NBA TODAY | Jefferson destroys Perk after Cavaliers expose Celtics are not championship contenders

NBA TODAY | Jefferson destroys Perk after Cavaliers expose Celtics are not championship contenders

Welcome to NBA Today presented by ESPN bet hey Richard we’re picking up hey Richard that’s we left off Richard Jefferson back in studio Kendrick Perkin y’all act like y’all don’t see me back together J and I are matching these two are picking it up right where we left

Off gentlemen both of you have won uh titles for the Cavaliers the Celtics in your storied NBA histories I’m not sure either one of you though had a game that went down like what we saw last night if you missed it we’ll show you exactly what we’re talking about it was a

Celtics collapse in Cleveland on Tuesday night and it was a a star studded Affair Jason Tatum of course Darius Garland remember don’t know Donovan Mitchell in this one the Kelsey Brothers they showed up to Che Ohio boys individuals we’re going to pick this up in the fourth quarter friends because

The Celtics they were up big in this one Jason Tatum gets his own Miss gets that one to go so at this point in the game the Boston Celtics had a 99.9% chance to win up 93- 71 the Celtics were 364 and0 in these situations um not quite Chan so

Under 8 minutes in the fourth the Cav’s down 9376 Dean Wade he started to heat up yeah you know what happens when you play with fire sometimes you get burnt and speaking of heat Dean Wade was on an heater he was I mean the ball movement was great they just kept attacking and

Creating wide open looks gets that one to go as well and then a few possessions later here the Celtics a wide open look here from Jason Tatum that one wouldn’t go fast forward up the floor here here come the Cavaliers yeah I mean just look at this

This is we’re talking about a team that is top five typically in offense and defense and these final possessions down the stretch defensively they were not there they were a little casual and guess who capitalized Mr Wade it’s hard to guard those quick actions back out to

Mr Wade got to guard that though Richard Jefferson oh it was impressive I’m telling you we were having dinner and I was looking at the TV I was wait they cut it to 10 they cut it to it was God it was Dean Wade he had 20 in the fourth quarter

Alone Box him out y’all and then here the final seconds Jason Tatum going to work Darius Garland guarding him Tatum couldn’t get the shot but he would be called for a foul here the Cavaliers they would challenge this and review it eventually the call would be overturned

Can see Cavs fans looking concerned in the stands because see how Jason Tatum kicks out his right leg there that’s what the referees were keying in on so the call was overturned upon review the Cavs get the win 105 104 Wade had 23 points eight rebounds Tatum had 26

Points 13 rebounds in this one here’s Jaylen Brown who was not happy after the game I think turnovers um intentionality I think we weren’t very intentional offense ly um you know they were physical team but we didn’t match their physicality and you know we took some

You know ilis shots and we turned the ball over more than usual and and that led to our demise all right so take a look at the output from Boston in the fourth quarter last night the Celtics they went 0 of eight from Deep they scored to 17 points

Which is the fewest in the final frame for them this season Jason Tatum he missed eight of his nine shots in the quarter while Jaylen Brown he didn’t even attempt a single field goal in this one Richard’s kind of shrugging in indifference they say it’s a make or

Miss league right and the numbers they back that up for Boston in wins they shoot 40% from Deep a number that would lead the league but here’s the thing in their 13 losses that number drops all the way down to 32% which would be last

In the NBA but did you guys hear that did you hear that no what perk I heard you spied something uh oh uh uh oh I’m Kendrick Perkins better known as Big perk and nothing gets past me freeze just when you thought it did get past me

There I am I spy a problem I spy it all te the hell off what’s good it’s no happy Wednesday of did you miss me this is a serious matter okay the playoffs have started and I spy problem with quote unquote the fa to win at all in the Boston Celtics okay

They have not been clutched this season we’re talking about going into the postseason they are one and 11 on potential game time or goahead shots in final 10 seconds of the fourth quarter OT that is horrible now I hate to point the finger at one player but I have to

Single out Jason Tatum because he is the best player on this team he is the guy that is getting MVP uh type NS in the conversation here goes the turnaround do I think he could have got a better shot absolutely here go another same scenario right late game situation another fade

Going over the same same shoulder turnaround shots here you go again last night same thing darus gardland playing some exceptional defense another fade away like the guy 610 I understand you’re not going to be able to get downhill but here’s numbers right I’m backing up with numbers in 2020

2022 he ranked 37 out of 47 he shot 37% from the field for is in the clutch this is Jason Tatum in 2223 he was 50th out of 57 in 2023 this year in 2024 he’s 25th out of 25 32.6% if the Celtics are trying to go to

The promised land and complete the mission Jason Tatum has to be better in the clutch here’s the thing their clutch numbers as a team this season they’re they’re fine they’re very they’re actually pretty good this season as a team it’s just Jason Tatum the last three years and

When it comes down to the playoffs you you kind of are only as good as your best player is and that’s where the concern lies for the Boston Celtics How concerned are you on a scale of of one to perk I one to perk I’m probably maybe

Two degrees below perk I am not uh completely satisfied with what I saw now I like to put into context that this is a team that in their last 20 games are them four this is a team that we just celebrated how they handled the Warriors

And said hey they’re ready to avenge the two years p and then now they go into Cleveland and they let their guard down yeah period and I looked at this fourth quarter and typically this is a team that is not in that position they win by the largest average margin in the NBA

They win by 11 points per game usually they’re resting their guys which is their long-term you know success meaning that when they made it to the finals they were tired their guys weren’t there but in clutch time you you do need that best player to show up and when your

