The Boston Celtics managed to grab a win against the Hawks without Jaylen Brown. This was the first time Jayson Tatum got to operate without his trusted co-partner. The returning forward did make an impact in the second half. However, Tatum’s yet to find his rhythm since returning from an Achilles tear. That part does take a toll.

Tatum put up the numbers. He had 26 points and 12 rebounds in the Celtics’ comeback win over the Hawks. But his shooting slump didn’t stop. This was the third time in four games he’s shot under 40% from the field. That was always going to be the difficult part of returning mid-season, when most players are well conditioned.

Jayson Tatum is still rusty in that regard.

“It’s all over the place. Sometimes I be dribbling the f—–g ball and I just, like, mishandle — Sometimes I still have the ball, but it’s just like, damn. It’s frustrating. Obviously, you know some of the shots, layups at the rim, just kinda moving too fast a little bit. So, I mean, it’s frustrating to me,” Jayson Tatum admitted after the game.

This is only his tenth game back from injury. So, Tatum doesn’t have his feet under him yet. He’s shooting 30.3% from beyond the arc and under 40% for the season. That being said, it’s completely natural. Although Jayson Tatum worked relentlessly to be fit for the season, he’s going to need some time to adjust.

It’s barely been a year since the Celtics ace underwent surgery. Teams are starting to recognise him as a threat, which makes it all the more difficult to get comfortable. A silver lining to it is the Celtics’ success. The Shamrocks are now 8-2 in games that JT has played in. He’s indirectly left a positive impact on the floor, largely for his teammates.

And more than anything else, his effort is never in doubt.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics’ effort get them through the Hawks

Atlanta took an early 16-point advantage. The Celtics couldn’t force many mistakes either. They compiled 0 steals, a rare occurrence for Boston. However, one thing they always have is grit. Starting from Jayson Tatum to everyone down, it’s the statement of the Celtics’ culture under Joe Mazzulla.

So even when Tatum went 0/7 in the second quarter, he didn’t hesitate in the second half. That’s where the Celtics applied the pressure. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 21 points in the second half, shooting nearly 50% from the field. Payton Pritchard scored a game-high 36 to help the Celtics fight back from a dire situation.

And JT’s postgame comments summed up the reason he could recover from a 0-point second quarter.

“I know I look rusty, I know I’ve made some mistakes. But one thing I do know is I’m trying my a– off. I’m trying as hard as I can.  I’m a little winded, but 10 and a half months after tearing my Achilles, I’m giving it all I got. And I know each game I’m going to get a little better. But I’m trying for sure,” said Tatum.

That’s the Celtics way. They outscored the Hawks by 12 points in the second half, limiting them to shooting just 34.4% from the field. It was two completely different halves of basketball from the Celtics. It showed the team’s character. They seemed beaten down and didn’t have Jaylen Brown to bail them out. Yet, they found a way to win through their struggles.

That’s the sort of resilience teams contending for a championship need. Jayson Tatum is frustrated now. But he’s working to be close to perfect when it really mattered. This game showed some of that vintage spirit, where JT dictated the tempo in the second half.

The Celtics cornerstone may have to go through some testing moments going forward. That’s not going to stop him from taking his shots. The only way to regain confidence is through failure. Jayson Tatum isn’t afraid of facing that.