in the regular season. Still, it was a pivotal moment in the game and completed a stunning collapse for the Celtics.
Boston was outscored 37-25 in the fourth en route to the disappointing 119-117 Game 5 loss.
“Tatum wasn’t the primary defender on Young on the play as Al Horford fouled Young while he was in the act of shooting during a baseline drive. Once he felt contact, Young flipped up a shot toward the hoop that was well short and Tatum harmlessly sent the ball out of bounds,” wrote NESN’s Greg Dudek on Wednesday morning.
“But the referee handed out a technical to Tatum, giving Young three free throws, which he cashed in to put the Hawks in front by a single point and give them their first lead since early in the second quarter.”
The dagger was then laid down by Young, who drained a 30-foot 3-pointer with just 2.1 seconds left to secure the two-point win for Atlanta.
It was a brutal collapse for Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics, but they’ll have a chance to put the game behind them and end the series on the road in Game 6 on Thursday night.
The post Celtics’ Jayson Tatum takes slight jab at officials after costly late-game technical foul appeared first on ClutchPoints.
By opting in you agree to our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!
