Jayson Tatum Goes Off on How the Celtics Thrive in Crunchtime

Once upon a time, crunchtime was seen as the Celtics’ Achilles heel. However, the Celtics have since put those woes to bed, and they showed it when they beat the Pistons on October 26. While being neck-and-neck with them for most of the fourth quarter, the Celtics pulled through in the end, winning 124-118.

After the game, Jayson Tatum explained to reporters how the Celtics thrive in the closing minutes like they did against the Pistons despite their struggles to put them away.

“The fun part was that we figured out how to win. We were never rattled, never worried. We know what we’re supposed to do on offense, how to execute our late-game plays that we like to go to,” Tatum said.

Tatum then singled out two particular Celtics for their contributions while acknowledging that he enjoys persevering through their struggles.

“Jrue (Holiday) made some big shots at the end, and then (Derrick) White and Jrue made some big stops. It was just fun to be a part of those moments of ‘It’s not going well. It’s kind of ugly.’ We’re not rattled. We figure it out, and everybody plays a part in that.

With the win, the Celtics are now 3-0, which makes them one of only three teams to remain undefeated, joining the likes of the Lakers and Cavaliers.

This was also the first time in the 2024-25 season that the Celtics had to play their starters in the closing minutes. In fact, it was the first time Tatum played in a fourth quarter this season. The Pistons entered the season regarded as one of the worst NBA teams, but they made the Celtics earn the win.