Jayson Tatum Ejected In Celtics' Frustrating Loss To Knicks Amidst Shooting Slump And Officiating Woes

Photo: Instagram/Jayson Tatum 

Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics MVP candidate, was ejected from the game against the New York Knicks on Monday night due to his frustration with the officiating and his third rough shooting night in a row.

Tatum's first career ejection occurred after he took a three-pointer and believed he was fouled, but no call was made.

During the ensuing possession, he continued to argue with the referees and picked up his second technical of the game, resulting in his ejection.

Photo: Instagram/Jayson Tatum 

Tatum explained that he tried to give the referee a compliment, saying it was probably the best-officiated game he's been a part of, but it didn't go over well.

Tatum's shooting struggles, combined with his frustrations with the officiating, contributed to his ejection.

He finished the night with just 14 points, shooting 6-of-18 from the field and 1-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Tatum's recent slump, including his 18-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, marks just the second time all season that he has recorded two straight games with fewer than 20 points.

Despite his struggles, Celtics big man Al Horford isn't worried about Tatum, as he's been playing at an MVP level for most of the season, and his biggest concern is ensuring he feels right and is good to go for the playoffs.

In the three games since the All-Star break, Tatum is averaging 21.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists but is shooting just 36.7% from the floor and 24.1% from deep.

With Tatum struggling, the rest of the Celtics have been left to pick up the slack.

However, with Jaylen Brown sidelined for personal reasons against the Knicks, there was even more pressure on Boston's role players.

Unfortunately, they were unable to step up, shooting a combined 9-of-42 (21.4%) from beyond the arc, their worst shooting performance of the season.

The Celtics' frustrations with the officiating were apparent throughout the game, culminating in Tatum's ejection.

While head coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged that officials are human and have emotions, he emphasized the importance of controlling what one can control.

Despite the Celtics' recent success, their frustrations and inability to overcome Tatum's slump and Brown's absence proved to be too much to overcome against the Knicks.

Horford noted that the team got rattled, didn't get some calls, and became frustrated, something they can't have happen and need to improve upon moving forward.

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Source: SB Nation