Jayson Tatum wouldn’t give the ball up. Late in the fourth quarter, the Celtics called for a full timeout, and Tatum tried to attempt a layup before heading to the huddle. It’s a move that’s standard practice among NBA players: the perfunctory pre-timeout shot.
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But Draymond Green wasn’t letting Tatum have it. So he proceeded to carry the ball all the way back to the bench, as Green continued to chirp in his face. After the game, Tatum explained his protective actions.
“At timeouts, guys try to get shots up,” Tatum said. “They didn’t want me to shoot the ball, so I said ‘f— it.’ I took the ball with me to the timeout, and I kept the ball the whole time. They didn’t say nothing. They just didn’t want me to shoot the ball.”
The exchange personified the increasingly chippy nature of the series, especially when it comes to how the Celtics feel about Green. The veteran instigator dismissed Boston’s Game 1 victory and hasn’t stopped agitating — even though he’s struggled on the court.
On Monday, Green played his best game of the series, scoring eight points and grabbing eight rebounds in 35 minutes of play. But just as importantly, Green brought the intensity. It’s apparent he unnerved the Celtics, who struggled to hit free throws and turned the ball over with alarming regularity.
Green has been a laughingstock for the most of the last week. In Game 5, his mental warfare returned.
Tatum responded in kind.