Celtics' Jayson Tatum: 'I Got to Be Better' After NBA Finals Game 4 Loss to Warriors

Jayson Tatum accepted responsibility for the Boston Celtics' Game 4 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, which leveled the 2022 NBA Finals at two wins apiece.

Tatum finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in the 107-97 defeat, but he knocked down just eight of his 23 shots from the field. He credited the Warriors' game plan before shifting the focus to his own play.

"But it's on me. I got to be better," the three-time All-Star told reporters. "I know I'm impacting the game in other ways, but I got to be more efficient, shoot the ball better, finish at the rim better. I take accountability for that."

If the Celtics fall short of capturing the franchise's 18th championship, they'll likely look back at Game 4 as a massive missed opportunity.

Playing on its home floor, Boston held a five-point halftime lead before its offense went dormant in the second half, scoring just 43 points over the final two quarters.

Tatum (2-of-9 in the second half) wasn't the only player who struggled. Nobody who took more than one field-goal attempt for the Celtics after the break shot better than 50 percent from the field, including Jaylen Brown (4-of-11) and Marcus Smart (5-of-12).

"We obviously felt like we put ourselves in the position to win the game," Tatum said. "There's a lot of things we wish we would have done differently, especially on the offensive end. I think we just got way too stagnant late in the fourth from everybody."

Meanwhile, Stephen Curry stole the show for the Warriors after entering the contest as a bit of a question mark after suffering a foot injury late in Game 3. He poured in seven three-pointers en route to 43 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists.

Klay Thompson (18 points) also knocked down some key shots as Golden State's championship mettle showed through as it seeks a fourth title since 2015.

The Celtics' core of Tatum, Brown and Smart is seeking its first Larry O'Brien Trophy, with the franchise's last title coming in 2008.

Tatum knew a team with the Warriors' success and experience wouldn't go down easily.

"But it's the Finals. The art of competition, they came here feeling like they had to win," he said. "It wasn't easy. I think that's kind of the beauty of it, that it's not going to be easy. It shouldn't be. We know we both want it, and we got to go take it."

It sets the stage for a crucial Game 5 as the series shifts back to Golden State's Chase Center on Monday night.