"We can't leave guys on an island" - Jayson Tatum on Jimmy Butler going on 1-on-1s against Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum's 34-point outing was not enough to propel the Celtics to a much-needed win against the Miami Heat in a 111-105 Game 2 loss. The Celtics held a 12-point advantage with 10:35 left to go in the fourth quarter before their collapse. Miami went on a commanding 23-9 run to finally take the lead late in the game.

During shootaround before a pivotal Game 3 on the road, Jayson Tatum spoke with the media regarding the 1-on-1 defensive coverage utilized toward Jimmy Butler.

"We can’t leave guys on an island," Tatum said. "We’ve gotta show more of a presence."

After Celtics' Grant Williams made a timely 3-pointer to increase the lead by nine points, he decided to do some trash-talking towards Jimmy Butler. With 6:37 left to go in the fourth quarter, Butler ended up scoring nine straight points to give Miami the lead with all the momentum. He finished the game with 27 points (12-25 shooting), eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Jayson Tatum started the game on a torrid pace as he scored 14 points on 5-9 shooting, including 2-4 from 3-point range in the first half. He also had seven rebounds and four assists with only two turnovers.

Tatum was locked in from the jump as he helped pave the way for the Celtics to take an 11-point lead in the third quarter. However, Tatum confusingly gets benched early in the fourth quarter after picking up his third foul with 8:37 left to go.

Similar to Jayson Tatum getting benched early was Robert Williams III, who was also pivotal in the game due to his pick-and-roll action with Tatum. He gets subbed in back in the game late with 49.3 seconds remaining and Miami in the lead.

With the Celtics sticking to the same 1-on-1 coverage with Grant Williams being the primary defender, Jimmy Butler got whatever he wanted. The home team failed to adjust and tweak defensive coverages in-game as they allowed Butler to get too comfortable.

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Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum looking ahead to Game 3

Following the second-straight disappointing home loss, Jayson Tatum spoke to the media to address the team's mentality heading to Miami for games 3 and 4.

"I mean it's tough, it's a challenge," Tatum said. "There's no point in being up here sad and s**t right? They came in and won 2 games. They played well, you give them credit. But, we are not dead or anything. We got a great opportunity. I still have the utmost confidence. Everybody has the utmost confidence."

After only five points during the fourth quarter, the Celtics could use a strong finish from Tatum if they want to stay alive in this series.