The Celtics avenged their putrid loss to the Knicks last week with a resounding win over them Saturday at the Garden. Jaylen Brown led the way with his first career triple-double, and in turn, received some Twitter praise from Kendrick Perkins.
But Perk didn't just stop at praising Brown. He threw in a little dig at Jayson Tatum, who struggled from the field.
"Jaylen Brown completely took over this game with his first triple double of his career!," Perkins posted. "Played a perfect game while Jayson Tatum went 6/14 from the field. They got the win tho! Carry on …"
Perkins' jab is far from the worst criticism that Tatum has received this season. Earlier this season, an anonymous assistant coach said Tatum doesn't care about winning.
Yet, Tatum responded directly to Perkins. Criticism can sting more when it comes from somebody close.
"Normalizing uplifting one man without bringing another one down… JB played great it's alright to leave it at that," he wrote.
Of course, it's not the best look for Tatum to publicly respond to minor criticism after a much-needed win. It lends to the narrative that the 23-year-old star still isn't mature enough to lead an NBA team.
Perkins clarified his stance.
Nothin' but love.
