‘Brutal’ Stephen A. Smith gives a stern warning to Jayson Tatum to not mess Celtics’ chances up of winning a championship this year

Jayson Tatum, against the Cavs, had a subpar performance, attracting some harsh words from the ESPN analyst.

‘Brutal’ Stephen A. Smith gives a stern warning to Jayson Tatum to not mess Celtics’ chances up of winning a championship this year

Jayson Tatum

Stephen A. Smith was very clear when he sent a stern warning to Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum during a recent episode on ESPN’s First Take. It came after the Celtics’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he asserted that nothing less than a championship and greatness will be accepted from Tatum and the C’s. 

Tatum, against the Cavs, had a subpar performance where he shot 1/19 from the field and an abysmal 0/5 from beyond the arc and ended the night with 18 points. Although that could have been one of those nights for him, Stephen A. Smith was stern and clear. 

Nothing less than greatness is going to be expected from Jayson Tatum, especially when we see guys younger than him putting their greatness on display. You, Jayson Tatum, you cannot be the reason this team doesn’t capture the chip.
Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN’s First Take

However, the Boston Celtics are still the bookies’ favorites to win the series with SAS noting that the Eastern Conference and NBA Finals will bring stronger opponents. And Tatum must bounce back and perform before the Celtics turn into a total gag job. 

FS Video

Smith’s clear warning serves as a reminder that Tatum has to step up and not make the same mistakes that cost them against the Golden State Warriors the last time they played in the NBA Finals. To be better, he must shake off his recent struggles and bounce back better in Game 2. 

Boston Celtics expected to cruise to Eastern Conference Finals

The Boston Celtics had a dominant second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers winning 120-95 in Game 1. Despite missing Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum having a poor night, the C’s were able to cruise to victory behind strong performances from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.

Brown led the players’ statistics chart with 32 points and six rebounds, while White contributed his part with 25 points on 7/12 three-point shooting. For the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell ended the game with 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Celtics’ well-balanced attack.

Furthermore, the Celtics’ win sets them up well for the rest of the series. They’ll look to keep their momentum going when they face the Cavs for Game 2 on Thursday. With their strong performance, they have shown that they’re more than a one-man team. 

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