BOSTON — After falling short in his first trip to the NBA Finals two years ago, Celtics star Jayson Tatum says he sees this return to the league’s championship round as a second chance to achieve his ultimate goal as a player.
“There’s a lot that I and we can learn from that experience being in the Finals, and this time, this go-round is a lot different,” Tatum said after Saturday’s practice. “Obviously, we’ve been there before, we came up short. And it’s a great opportunity to get to the finals again. You don’t always get a second chance, so you really just have to look at it as a second chance and try to take advantage of it.” simplify things as much as we can.
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“It’s another series we have to win.”
Playing with a wrist injury in the 2022 Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points but shot 31.5% on 2-pointers, including a 6-for-18 shooting from the field in a Game 6 loss in TD Garden as the Golden State Warriors went on to celebrate their fourth championship of the Stephen Curry era on Boston’s home court.
It took two years for the Celtics to get a chance to avenge that result, after losing in seven games in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat, again seeing their season end at home in Boston. Tatum sprained his ankle in the early moments of that loss, helping prevent Boston from becoming the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series. .
Now Boston finds itself back, and against a familiar foe in Kyrie Irving, who Tatum spent the first two years of his career playing with. And while the difficult 2018-19 season and Irving’s eventual departure in free agency for the Brooklyn Nets make Irving’s return one of the dominant storylines of the Finals, Tatum said the opportunity to play with one of the superstars of the league early in his career was a tremendous learning opportunity.
“Obviously there were some ups and downs, but I think, for me, being a first- or second-year player, being around a superstar, essentially, every day and seeing how to navigate that space,” Tatum said, “and then obviously, in the court is one of the most talented guys I have ever seen in my life.
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“It seems like a long time ago, but I have very fond memories of having (Irving) as a teammate.”
Another dominant story: Kristaps Porzingis, both his health, after missing the last four weeks and 10 playoff games due to a calf strain, and his reunion with his former team in the Mavericks. On the health side, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Saturday that Porzingis participated fully in practice, although he indicated there would be days of heavier work ahead as they begin to prepare for the Finals and optimize having 10 days between series.
When asked what the decision to reinsert Porzingis into the starting lineup or bring him off the bench would entail, Mazzulla said the choice will come down to determining how Porzingis can best help the Celtics win games.
“That’s something that affects everyone,” Mazzulla said. “So when KP is at his best, he’s been tremendous for us. We expect that from him and we know he’ll give it to us. And as for everything else, the most important thing is what winning entails. “He gives us the best opportunity to win each particular game, each particular possession and each particular matchup.
For his part, Tatum praised Porzingis for his willingness to fit into what the Celtics were doing and become an essential part of a team with 64 wins this season, a player who will be a fundamental part of Boston’s hopes of lifting its 18th championship. over the next few weeks with his ability to both protect the rim defensively, stretch the floor offensively, and operate out of the post, where he struggled in Dallas.
“KP essentially did exactly what we needed him to do all season long,” Tatum said. “Whether it’s punishing switches or spacing the five men, being in the corner, sometimes that might be doing possessions without touching the ball. Or it might be when they’re switching, we give them the ball five times in a row. Joe talks about everyone’s righteous mentality towards whatever we are trying to do.
“We change things up a lot and we have a lot of talented, talented players on the offensive and defensive side. Everyone has to be open to trying different things. And I give a lot of credit to KP, especially someone as talented as he is and obviously as tall as he is. “A lot of the greats can be stuck in their ways doing what makes them comfortable. He stepped out of his comfort zone a little bit and that made us a better team.”
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