Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Reveals Joe Mazzulla’s ‘Smile During Wars’ Message

The Boston Celtics look to bounce back and win the 2024 NBA Finals in Game 5 Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks. That’s going to be easier said than done, though, after being destroyed by the Mavs by a score of 122-84 in Game 4. If the C’s end up winning this series, it will likely be largely due to Jayson. Tatum and Joe Mazzulla.

Tatum didn’t really play his best basketball for Boston in the Finals (or the playoffs as a whole, really), but he still has a chance to win the first championship of his career in Game 5. On the line, Tatum shared an important message that Mazzulla gave to the team ahead of their huge game against Dallas.

Jayson Tatum and Joe Mazzulla hope to smile after Game 5

It’s been difficult for the Celtics to get too happy during their playoff run, as throughout the season it was championship or bust for them. Even once they reached the playoffs, Boston was heavily favored to beat every opponent they faced, making losses like the one they suffered in Game 4 incredibly difficult for the team to handle. ‘team.

Mazzulla knows the increased expectations have taken a toll on his team, but they are so close to achieving their end goal. With one more win against Dallas, they can raise banner 18 at TD Garden. However, as we saw in Game 4, the pressure may have reached a boiling point for this team, which has now led to an interesting contest in Game 5.

Mazzulla’s reminder to smile amid the adversity they currently face is a good one. Sure, the Celtics ideally would have beaten the Mavs in Game 4 to win their first title since 2008, but the fact that they didn’t is not the end of the world. They built a 3-0 series lead to give them a little margin for error, even though they wouldn’t have to use it in a perfect world.

While many fans will say the sky is falling after their ugly Game 4 loss, the Celtics are still in control of this series at the moment. It’s important not to get too carried away by the weight of victory, which is precisely what Mazzulla said after it appeared that was what happened in Game 4.

Boston now has a chance to win a championship in front of their home fans at TD Garden, and if Tatum can put together a big outing, there’s a good chance it will eventually happen. Taking Mazzulla’s message to heart could be key for the Celtics, and it will be interesting to see whether or not it ends up leading to the long-awaited 18th title in franchise history.