When a player returns to the locker room, it typically has to do with an injury. In the 131-129 double overtime loss to the New York Knicks at the TD Garden on Sunday, that was not the case for superstar Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, Tatum made two brief visits to the locker room in the latter stages of the game. The first and second of Tatum’s trips occurred just before the start of the second extra frame, respectively, in the fourth quarter.
According to Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, while it was unusual, Tatum seemed to need it.
Mazzulla stated, “I think he just had to go to the bathroom.”
Tatum needed a bathroom break a few times, but he didn’t miss a single game and played a season-high 49 minutes. He scored a game-high 40 points but only shot 12-for-30 from the field, including just six of 17 attempts at a 3-pointer. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and gave out six assists.
Tatum did appear to be hurt in the middle of the fourth quarter, which did give him a scary look. After a Knicks turnover, he stumbled as he climbed the court and spent some time on the floor, causing the Celtics fans present to briefly hold their breath. Tatum held on to the area around his left knee, but after that, he didn’t seem to be bothered by anything.
He just needs to adjust the timing of his bathroom breaks for the next game.
Jayson Tatum was kicked out of the NBA for the first time for “complimenting” a referee.
Jayson Tatum, a superstar with the Boston Celtics, was kicked out of Monday night’s game against their bitter rival New York Knicks because he gave the referee a “compliment.”
It was the first time in Tatum’s six years of playing that he had been kicked out of a game. Tatum is not known for being loud on the court.
Tatum was assessed his first technical foul in the third quarter after asking the referee if he had been fouled after a dunk in an unusual manner.
Tatum was speaking to an official with less than four minutes left in a close game following a play in which he claimed Julius Randle fouled him on a 3-point attempt and continued his complaint on New York’s subsequent possession.
He eventually received his second technical foul of the game, which forced the Celtics to play the final few minutes without their leading scorer.
Tatum responded, “When asked about the technical fouls, The first one didn’t answer. It was undoubtedly a foul, as you can see. And those are the difficult ones. You receive a technician for something about which you probably were correct.
He smiled when he was asked if he was being sarcastic: ” I said it was the best game I’ve ever seen officiated. I meant that.”
The Celtics lost the game and their number one seed to the Milwaukee Bucks, who now have the best record in the eastern conference, as a result of the ejection.
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