Jayson Tatum Reveals Shocking Preference During 2024 NBA Finals

Jesse Cinquini | Jul 13, 2024

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dunks against Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the second quarter in game three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics clinched their 18th title in franchise history on their home floor last month when the team defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals. But Jayson Tatum recently claimed that he would have rather seen Boston win the title in Game 4 of the series, which took place in Dallas.

Heading into Game 4, Boston held a commanding 3-0 series lead and had a shot to be the first team to win the NBA Finals in a sweep since the Golden State Warriors did so in the 2018 championship series.

.@jaytatum0 would have preferred to win the 2024 Finals in Dallas.

Watch the full Championship Conversation with @_ajawilson22, @S10Bird, and @talter on YouTube: https://t.co/TAly1pcE1f pic.twitter.com/PTxD6n32R5

— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 11, 2024

“I would’ve preferred to win on the road, honestly,” Tatum said while looking back on winning his first NBA title. “Just ‘cause I know what it felt like for somebody to win a championship on my home court. I wanted that get back. Like, I wanted to win in Dallas because I know — I’ve seen the [Golden State] Warriors celebrate on our home court. And that s— was devastating.”

But Tatum and the Celtics suffered one of the most lopsided losses in the history of the NBA Finals in Game 4. Boston lost by a whopping 38 points and shot just 36.3 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from 3-point range as a team.

Tatum led the team in scoring in the losing effort, but he dropped just 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 from deep.

Conversely, Luka Doncic led the way for the Mavericks from a scoring standpoint with 29 points on 26 shots from the floor.

Further Reading

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Al Horford, Raising Cane's, and a Region that Loves Him

On Derrick White and the Fuel for Unprecedented Journey to NBA's Best Role Player

Jayson Tatum, an NBA Champion Entering Peak of His Powers