Jayson Tatum didn’t stick around long after the Celtics finished off a 113-103 win against the Hornets at Spectrum Center on Saturday night. He headed for the locker room right after the final buzzer, without embracing any of the Charlotte Hornets, who have a number of former Celtics on their sideline.
There was no retaliation or hint of revenge following a hard foul from former teammate Grant Williams late in Friday night’s game. Instead, Tatum stayed composed, sticking to his business-like approach and leading the Celtics to a weekend sweep in Charlotte.
It’s tough to know if Tatum is holding onto any resentment toward Williams after the cheap shot. He didn’t speak to reporters on Friday, and when the matter was raised again on Saturday night, he opted to keep his thoughts to himself.
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Tatum said. “Just got ready for the game today. We came to Charlotte, did what we’re supposed to do, and we are going to Atlanta to try to get another win before we go home.”
Tatum finished the night with a team-high 29 points on 7-of-15 shooting (46.7%) and got to the line 17 times, knocking down 14 of those attempts. Over the last three games, he has attempted 45 free throws, making 37, both of which are career bests over a three-game stretch. This marks the highest total by any Celtic in a three-game stretch since Paul Pierce in 2006. Along with his 29 points, the five-time All-Star also contributed seven rebounds and three assists.
“They doubled him, and he made the right play every time,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said on Tatum postgame. “They need to put potential assists and screen assists on [the box score]. I thought he controlled – and made the right play every time. I thought he played a great game.”
Photo credit Nell Redmond-Imagn Images
Tatum didn’t make it about himself and exacting his revenge. Rather, he got the last laugh with two wins in Charlotte, improving the Celtics to 6-1 on the young season and dropping Williams to 0-4 against his former team.
“I don’t ever make it about one person. I understand who I am, who I am in this league, and I come out and play the right way,” said Tatum. “It’s not about a matchup or anything. Just come out, try to dominate, give my team the best chance to win and play the right way, whether that’s scoring, rebounding, screening for other guys. The objective is to give us the best chance to win, so it’s not about situations or other persons.”
Williams, who seemed to have a good relationship with his former teammates before the weekend series and was present at TD Garden when the Celtics won the NBA Finals in June, may have burned some bridges with that reckless foul on Tatum. After the game, there were only a few brief interactions between Williams and the Celtics, mostly limited to quick handshakes.
Next up, the Celtics head to Atlanta for a date with Trae Young and the Hawks on Monday night before welcoming Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors to town on Wednesday night.
