After losing Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics find themselves in a big hole down 3-2. The entire Celtics team struggled to get things going, but Jayson Tatum‘s struggles are at an all-time low in this series. Prior to Game 5, Tatum was shooting just 34.1% from the field in the series — which is an NBA finals record for lowest FG% (min. 20 FGA per game).
Tatum has been put in a position to fail though, with the overall struggles and scoring burden put on his shoulders. Often, he has had to create great looks from one-on-one matchups. In Game 5 though, he played very well shooting 50% from the field and 55.6% from three in 44 minutes played. He was pretty much the only Celtic who showed up.
More than anything, the wear and tear from the long and taxing road to get to the Finals is starting to show. The tell-tale signs of fatigue are starting to show as the Celtics shot 21-31 (67.7%) from the free-throw line and many missed shots in the fourth Quarter were missed short. The Celtics are going to have to find the strength and will to continue to fight if they hope to push this series to seven games.
Celtics Lab 123: What went wrong in Game 5 of the NBA Finals for Boston, and can they fix it in Game 6? https://t.co/DwEm90VKEM
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 14, 2022
Per The Athletic:
Jayson Tatum is shooting 28/82 (34.1%) this series.
Game 1: 3/17
Game 2: 8/19
Game 3: 9/23
Game 4: 8/23
It’s the worst FG% in NBA Finals history (min. 20 FGA per game)
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
