Jayson Tatum Breaks Character in Heated Exchange vs Derrick Jones Jr. as Mavs Jolt for Game 4 Comeback

Dallas‘ star Derrick Jones Jr. ignited the playoff fire in Game 4. Maybe too little, too late. After losing three straight games, the Mavs play a do-or-die to keep the Finals series alive. For the most part of the series, the Texas side didn’t seem to have an answer for the Cs. However, tonight, it doesn’t seem to be the case. With 21 seconds left in the first quarter, Jrue Holiday carried the ball into the offense corner. When Jayson Tatum moved past Derrick to take his position, the defender tried to block him. And that’s when it all began.

In response, JT shoved away Jones’ hands aggressively, only to get the same treatment from him. And immediately the duo then threw words at each other. The refs jumped into the situation and separated the players. Luckily, it was just whistles and screams, as the officials didn’t hand out any techs.

The Mavericks have already played a ton of mind games with Jayson Tatum, heading into the series. Starting with Mavs HC Jason Kidd, who tried to create a rift between JT and Jaylen Brown with his tactical praise of the latter. Ahead of Game 2, Kidd said, “Well, Jaylen is their best player…” However, it didn’t have any effect on the star, as he dropped 18 points with 12 assists to produce a back-to-back win. Ahead of tonight’s game, Kidd even clarified, “That was not mental warfare, that was just my opinion. I didn’t mean to cause such a stir.”

But tonight, early in the game, Derrick Jones Jr. engaged in a heated battle with JT and this time, the star seemed to have fallen prey. The Mavs have continued to maintain massive 20-point lead throughout the first half. Nevertheless, it’s too early to write off a team like Celtics. The top seeding side is known for its ability to turn things around in a matter of quarters.

Can Jayson Tatum turn things around and make his case for Finals MVP?

Three games into the series, fans have already declared Jaylen Brown as the Finals MVP. The 27-year-old has averaged 24.3 points with a high score of 30 points. Moreover, he also impressed everyone with his defensive ability, racking up 2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. On the other hand, Tatum didn’t have a poor run, but comparatively, he didn’t match up to JB’s standard. So far, he has averaged 21.7 points with 8.7 rebounds with a high score of 31 points.

If the Celts take the series home in Game 4, it’s unanimously Jaylen Brown, who will likely take the trophy home. But Tatum also has the chance to make a dent in the numbers in today’s last two quarters.

Heading into the locker room after the first half, the Celts trail by 26 points. The Boston side managed to score only 35 points in the first two quarters. It’s the lowest total for the Celtics in any half under Joe Mazzulla. Coming out in the second half, they can turn things around like they did in the past. During the regular season, the team dropped 46 points in a quarter against the Indiana Pacers. And, it wasn’t just once. They dropped 40 or more points in a quarter 21 times in this season!

So, the team might pull some strings to make the change.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, this video