By his own account, star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and his teammates are more than ready to get on the court in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks. “We’ve essentially been waiting for this moment to get to the playoffs,” said the St. Louis native to reporters after practice on Friday (via CLNS Media). “The group is locked in, the group is focused,” continued Tatum. “Everybody’s gotten healthy, so we’re just preparing the right way.”
Asked if last season’s loss to the Golden State Warriors left a sour taste in their mouth, the Duke alum suggested it was currently out of sight and mind. “That’s last year, and all we’re focusing on is the Hawks and Game 1 on Saturday,” he suggested.
Buy Celtics TicketsAs to how he was feeling leading up to the series, Tatum said that “this is the least amount of games I have played in six years, so physically, I feel really, really good.”
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“My body feels great, (and my) energy level, so overall, I feel pretty good,” he elaborated in what is likely music to the ears of Boston fans who had to watch Tatum’s play fall off of a cliff in the 2022 NBA Finals in part due to heavy usage for literally years leading up to that series.
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