Jayson Tatum did not appreciate the postgame analysis ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins shared on Twitter Saturday after the Boston Celtics’ 99-75 win over the New York Knicks.
Perkins lauded Jaylen Brown for taking over the game with a triple-double. Perkins also was critical of Tatum and suggested the Celtics won thanks to Brown and despite Tatum.
Jaylen Brown completely took over this game with his first triple double of his career! Played a perfect game while Jayson Tatum went 6/14 from the field. They got the win tho! Carry on…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 9, 2022
Tatum saw Perkins’ tweet and did not hide his annoyance with it. Tatum told Perkins he should have complimented Brown and left it at that rather than bring up Tatum’s name.
Normalizing uplifting one man without bringing another one down… JB played great it’s alright to leave it at that https://t.co/hC2mGhNljQ
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) January 9, 2022
Why might Tatum be so sensitive to the subject? There have been questions about whether he and Brown can play well together.
Jaylen Brown asked about splitting up JT & him: "I disagree, I think we can play together. We have played together well for the majority of our career. The last year or so hasn't gone as expected. But the adversity we've gone through will help us grow & get better in the future."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) January 9, 2022
The two met after Thursday’s loss to the Knicks and decided they could win together.
Jaylen Brown said he had a conversation with Jayson Tatum after Thursday’s #Knicks loss. Said the two are convinced they can play together and make it work long term. Said both are on the same page. #Celtics.
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) January 9, 2022
Since the two have made up their minds they want to make it work as teammates, Tatum appears to be trying to quiet the external noise that provides a distraction and perpetuates a narrative that the two cannot play together.
Perkins isn’t the only one lately to be critical of the Celtics.
Photo: Jan 4, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during warm ups prior to the against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
