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Celtics’ Despair Forces Jayson Tatum to Rekindle Love for MJ’s ‘New Basketball’

Published 03/09/2024, 11:34 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Boston Celtics finally put an end to their recent struggles. Jayson Tatum and Co. headed into tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns with two straight losses. However, the Celtics proved why they are the Number 1 team in the Eastern Conference and beat the Suns 117-107. Jayson Tatum returned to playing at a high level following Thursday’s embarrassing outing and finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists.

After the game, Tatum revealed what helped him overcome the mental block and regain his lost form. Tatum said after the game that he played golf with some of the Celtics staff on Friday to get his mind off Thursday’s heartbreaking loss against the Nuggets. Tatum had an abysmal game on Thursday, scoring only 15 points in the loss. The golfing session proved extremely helpful for Tatum as he led the Celtics to victory and snapped their 2-game losing streak. Tatum claimed he even got richer while playing golf during his off-time, “I won some money.”

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Golfing has been a preferred pastime for several NBA superstars over the years. 6-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan even deemed golf a replacement for his basketball passion post-retirement. In an interview with RSNG, MJ revealed how playing golf rekindled his competitive spirit. “At the heart of it, I am a competitive sportsman, even in retirement. I want to get up, I want to win, I want to experience that thrill. Golf is the new basketball!” MJ also claimed golf helps him get away from all the noise and calms him amid the chaos. Maybe that is why Jayson Tatum also followed in Jordan’s footsteps.

The Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown connection

While Jayson Tatum struggled to get going in Thursday’s game, his co-star Jaylen Brown went off for 41 points and 14 rebounds. Unfortunately, Brown’s incredible performance was not enough to beat the Nuggets because Tatum’s struggles left a massive void in the Celtics’ offense. However, that was not the case tonight against the Suns. Unlike Thursday’s game, Tatum and Brown shared the scoring load tonight, combining for an impressive 56 points. And they did it without their teammate Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup.

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Larry Bird Gave This Secret Sauce to Michael Jordan Which Helped an NBA All-Star Years Later

The Brown-Tatum connection nullified Kevin Durant’s dominant 45-point outing. Tonight’s game proved that the Celtics need their superstar duo in top form if they want to make noise in the playoffs. Tatum and Brown have been teammates for several years and hope to win a Championship together this season. Hopefully, they can continue their impressive form and realize their Championship dream.

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Written by:

Rohan Bhaunt

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Rohan Singh Bhaunt, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, boasts a background as a divisional basketball player and an NBA enthusiast spanning over a decade. His extensive knowledge of the sport enables him to intricately explore its nuances, presenting a fresh outlook. Rohan's dive into the NBA newsdesk at ES commenced with witnessing LeBron James secure his inaugural championship in Miami.
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