Jayson Tatum on How the Celtics Improved in Crunchtime

The crucial moment was once seen as the Celtics’ Achilles heel. But the Celtics have since put those troubles aside, and they showed it by beating the Pistons on October 26. The Celtics, who were neck and neck for most of the fourth quarter, finally pulled it off and won. 124-118.

After the game, Jayson Tatum told reporters how the Celtics were successful in the closing minutes against the Pistons despite their efforts to put them away.

“The fun part was we figured out how to win. We were never rattled, we were never worried. We know what we need to do offensively, how to make the plays we like to make late in the game,” Tatum said.

Tatum later singled out two Celtics in particular for their contributions and admitted that he enjoyed persevering through their struggles.

“Jrue (Holiday) made some big hits at the end, and then (Derrick) White and Jrue made some big stops. It was a lot of fun to be a part of those ‘Things aren’t going well. It’s a little ugly’ moments.” We’re figuring it out, and everyone plays a part in it.

With the win, the Celtics are now 3-0, making them one of only three teams to remain undefeated, joining the likes of the Lakers and Cavaliers.

This was also the first time of the 2024-25 season that the Celtics had to play a starter in the closing minutes. In fact, Tatum played in the fourth quarter for the first time this season. The Pistons entered the season considered one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they managed to hold off the Celtics for a win.