Jayson Tatum “It was a challenge”
In the fourth round of the Celtics vs Nets in the playoffs first round on April 25, Jason Tatum fouled out with 2 minutes and 49 seconds remaining in the final quarter, but the Celtics continued to hold the lead. Won 116-112 and decided to advance to the East Conference Semifinals.
Before the start of the series, there were many opinions that despite being in second place in the east, Nets in seventh place with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving might have a share. But when the series actually started, the Celtics kept Durant in their pride. Although he allowed Durant to score 39 points in the fourth round, he not only kept 19 out of 52 field goals until the third round, but also pulled out 17 turnovers and suffered.
Tatum, who scored 29 points and 5 assists in Round 4, said, “It was a challenge,” recalled the first round. “I know what he (Durant) has achieved and how strong he is. He was pushed and he himself contributed to the team by scoring and in every match. I knew I had to fight. I was in the match with that in mind. “
In addition to Tatum, the Celtics scored 22 points and 8 rebounds for Jaylen Brown and 20 points and 11 assists for Marcus Smart. The Celtics, the first to break through the first round, will face the Bulls vs Bucks winning team in the Conference Semifinals.
For Durant of Nets, it was his first round defeat since 2010 during the Thunder era. At a press conference following the fourth round, Durant accepted the result, saying, “There may be various factors that led to the loss, but the opponent was simply stronger. It was better than ourselves.”
Irving, whose 2022-23 season contract is a player option, said he “will not go away” regarding the possibility of signing an extension contract with Nets this summer. “This result motivates the team to take the lead in the next few years.”
Nets won Ben Simmons from the Seventy Sixers in exchange for James Harden in the middle of the season, but Simmons finished the season without playing a single match due to an injury, and the Nets debut match was carried over to next season.
Next season, Nets will organize a roster centered on Durant, Irving, and Simmons’ “Big 3” to challenge revenge.