Celtics Big Man Al Horford Opens up About Jayson Tatum After Tough Loss vs. Knicks

Boston's win streak was snapped Monday by the Knicks

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics' win streak disappointingly snapped Monday night.

Boston hit the road to take on the red-hot New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden and dropped the contest, 109-94. Although the Celtics only lost by 15 points, the final score doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. 

The Celtics battled back late, but were down by more than 20 points at different points and couldn't seem to get anything going. Boston even started the contest 1-of-12 from three-point range. 

For the second straight game, young Boston star Jayson Tatum struggled and finished the night 6-of-18 from the field for 14 points, but did pad the stat sheet with nine assists and seven rebounds as well. The 24-year-old didn't make it through the entire game, though, as he was suspended with just a few minutes remaining in the game for receiving his second technical foul on the night.

After the game, Celtics big man Al Horford opened up about Tatum's recent stretch and only had positive things to say. 

"It's a long season and Jayson's been playing -- as we all know -- at an MVP level for most of the season," Horford said as seen on NBC Sports Boston. "If you can go all 82 (games) playing like that, that's just tough. There's going to be ups and downs and he's the last guy that I'm worried about. I know what he's about and my biggest thing with him is making sure that he feels right and that he's good to go in April once the playoffs start. I'm not worried about it. Through the season you're going to have an off-game here or there and that's just a part of it." 

Tatum -- as Horford said -- has shined for the Celtics all season and is one of if not the biggest reason for their success throughout the campaign. The young star is averaging career-highs across the board with 30.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. 

Although he has slightly struggled lately, he's been doing more than just scoring for Boston. Even on an off night, he still finds a way to contribute. He'll look to bounce back on the offensive end Wednesday night when the Celtics take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. 

Further Reading

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Joe Mazzulla's Message to the Celtics After Clinching Season Series vs. Sixers

Jayson Tatum Discusses His Game-Winning Shot vs. Sixers, Including His Message to the Celtics in the Preceding Timeout

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