Jayson Tatum on Celtics' Maintaining a Must-Win Mindset: 'We're Trying Not to Make it Tougher on Ourselves'
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The Celtics are returning to Boston with a 3-1 lead and a chance to end their first-round series with the Hawks on the TD Garden parquet.
In Sunday's Game 4, the visitors' aggressive approach and attacking mentality made the difference in their 129-121 win. Exemplifying that was Jaylen Brown consistently getting downhill in the second half, producing 22 of his 31 points.
Burn the mask pic.twitter.com/05MIkffbc3
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 24, 2023
Brown relentlessly attacking the rim also led to a pair of clutch assists, creating back-to-back Robert Williams layups, putting Boston up by seven with 3:14 left.
Jaylen Brown DIME to Robert Williams 👀
— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2023
Celtics lead... under 3 minutes to play on TNT! pic.twitter.com/qlTTHmCVDU
And in the final minute, the Time Lord returned the favor, diving to the floor for a Tommy Point and an assist to Brown that helped seal the victory.
ALL THE TOMMY POINTS FOR ROB pic.twitter.com/gFMhgp98Fi
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 24, 2023
Williams also had a significant impact on the boards, grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds and at the rim, especially defensively, where he swatted two Atlanta attempts. Celtics' star Jayson Tatum co-hosted the block party with him, rejecting three shots, the most of any participant.
Rob Williams + Derrick White = 💯 pic.twitter.com/EYQZXgyqwn
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 24, 2023
this sequence >>> pic.twitter.com/rn02lqzohE
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 24, 2023
And while the Hawks made runs throughout the game, Boston consistently stemmed the tide, holding onto the lead from the 8:18 mark in the first quarter, when it went ahead 12-11, and never relinquishing it the rest of the night.
After the win, Tatum, who generated 18 points in the second half, finishing with 31, seven rebounds, four assists, and the previously mentioned game-high three blocks, conveyed the following about a lesson the defending Eastern Conference champions learned the hard way last year.
"There were a few times last year where we relaxed... we're trying not to make it tougher on ourselves"
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 24, 2023
Jayson Tatum talks about keeping a must-win mindset going into Game 5 pic.twitter.com/QT3DspW2Vn
Further Reading
Celtics Address Game 3 Loss to Hawks: 'This One Tonight is On Me'
The Hawks Hit Hardest in Game 3, Now, Joe Mazzulla Wants Celtics to 'Throw One Back'
[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead
The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'