The Big Lead

Jayson Tatum uses one word to describe his botched clutch moment vs. Pelicans

By Aikansh Chaudhary

Jan 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
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Usually, a matchup between the second seed and the 15th seed is hardly the one to bat an eye on. However, the New Orleans Pelicans almost caused one of the biggest upsets of the season in their recent matchup against the Boston Celtics.

Despite being a top-two team in the East, the Celtics narrowly avoided an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Pelicans as the defending champions pulled away with a one-point win.

RELATED: What Joe Mazzulla wants to do after ex-NBA star called Jayson Tatum soft

Jayson Tatum was the star of the show as he finished the night with 38 points. However, Tatum was on the verge of getting humiliated by NBA fans around the globe for a botched clutch moment.

Yes, when it mattered the most, JT missed two clutch free throws. Had he made those from the charity stripe, the C's would have had some breathing room and put the game to bed. Tatum reflected on the missed free throws during the postgame conference.

"Uncharacteristic, missing those two free throws. Just put the game away, no excuse for that, but I mean, I made countless plays to win games and stuff over my career," Tatum said. "Wasn’t happy about that but we still won."

As Tatum concluded, he may have had a momentary lapse of concentration during an important phase of the game, but the Celtics still walked away with a win.

RELATED: Jayson Tatum claps back at ex-NBA star for ridiculous 'soft' take

Following the 120-119 win, the Celtics are now 28-11 for the season as they remain the second seed in the East. However, head coach Joe Mazzulla needs to have a discussion with his stars to avoid such close games in the future, especially against low-seeded teams.

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