Inside The Celtics

Former Celtic Defends Jayson Tatum After His First-Career Ejection

In the Celtics' loss to the Knicks, Jayson Tatum took one free throw, and it came after a Jalen Brunson technical.

Bobby Krivitsky

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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Monday night at Madison Square Garden, the Celtics suffered a 109-94 loss to the Knicks in a game they took 50 percent of their shots from behind the arc despite going 9/42 (21.4 percent) on those attempts.

Many were quality looks Boston didn't capitalize on, and the visitors produced 52 points in the paint to the Knicks' 42, but the Celtics' cold shooting was at the center of their struggles to string together positive plays.

At 44-18, the defeat drops them to second in the East behind the Bucks (43-17) due to winning percentage.

The game also included Jayson Tatum's first-career ejection.

He got a rather soft technical for expressing his displeasure with the lack of a foul call after he got pushed on his way to a dunk in the final minute of the third quarter.

And in the final frame, with Boston trailing 102-91 with 4:06 left, Tatum voiced his frustration with a non-call after getting fouled by Julius Randle while hoisting a three.

The four-time All-Star continued conveying his thoughts on the matter after Josh Hart drilled a three at the other end, resulting in a second technical.

After the game, Tatum, who finished with 14 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, shared what he said before receiving the T that earned him an early exit.

"This is probably the best officiated game I've been a part of," quipped a sarcastic Tatum. Adding, "it didn't go over so well."

Former Celtic Eddie House, a member of their 2008 championship team and now an analyst for NBC Sports Boston, came to Tatum's defense after the Celtics' star's first-career ejection.

"Well, I'll tell you this, it won’t be his last because he doesn’t get the respect from the referees as a player that he is, you know, superstar status."

While a clip played of the non-call when Randle fouled Tatum on the latter's three-point attempt, leading to his second technical, House stated the following.

"This right here is a clear-cut foul. I don't care if the ball's gone, you can't hit his arm. He has every right to be upset at that. That does bother you as a shooter, that is something that upsets you, and then he should have the right to talk to referees.

"He’s not being demonstrative, he’s not showing the referee up, he’s talking to him, and maybe the words that he’s saying, I’m quite sure the referees hear worse words than that from fans. They have to understand who they're dealing with."

House continued: "This is Jayson Tatum, who is an MVP candidate, been part of the NBA Finals, five Conference Finals, and then on top of that, won the MVP of the All-Star Game. He has to get some respect, and I understand where it’s coming from because he sees everyone else getting that respect, and he’s not getting it; he should be upset."

What likely added to Tatum's frustrations is he took one free throw in his 37 minutes on the floor, and it came after a Jalen Brunson technical.

To that point, House said, "I'm telling you, it's been building up since last year. The lack of respect of what he's done, the work he's put in, and where he's at."

Further Reading

Joe Mazzulla Discusses Celtics' Shot Selection After Long-Range Struggles in Loss vs. Knicks

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Knicks: New York Bests Boston on a Cold Shooting Night by the Visitors

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

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Victory vs. Sixers: Tatum Comes Through in the Clutch as Boston Wins Season Series

Film Room: How the Celtics Defend Joel Embiid

Top Celtics Buyout Option Set to Reach Free Agency

Jayson Tatum Unveils Jordan Tatum 1's

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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