Olympics

Taylor Snow

For as long as he can remember, Jayson Tatum has fantasized about winning an Olympic gold medal for the Red, White, and Blue. On Saturday morning in Tokyo, his lifelong dream came true.

The United States men’s basketball team danced past France, 87-82, for its 16th first-place finish in the Olympic Games.

Kevin Durant led the charge with a game-high 29-point performance, and Tatum – the youngest member of Team USA – finished second on the squad with 19 points to go along with a team-leading seven rebounds. The 23-year-old wing was also the most efficient shooter of the matchup, as he finished 8-of-14 from the field, including a game-best 3-of-5 from 3-point range, en route to becoming the first Celtics player to win Olympic gold since Larry Bird in 1992.

It was a slow start for the Americans, as they fell behind 10-4 out of the gate while missing their first eight 3-point attempts. However, Durant kept the team afloat by scoring 12 of its first 18 points in the opening frame.

Tatum checked in off the bench late in the first quarter and quickly got his name into the scoring column. He knocked down a 3-pointer for the final points of the period to give the USA a 22-18 lead, and then dropped in a fadeaway jumper on the first possession of the second quarter to push its lead up to six.

JT remained on fire throughout the second quarter, as he also made a pair of layups along with another jumper. He finished the first half with 11 points, helping to guide Team USA into the break with a 44-39 lead.

Tatum scored five more points in the third quarter, including two on a fast-break dunk that gave the USA its biggest lead of the game at 71-57. However, France then went on a 13-2 run, cutting its deficit down to three points with 5:44 remaining in the final frame.

The Americans then began to pull away again, as they went on a 9-2 run that was capped off by another Tatum 3-pointer.

However, France remained resilient, hacking away at the USA’s double-digit lead until it was a three-point ball game again with just 10 seconds remaining.

For a moment, it looked like the French had a chance to pull off another upset victory over the heavily favored USA, just as they had done in the Group Stage round. However, their fate was sealed just two seconds later after fouling Durant on the ensuing inbounds pass. The three-time gold medalist confidently walked to the free-throw line and sunk both of his attempts, which all but clinched the victory for the Americans.

The final buzzer sounded eight seconds later, prompting Tatum to let out a scream of joy before sharing an embrace with new Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who was serving as a Team USA assistant. The young superstar played every bit the part in his first Olympic journey, and it all became worth it at that moment.

“It’s an incredible feeling. Something you always dream about,” Tatum told NBC after the game while surrounded by many of his former idols who have now become teammates. “I remember being in high school watching these guys win a gold medal. And to play alongside them and win one in a climate like this, everything that we went through, not being able to bring our family – I know (my son) Deuce is watching. So this is an amazing feeling.”

It’s a feeling that Tatum has waited his whole life to experience. And at just 23 years old, it surely won’t be his last opportunity to do so.

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Tatum Grabs Gold, Scores 19 Points in Team USA's Olympic Win

Jayson Tatum’s Olympic gold medal hopes momentarily hung in the balance Thursday afternoon in Tokyo, as Team USA struggled out of the gates in its semifinal matchup with Australia, trailing by as many as 15 points during the first half. However, it didn’t take long for those hopes to be renewed.

After falling behind 41-26 midway through the second quarter, USA flipped a switch and went on its biggest tear of the tournament – a 28-4 run, which then turned into a 48-14 run, which eventually turned into a 97-78 win and a berth in the finals.

Tatum had one of the most well-rounded efforts of the game, as he came off the bench and tallied nine points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a game-high two blocks. All of his points were produced from beyond the arc where he shot 3-of-6, tying for the game lead in 3-point makes.

Long-range shooting was an early issue for Team USA, as it missed its first 10 shots from deep. However, that trend changed once the Americans saw their first triple fall near the end of the second frame.

Devin Booker broke the cold-shooting spell by knocking down a wide-open triple with 3:23 left in the half, and then Tatum canned another less than two minutes later. Those two makes ended up setting the tone for the remainder of the game, as Team USA went on to knock down 9-of-18 from deep following its 0-for-10 start.

