Jayson Tatum on Celtics Slowing Down LeBron James: 'I Don't Have the Answer'
Boston Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum hit the biggest shot of the game Wednesday when his layup with 22.5 seconds remaining broke a tie in his team's 114-112 victory that sent the Philadelphia 76ers home.
While he and the Celtics were in celebration mode after winning the second-round series 4-1, the stark reality is they have the Eastern Conference's biggest obstacle to worry about next—a date with LeBron James.
Tatum was asked how Boston is planning to slow down the four-time MVP after the win and said, "It's my first year, so I don't know. ... I don't have the answer."
It will require a team effort for the Celtics—whom James and the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated in last year's Eastern Conference Finals—to prevail against their next opponent, but that team has thrived on the defensive side this season. According to NBA.com, Boston was first in the league in defensive rating during the regular season.
Tatum may not have known how Celtics are going to do it, but they will need a stifling defensive effort to prevent James from reaching his eighth straight NBA Finals.
