Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has his tactics to fire up his players when needed, and it worked on Jayson Tatum when the side played the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week.
Tatum exploded for 44 points, including 9 rebounds and 6 assists in a thrilling 122-118 overtime win at the Crypto.com Arena, and he had Mazzulla to thank for flipping the switch.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the win, the forward revealed how the coach lit him up. According to NBC Sports:
“That’s exactly what he said. He pointed me out. He basically told me it starts with me,” Tatum said. “Last game I played like s—, and basically, he told me that. Told me the way I play, the rest of the guys are going to follow.
He went down the line. Went down to JB, went down to Smart, said it was our responsibility and that if we want to be champions, if we want to get to that point, that it’s a responsibility each and every night, and nobody’s gonna take it easy on us.”
Tatum was referring to the rough outings he had against the Golden State Warriors (18 points on 6-21 shooting) and 20 points on 7-20 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jaylen Brown Reveals How Joe Mazzulla Set The Tone Ahead Of The Lakers Clash
Joe Mazzulla’s appointment as the Boston Celtics head coach came after their offseason furor that saw the suspension of their earlier head honcho Ime Udoka.
And while it had been a tumultuous start prior to the regular season, the Celtics have since then been one of the most consistent sides in the tournament and the team to beat, with Tatum firmly one of the contenders to win MVP this season.
Ahead of the Los Angeles skirmish, Mazzulla asked the best from his players and was rather blunt in his approach. According to Jaylen Brown, who spoke to the media postgame, he was rather direct in his demands.
“Joe came in before the game and set the tone for us, told us we need to get our s— together.”
The Celtics are now placed first in the East with a 22-7 record, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks (20-7). They have a chance to further consolidate their position as table toppers when they take on the Orlando Magic in their next two games.
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