With a stunned TD Garden crowd left in silence after the New York Knicks escaped with a gritty 91–90 win—taking a surprising 2–0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals—the spotlight again turned to Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum.
The star forward, expected to lead the franchise’s title defense, finished Game 2 with just 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting. With Boston now in an unexpected 0–2 hole, questions are resurfacing about Tatum’s ability to lead when it matters most.
Former Boston Celtics Center Questions Jayson Tatum’s Fire After Home Loss
“At some point, Jayson Tatum’s gotta say, ‘I’m the best player on the floor. I cannot be guarded,'” ESPN analyst and former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins said. “He’s one of the most elite scorers in the game today, and I just don’t see that tenacity. I don’t see that dog in him.”
Perkins, who played alongside Hall of Famer Paul Pierce during the Celtics’ 2008 title run, compared the two. He said Pierce took pride in defending the home floor—and called out Tatum for falling short in that area.
"At some point, Jayson Tatum's gotta say, 'I'm the best player on the floor. I cannot be guarded.' … He's one of the most elite scorers in the game today, and I just don't see that tenacity. I don't see that dog in him."
—@KendrickPerkins after the Celtics' Game 2 loss to the… pic.twitter.com/9cuPVNw3aV
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN)
“He took pride in individual matchups,” Perkins added. “I’m not seeing that from Jayson Tatum right now.”
Tatum helped lead Boston to a championship last season but doubts about his late-game fire never fully went away. He averaged 22.2 points in the Finals but was overshadowed by Jaylen Brown, who earned Finals MVP. Now, with the Celtics down 2–0, the spotlight on Tatum is only getting hotter.
Through two games against New York, Tatum is averaging 18 points—well below his regular-season mark of 26.8.
The Knicks have frustrated Boston’s offense with length and discipline. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have rotated seamlessly on the wing, bothering every touch. Tatum, usually good at drawing contact, attempted just two free throws in Game 2.
“I’m not seeing that [dog] from Jayson Tatum right now,” Perkins repeated. “And it’s all about the dog. Being the dog. Being able to get to the free-throw line. He shot only five three-point shots last night. You got to give a lot of credit to OG Anunoby. You got to give a lot of credit to Mikal Bridges. Hell, Jalen Brunson at times—we saw him sliding those puppies.”
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Despite the 2–0 deficit, the Celtics still have something the Knicks don’t—championship experience. But for many fans, that belief is fading fast, especially with their All-NBA forward struggling when it matters most.
Game 3 shifts to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, where the Knicks will look to tighten their grip on the series. Tatum, meanwhile, faces mounting pressure to do more than just bounce back—he has to lead. And as Perkins and others have made clear, Boston’s title hopes might come down to whether or not he finds that “dog.”
