Tatum ready to shoot better in Game 2

SAN FRANCISCO — Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he wastes no time worrying about his 3-for-17 shooting performance in Game 1, saying it’s not the first time he’s had a bad game and he’s confident which will be recovered for Game 2.

“Once you’ve done something before, you know how to respond,” Tatum said after Saturday’s practice here at the Chase Center before Game 2 on Sunday night. “I’ve had some bad shooting nights in the NBA. So it’s like, ‘I’ve been here before.’ I know what to do next game.

“I think a lot of it is mental. You don’t let it get to your head. I can’t do anything about what happened last game. I missed those shots and it is what it is. It’s about how to prepare for the next one.”

Tatum has shown that he is capable of bounce back during these playoffs. Twice, he has shot below 33 percent from the field: He went 5-for-16 and scored 19 points in Game 2 of Boston’s first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets and went 4-for-19 and scored 10 points in the Game 3 of the second round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

He then responded with 39 points in Game 3 against Brooklyn and 30 in Game 4 against Milwaukee.

But even though Tatum struggled with his shot in Game 1, he was happy with the way he moved the ball. Tatum’s play has been a story all season, as it’s one of the main areas coach Ime Udoka emphasized that he wanted to see the star forward improve when he took over the team last summer.

In Game 1, Tatum took what the Golden State defense gave him to the tune of 13 assists compared to just two turnovers.

“I had more assists than points last game,” said Tatum, who had 12. “So I feel like I made the right play most of the time. You know, it’s not a lot to think about too much. open that I miss most of the times I do.

“So it’s not something I’m losing sleep over. You know, we won. That was the most important thing, right? It’s the Finals. That’s all that matters. Obviously, I know I have to play better. “Shoot like this every game and hopefully we’ll win. I hope to play better shot-wise or impact the game in different ways to do my part and get a win. I’ll continue to do that. Just read the game, read every play. That’s right How do I approach the next game?

Golden State has perpetually given up the open perimeter look throughout the playoffs, as its 130 wide-open 3-pointers allowed are the third-most in any postseason since 2014, according to Second Spectrum tracking data, and the most by a significant margin in these playoffs.

And Tatum took advantage of that time and time again throughout Game 1, including his role in Boston hitting 6 3-pointers in his fourth quarter return. Tatum said he believes Golden State isn’t doing anything different than any other team has done this postseason against him.

“I’m sure they don’t want me to just play one-on-one and stuff like that,” Tatum said. “Show a crowd, bring help and things like that.

“I feel like I got a lot of open plays. But I’m sure it’s part of the game plan, becoming a playmaker and not letting myself get comfortable, it’s something that I feel. Every team has been doing it more or less over the years. of the playoffs. So it’s not necessarily something new.”

Tatum hopes to bounce back, the Celtics hope they can do something they’ve struggled for all postseason: run the lead well. While Boston is now 8-2 on the road in these playoffs, the Celtics are 3-5 from the start of the second round against Milwaukee in post-win games.

The Celtics have repeatedly said they need to play with the same urgency after wins as they have after losses, something Tatum said again before Game 2 after Boston’s dramatic fourth-quarter comeback in Game 1 Thursday gave the Celtics a 1-0 lead.

“It’s not so much about me and what I have to do,” Tatum said. “It’s about what we need to do and how we need to be prepared, the adjustments they’re going to make and how they’re going to respond. We need to be ready and not relax just because we’re up 1-0.”