Celtics
“I never talk about just one person,” Tatum said. “I understand who I am, who I am in this league.”
Jayson Tatum was unwilling to answer questions about the flagrant foul involving his former teammate. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
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Hornets forward Grant Williams, who was teammates with Jayson Tatum for four seasons with the Celtics, tied Tatum with a hard foul Friday night.
On Saturday, Tatum told reporters he did not want to comment on the situation.
“I mean, I don’t really want to talk about it,” Tatum said. “It’s just that we prepared for today’s game, we came to Charlotte and did what we were supposed to do, and we’re going to Atlanta to try to get another win before we go back to the house.”
Tatum then mentioned Williams by name when asked how he reacts when teams resort to a more physical style of play.
“You understand that’s their game plan,” Tatum said. “They asked me to deny Grant, they didn’t want me to get the ball, they kept my face.”
“It makes you stronger, it makes you better,” he added. “You find other ways to impact the game. Don’t limit yourself to just one way to be effective. I lift every game day, so it (expletive) doesn’t really bother me.
Williams said Friday night that the serious foul was unintentional and that he would reach out to Tatum. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reported before the game that the two had spoken.
Williams apologized, Washburn said, and Tatum accepted the apology even though he was still annoyed.
“I never talk about just one person,” Tatum said. “I understand who I am, who I am in this league. I go out and play the right way.
“It’s not about a match or anything. Just try to go out, dominate and give my team the best chance to win, whether it’s scoring, rebounding or screening other guys. The goal is to make sure we give ourselves the best chance of winning, so it’s not a one-person situation.
Tatum got up and headed to the free throw line after Williams knocked him down. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he liked the way Tatum handled the situation.
Derrick White and Jaylen Brown both said the play was some kind of “BS” and that Williams should know better. Brown said he thought Tatum and Williams were friends, but he’s not so sure in hindsight.
Williams told NBC Sports Boston’s Kayla Burton that he made chicken wings in anticipation of some of his former Celtics teammates arriving for dinner while the teams played back-to-back games in Charlotte.
He acknowledged that the chances of them stopping after the foul were slim.
The Celtics swept the mini-series with the Hornets. Tatum had an uneven shooting night Saturday, going 1-of-9 from 3-point range and 14-of-17 from the field.
Tatum turned the ball over five times in each of two games, tying his highest total of the season.
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