“He’s never rattled, never rushed” – Al Horford says Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum epitomizes calm in late-game situations

Jayson Tatum was the high scorer for the Boston Celtics on Monday, leading them to their seventh win of the season with a 98-92 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tatum had 23 points in the contest that once again saw Jaylen Brown sit out because of a leg injury. Jayson Tatum also had eight rebounds and five assists for the Celtics in the game.

The game was a close one. The Boston Celtics led by just one point (90-89) with about 90 seconds left to play in the contest. However, a couple of clutch buckets from Dennis Schroder and some free throws from Tatum and Schroder ensured that the Celtics came first at the finish line.

Despite Schroder scoring six of the last eight points, teammate Al Horford credited Tatum’s poise down the stretch as the key to the Boston Celtics’ win. Horford said:

“He's just so calm. He's never rattled. Never rushed.”

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“I just need to keep shooting,” says Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics

Despite leading the Boston Celtics in scoring versus Cleveland, Jayson Tatum only shot 35.0% (7-of-20) from the floor and was just two-of-eight from downtown (25.0%). His shooting in the game is symptomatic of his underwhelming efficiency right from the start of the 2021-22 NBA season. The 23-year-old is shooting career-lows, both from the field (38.6%) and from the three-point line (31.6%), over the first 14 games of the new NBA season.

Tatum remains optimistic about his game despite the struggles. He told reporters during the post-game media interaction:

“I haven't doubted myself. Not once. Neither have my teammates...and neither have the opponents. They're still guarding me. I just need to keep shooting. It'll come.”

With the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics now move to an even 7-7 record. They next play the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, after which they return home to the TD Garden for a four-game home stand.

Jayson Tatum, a two-time All-Star with the Celtics, is averaging 23.5 ppg and 8.4 rpg for the team this season.