Inside The Celtics

Jayson Tatum Grateful for Second Chance in NBA Finals: 'Learn from That Experience'

Bobby Krivitsky

Jun 16, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second quarter of game six in the 2022 NBA Finals at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second quarter of game six in the 2022 NBA Finals at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
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It's incredibly rare for the best player on an NBA title team to guide his franchise to the Larry O'Brien Trophy before entering his prime. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had a chance to do so against the Warriors in 2022.

While the Celtics had the more talented team, Tatum was 24 and his running mate was 25. Golden State's championship resolve proved the difference-maker as Stephen Curry propelled the Warriors past the best defense in the league that season.

But now they're in their primes, a maturation crucial to Boston maximizing having the most talented top six in the league. When asked about his growth as he prepares for his second Finals appearance, a reflective Tatum shared the following.

"There's a lot that myself, and we, can learn from that experience in the Finals," voiced the five-time All-Star. "This go around is a lot different. Obviously, we've been there before and came up short. Great opportunity to make it to the Finals again. You don't always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance, trying to simplify it as much as we can. It's another series that we gotta win."

A crucial area of growth for the Celtics compared to when they represented the Eastern Conference on this stage in 2022 is how dramatically better they are in crunch time.

They manufactured just 4.8 points per game in the final five minutes of postseason matchups within five points in their first Finals run. That ranked 15th out of 16 playoff teams.

Between Tatum and Brown's respective evolutions, Derrick White's career year, and the addition of Jrue Holiday, whose impact in clutch moments includes swinging the outcome of Game 3 against the Pacers in the previous round, Boston is averaging the most points per game (13.3) of any team that advanced past the first round in this year's playoffs. The Celtics also have the highest crunch-time net rating of all 16 playoff teams (43.9).

Tatum conveyed the following to Inside The Celtics of his team's growth in that area, which allowed them to prevail in three games against Indiana where they had at least an 89% chance of losing in the closing minutes, and how it's prepared them for facing Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic in those situations.

"Our ability to talk through things at practice and shootaround and walkthrough, things while we're here, see things in film, and being able to translate to the game," said the three-time All-NBA First Team selection. "Knowing what we're trying to get to in late-game situations, what actions are we looking for, essentially everybody being on the same page."

A distinct difference between Boston's experience in the 2022 Finals is that the Celtics have the home-court advantage this time. So, if there's a Game 7, it will take place on their parquet, and the series tips off at TD Garden, where they're 6-2 this postseason.

"This is unique for a lot of us – it's the quickest we've ever gotten through the first, second, and obviously, the third round," expressed Tatum. "A lot of previous years, we had a couple of Game 7 series that kind of extend the playoffs. So, I think it was great for us to close out (these) series when we were supposed to, and it's afforded us to have this nice break, and obviously, (thanks to) the work we put in during the regular season, that we get to start the Finals at home."

Further Reading

Kristaps Porzingis Making Encouraging Progress Toward NBA Finals Return

NBA Finals MVP Odds: Jayson Tatum Front-Runner for Bill Russell Trophy

NBA Finals Betting Lines: Celtics Significant Favorites Over Mavs

Joe Mazzulla Eviscerates Contrived Narrative about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

Celtics-Mavericks NBA Finals Has Kyrie Irving Between Boston and Banner 18

Al Horford Returns to NBA Finals Aiming to Add to a Legacy Already Cemented

Jaylen Brown's Evolution Propels Him to Eastern Conference Finals MVP

Crunch-Time Resolve Sends Celtics Back to NBA Finals

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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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