Best player is giving you one for nine and your second best player is not getting a field goal you have a problem you need like I was watching it just seemed very casual they played up all right they they were able to answer in every quarter these runs that the Cavs

Made but when it mattered most I mean we had christops porzingis go for a nice little tough bucket but you’re looking at JB you’re looking at JT and you’re trying to create these moments where not these team wins but where these guys have confidence to say when I’m going up

Against the best I can handle my business and we have yet to seen that look so I called the Dallas game I called the Golden State Warriors game and and look they look like they I I know they look like one of the best teams that I had seen in a very long

Time the way their offense was flowing the way their defense the way the roles were defined their bench dep their starters were playing well it looked like they were perfect this was a terrible nine minutes for them right this was a Terri this the worst nine minutes of the Season that being said

When you look at them late game you’re going to play against Great teams in the postseason and you have to be elite late game it’s that last 5 minutes it’s that last 2 minutes and for me yes when you put those shots together of Jason Tatum and some of those shots that might

Because you don’t really practice okay what are we going to do late game a lot of times they put that ball in his hands and those are the shots he’s settling for I think there is a level of growth that you need to get from Jason Tatum

He’s got to get better quality shots he’s got to put himself in a better position than to shoot these turnaround fade until you start knocking them down if you start knocking them down no going to say anything but when you’re low on that list of making shots then we got to

Switch up the shots that we’re getting I think it’s a combination of both it’s Jason Jason Tatum and Joe moula right Joe Missoula got to put him in position that he actually could get quality looks at the basket right and I and I get it those situations are hard rich and you

Talk about how you can’t really practice and prepare for that and that’s why you want Jason Tatum or we want Jason Tatum to take that leap right of being clutch in the in the in those moments but when I think about the Celtics I’m really not that damn concerned about that loss last

Night no I’m not not you huh well because they yeah we saw well because we just saw statistically speaking the most dominant 11 game win stretch in NBA history so anything coming off of that of course you’re going to say okay the only reason this is even concerning is

Because this is a microcosm of their larger issues corre no no no no I’m with you on that Malika but what I’m saying is the Celtics has done excellent job of establishing an identity on their home floor right right so they’re going to get home court advantage throughout the

Postseason right and they have made that a very uncomfortable place to play in for as you walking into that garden and that’s what it should be right but let me ask you this Chan if the Celtics somehow some way won every single game for the rest of the regular season let’s

Just say they did say well they win every single game for the rest of the regular season does that make you more confident in them as title contenders or is it kind of all just the same no it does it does because a lot of their weaknesses they’re eliminating them and

They’re making them their strengths by having the best record they’re putting themselves in the best position to you know win period when it comes to the NBA finals also late in game they have issues but guess what they also had issues when it came to their stamina

Last time they were there now they’re winning by the greatest margin so like there is progress in the overall team schematics but we want this progress from Jason Tatum because we are ready all of us here at this desk are ready to say this guy can be MVP perk I know you

Say you want to go best player best team for your MPP vote but moments like yesterday where he could have help deliver that is what certifies them and I think that’s the confidence that we want them to build if they are truly going to be what you see on the screen

NBA title favorites no I agree and and look let me let me ask y’all this question when it comes down to what we’re witnessing with the Celtics and how they had that run right where they was beating everybody beating the brakes off of everyone where were going to take

Off the belts again I know but not today not today or tomorrow or next week don’t don’t y’all start it okay here’s the thing right you need those type of games if you want those type of games if you’re the Boston Celtics right in the regular season you want that type of

Practice and repetition that that game might have been the the best thing for them and the worst thing for the rest of the league they were playing they were playing you know outstanding basketball best in the league everybody’s taking a step back this last being like man these

Boys are a problem then they go and they have an ultimate let down up by 20 no Donovan Mitchell on the road we got this we’re cruising we’re on cruise control and all of a sudden the brakes fall off and everything everything goes crazy so for me if you’re that team they’re

Pissed off now they are Furious they are pissed off they are coming with a different level of different Focus yeah that’s what I’m saying so this could been this could be something that can relaunch kind of their focus in a quick moment the most dangerous thing for the

Rest of the league leue that’s really interesting thing about it it wasn’t just though that they they their break stopped working it’s that Dean Wade came in with a pair of pliers and said okay snip because take a look over the for the Cavs in the fourth quarter he

Outscored the Celtics 20 to 17 by himself he shot Seven of seven from the field including five of five on three-pointers becoming the first C to go seven or seven or better in a fourth quarter since the playby playay was first tracked that was back in 9697 So

Wade also made the game winner with 19 seconds left a p back dunk to become the third player in the last 25 Seasons to go seven or seven or better in the fourth quarter while making the game winner in the final 2 seconds he’s the first since remember this Jimmy Butler

2018 for Philly against the Nets Jimmy made all seven of his shots in the fourth including the game-winning three in the final seconds of a game the Sixers trailed by 13 entering the final period and then they can still have them I bet wish they still have them the

Lakers Richard trailed the Mavs by 27 entering the fourth before Kobe Bryant exploded for 21 points on 8 of eight shooting in the quarter including the game-winning jumper watch those Nets in Cleveland after Allstar they’ve been on fire Well’s watch your Rockets Chan Victor wanyama got a little bit of a real for

For V fore get in my belly for First Blood the hunger is real get over your tower has been destroyed an ally has been defeated get in my belly oh lit an enemy has been defeated sck around an enemy has been defeated get over Here an ally has been defeated familiar time to an ally has been defeated you have been defeated for for for what for for for spe for

NBA TODAY | Richard Jefferson destroys Perk after Cavaliers expose Celtics are not championship contenders