Jayson Tatum Wasn't Supposed to Play vs. the Jazz, But Celtics' Travel Delay Added to His Motivation to 'Go Through it with the Guys'

Jayson Tatum registered a game-high 39 points and 11 rebounds and repeatedly made light work of the double teams he had to deal with vs. the Jazz.

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The Celtics improved to 54-24 with a 122-114 win over the Jazz on Friday night. It was their second victory in as many days and their fifth in six games.

Boston is now 1.5 behind the Bucks with five games left in the regular season.

While it's more likely than not that the defending Eastern Conference champions don't reclaim the top seed entering the playoffs, they won the season series with their 140-99 steamrolling of Milwaukee in a stellar two-way performance, and crazier things have happened.

The Bucks have matchups remaining with the Sixers and Grizzlies, end the season north of the border against the Raptors, and have a back-to-back vs. the Wizards and Bulls.

The Celtics won't take their foot off the gas for as long as they have a chance to surpass Milwaukee in the standings, but as Jaylen Brown articulated, they also want to hone in and reinforce winning habits entering the playoffs.

Doing so consistently is why Jayson Tatum expressed the need for Boston to quickly turn the page after Tuesday's loss vs. Washington and Thursday's victory against the Bucks.

Between that, not wanting to diminish the impact of Thursday's win in Milwaukee, and the Celtics' travel delays resulting in them not arriving in Boston until 1:30 pm EST Friday, after leading the hosts past Utah, registering a game-high 39 points, 11 rebounds, and repeatedly made light work of the double teams he had to deal with all night, Tatum shared he was supposed to sit, but that inspired him to suit up.

"I wasn't really supposed to play today. We were talking on the plane... it was like, 'we're all in this together."

JT talks about the C's rallying tonight after flying in from Milwaukee today pic.twitter.com/0TlrpQ5f1z

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 1, 2023

"It was tough. Everything was kind of thrown off. But we looked at it as a challenge. I wasn't really supposed to play today, but we was talking on the plane, it was like, 'we all in this together.' So, (I) just wanted to go through it with the guys and rock out and play and figure it out. And it was fun. It was fun figuring it out. Regardless of how the last 24 hours was, it was rewarding."

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Jazz: On a Chippy Night in Boston, Counterpunches Propel the Hosts to Victory

The Celtics are Proud of Their Growth, Including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Maturation: 'I think We're a Better Team'

Celtics Discuss Dominating Performance in 140-99 Win Over Bucks

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Bucks: Boston Sends a Message in Blowout Victory

Al Horford Shares His First Impressions of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum

Former Warriors' Director of Performance Keke Lyles Shares His Perspective on Load Management, Changing Stephen Curry's Movement Patterns, And What's Helped Jayson Tatum's Durability

Jaylen Brown Addresses Non-Committal Comments About Celtics' Future: 'I'm Focused on Helping Lead My Team for Another Playoff Run'