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Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum fell far short of expectations in Game 1 against the Miami Heat. With the Heat demolishing the Celtics, fans took to social media to roast Tatum for his poor performance.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals took a surprising turn as Miami came away with a dominant 123-116 win against Boston at the TD Garden. Considering that the Celtics were the top-ranked team heading into the ECF series, the Heat really pulled off a surprising result.
A large part of Miami's victory was attributed to Jimmy Butler's individual brilliance. However, fans chose to take note of Tatum's poor display.
Although Tatum played 41 minutes in the game, he struggled with scoring efficiently. Considering his performance in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers, there was enough reason to be disappointed with the superstar.
Fans were quick to voice their opinions about Tatum's display on Twitter.
Here are some of their comments:
Tatum ended the game with 30 points, seven rebounds and one assist. While the statistic looks solid, he had four costly turnovers. Furthermore, he didn't attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter either.
Overall, Game 1 of the ECF was a terrible look for the Celtics superstar. But blaming Tatum alone for the result would also be incorrect. With several collective mistakes piling up together, the Celtics will hope to improve upon their performance in Game 2.
Jayson Tatum will need to step up
Although blaming Jayson Tatum for the Boston Celtics' loss in Game 1 is harsh, he will be a key cog in bringing success to the team.
Tatum, on his day, is one of the most gifted scorers in the NBA. However, the aspect of his game that will probably spell success for Boston is his ability to make plays.
The Celtics superstar is a very gifted playmaker when he sets his mind to it. In Game 1, Tatum notched only one assist, which is highly uncharacteristic of him.
Having him share the ball often creates a lot of opportunities for players such as Jaylen Brown to score. Additionally, Boston shot a comparatively underwhelming 34.5% from the 3-point line.
If the Celtics can make these adjustments for Game 2, they may be able to defend homecourt and level the series before heading to Miami.
Read: What are Jayson Tatum's stats against Miami Heat?
