Celtics’ Jayson Tatum pulls out receipt after tech in Game 5 vs. Cavs

The image clearly shows Mobley got Tatum on the arm as he shot the ball, and the foul should have been called. Ultimately, Darius Garland instead shot the technical free throw and the Celtics walked into halftime with a 58-52 lead.

Jayson Tatum and Celtics advance to face winner of Knicks/Pacers

After a fairly slow start to the series, Tatum finished strong, posting back-to-back 33-point performances in Games 3 and 4. In the series-clincher, he had 25 points (9-for-16 shooting) to go along with 10 rebounds and nine assists for a near-triple-double.

Deserved or not, the five-time All-Star received plenty of criticism this postseason. Despite all the noise, Tatum ended up leading the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists, and steals in the second round.

“How can I dominate the game?” Tatum asked during his postgame presser. “Me and Joe talk about endurance, spurts of the game…do I want to screen? Do I want to handle the ball? It’s just simple…making the right reads. I don’t come down the court telling myself I’m about to shoot or I’m about to pass. It’s just about making the right read based on the reaction.”

Tatum is considered a scorer first and foremost, yet his playmaking ability is going to be a big factor for a Celtics team that has seen their offense stagnate for stretches. When the Cavs inevitably tried to collapse on him with multiple guys, he found the open shooter frequently.

TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley spoke on the Celtics Wednesday, saying, “They’re the worst offense I’ve seen for grown folks. It’s like they just give the ball to one guy and go 1-on-1… The way they play offense right now, they can’t win a championship like that.”

While 113 points isn’t anything to sneeze at, the Celtics have struggled to get going at times in the playoffs over the last several seasons. While Boston does have a pair of great one-on-one players in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the offense can tend to get bogged down and have moments of the two players taking turns driving to the rim.

The Celtics shoot a lot of 3-pointers as well, which can lead to significant variance in the offense’s effectiveness. Should Boston want to make a legitimate Finals run this postseason, they’ll need to figure out a way to add some dynamic looks.