NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

September 22, 2020

Jayson Tatum

Boston Celtics

Practice Day

Q. You're making some amazing cross-court and skip passes. What has the process been like getting better at those types of passes and reads?

JAYSON TATUM: Just being down here, seeing different coverages. Just trying to make the right play using my size, watching film, just finding the right guy. There's nothing too complicated. Just finding the right person that's open.

Q. We got a chance to see the top five lineup for a few minutes in the first half of Game 3. What was encouraging to you about that time on the floor with that group? Statistically that group was not good up until we saw it in the Playoffs. How nice has it been to have Deuce, especially with these three days off? How much has that helped you refresh, if that's what it's done?

JAYSON TATUM: It was great to have [Gordon Hayward] out there, play with that lineup. It's been a while. Obviously we haven't gotten the opportunity to play with those five guys that much throughout the season. Just to have him [Gordon Hayward] back, just his presence on the court, was extremely helpful.

It's been great having Deuce here. He's enjoying it. He's having a blast. He's having fun. I'm happy he's here to enjoy and share this moment with me.

Q. Brad Stevens talked at the beginning of the bubble about finding your joy. The team that does that is going to be the one that probably makes it the farthest. With all of the stuff that’s been going on recently, the stress of the conference finals, have you been able to find that?

JAYSON TATUM: Yeah, I mean, we've been here a long time. But I think the dynamic of having your family or friends come has really been like a breath of fresh air. Just seeing some different faces to make this experience more comfortable, I guess, seeing your family is always a plus.

Q. Last game you had a lot of success covering Jimmy Butler. But Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, they were also able to get some big threes off. How big of an assignment is it to have to guard someone as powerful and savvy as Butler, knowing you have to get out and contest against a lot of elite shooters in Miami?

JAYSON TATUM: I mean, it's tough, as you could imagine. They have some great players. Maybe one night one guy doesn't have it going offensively, they have other players that can really create a spark. Maybe whether it's off the bench. Those guys can really shoot the ball. They get it off quick.

It's always tough to guard them.

Q. Last game you played in desperate mode, you were able to finish it out. How do you carry that desperation into this game, avoid some of those lapses that have gotten you in the second halves of this series and even against Toronto?

JAYSON TATUM: Because we’re still down 2-1. It's never time to relax in a series until it's over with. Even more sense of urgency when you're down. We’re still losing. We know that. We won't get it all back in one game. We just got to go one game at a time.

Q. Marcus yesterday was talking about battling the complacency within games, a lot of it having to do with the lack of fans there. How have you personally battled some of the lulls within games and found yourself particularly late?

JAYSON TATUM: Yeah, it's something that we can get better at. I feel like we've been down here long enough. I'm not blaming it on we don't have fans or a crowd because I feel we've been down here long enough where we got to figure that out ourselves.