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A small win: what Jayson Tatum took from Celtics Game 2 loss to Sixers

· Yahoo Sports

BOSTON — Almost 1 year ago, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum thought his NBA career was over when he ruptured his Achilles. He imagined the worst, wondering if he'd ever be able to take the court again and enjoy the game that he loves. That worst-case scenario never occurred though, as Tatum put in the work to not only return to action, but to also play like a superstar once more. With this grueling journey in mind that involved re-learning how to walk, among other difficult things, it's no surprise that the 28-year-old wasn't deeply bothered by the Celtics' 111-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

Of course, Tatum wanted to win at TD Garden and take Game 2 in the first-round playoff series to go up 2-0. Yet, he's been in the NBA long enough to know that not every game will go as planned, and that fretting over a result is mentally taxing as well as distracting. So, instead of sounding perturbed at the podium after the disappointing defeat, Tatum embraced the silver lining.

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"I'm feeling good," he replied when asked about his health. "It sounds cliche but, man, I'm back in the playoffs. For me, it's a win every day that I've come back from what happened last May and being able to play at this level for the last month. And obviously (I'm) going to continue to get better, but I get to walk off the court on my own two feet. So as long as I do that every game, I win a little bit."

When Tatum injured his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last May, he had to be helped off the court and was eventually rolled out of Madison Square Garden in a wheelchair.

It was a traumatic experience for the six-time All-Star and it's clearly left a lasting impact on him. But, the brutality of that moment hasn't stopped Tatum from shining since his return in early March. He averaged almost 22 points per outing through 16 games in the regular season and nearly recorded a triple-double against the Sixers on Tuesday, finishing the loss with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists in 39 minutes.

Still, it wasn't enough to stop the rival 76ers, who burned the C's with hot 3-point shooting and improved defense from Game 1.

"(I'm) obviously frustrated after the loss," Tatum said. "I wish I would have played better, wish we would have played better. But even before getting injured, I think just being through it so many times — the playoffs are a roller coaster."

Tatum has now played in 123 playoff games with Boston, which is just outside the top-10 in franchise history. As a result, he's been a part of series where the Celtics are predicted to lose and series — like against the seventh-seeded Sixers — where they're expected to dominate. The media often dictates those projections, and Tatum has learned to ignore them, regardless of whether they're gloomy or hopeful.

"Our job is to focus on the things that we can control," Tatum stated. "And going out there playing — good or bad — we can't necessarily listen to the outside noise. And I've been dealing (with) or doing that for the last 9 years."

He'll have to do it again on Friday night for Game 3 in Philadelphia when the pressure of losing homecourt advantage arrives.

"Throughout my career and obviously throughout the playoffs, it’s just about emotional stability," Tatum explained. "Don't get too high after a win or too low after a loss. They all count as one. You’ve just got to stay level-headed.”

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jayson Tatum refuses to let Celtics Game 2 loss to Sixers get him down

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