The Americans were able to cut their deficit down to four points by the end of the first half thanks to a 16-4 run, for which Tatum was entirely present. They then opened up the third quarter with a 12-0 burst, extending their run to 28-4.

Kevin Durant was the most consistent source of offense for Team USA, per usual, as he finished with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field. The two-time Olympic gold medalist also grabbed a game-leading nine rebounds to go along with two assists, two steals, and one block.

Australia had previously given USA trouble during exhibition play in Las Vegas last month, capturing a 91-83 upset victory over the three-time defending gold medalists. But that was long before the Americans had brewed up enough chemistry to overcome adversity together, as they did Thursday afternoon.

At the very least, USA will be coming home next week with a silver medal. However, Tatum and his fellow countrymen didn’t travel all the way to Tokyo to come in second place. They came for gold, and now they are just one win away from capturing it.

Their golden opportunity lies less than two days away, as USA will hit the court one final time at 11:30 a.m. Saturday (10:30 p.m. EST, Friday) to take on the winner of the upcoming France-Slovenia semifinal matchup.

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Tatum, Team USA Advance Past Australia into Gold-Medal Game

Jayson Tatum was Mr. Fourth Quarter throughout last season for the Boston Celtics.

And now, he’s turning into Mr. Fourth Quarter for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics.

Tatum helped to break open what had been a close quarterfinals matchup against Spain Tuesday, as he dropped 10 of his 13 points during the fourth quarter to guide Team USA into the semifinals, thus clinching a chance to compete for an Olympic medal.

For Tatum, it marked the second straight game in which he scored in double-figures during the final frame after erupting for 17 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s group stage win over the Czech Republic.

Tatum saved almost all of his scoring for crunch time Tuesday afternoon after tallying only three points during the first three quarters while playing limited minutes. However, head coach Gregg Popovich gave Tatum plenty of run during the final 10 minutes, and that’s when the All-NBA wing did most of his damage.

Team USA had just a four-point advantage early in the fourth quarter over the No. 2 ranked Spanish squad, but Tatum changed the flow of the game as he scored or assisted on 11 straight points to help push the lead out to 15.

During that run, Tatum went on a personal 7-0 scoring spree over a span of just 57 seconds, which included two 3-pointers a rebound, and a steal that led to a clear-path foul.

Tatum finished as Team USA’s second-leading scorer behind Kevin Durant (29 points), while also logging three rebounds, two assists, and one steal during 18 minutes of turnover-free action.

Ricky Rubio led the way for Spain with a magnificent 38-point effort. The veteran guard scored 13 of those points during the first quarter, guiding Spain out of the gates to a 21-19 lead. USA then out-scored Spain by two during quarter No. 2, which placed the teams in a 43-43 tie at halftime.

Team USA exploded out of the break on a 22-6 run, but Spain responded by closing out the third quarter on an 11-2 run of its own.

Team USA had a slim, 69-63 advantage heading into the fourth, and that’s when Tatum buckled down.

“We knew it was win-or-go-home, and they knew that,” Tatum said in an interview with NBC after the game. “They’re a really good team. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We expected a dogfight, and that’s what it was.”

Tatum has provided much of that fight down the stretch during the last two games. He has scored 40 points in his last two contests, including 27 during the fourth quarter alone.

However, this is not a new development for Boston’s Mr. Fourth Quarter, as Tatum led the NBA this past season in fourth-quarter scoring. Now, he’s just continuing the trend on an international stage.

If Tatum and Team USA can maintain their strong play down the stretch, then they’ll have a chance to clinch a medal in Thursday’s semifinal, which will be played against the winner of Tuesday night’s matchup between Argentina and Australia.

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Tatum Heats Up for Another Big 4th Quarter, Pushing USA into Semifinals

Marc D'Amico

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Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 27 points Saturday night as Team USA overcame a slow offensive start to log a critical 119-84 victory over the Czech Republic. The victory advanced Team USA to the knockout stage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Tatum caught fire during the fourth quarter, as he scored 17 points overall, including 14 during a five-minute stretch to open the quarter. He made six of his first seven shots during the period to push his scoring total up to 27 on the night, four ahead of teammate Kevin Durant for the game’s top mark.

Following the game, Tatum said, “It feels good to see some shots go in … Anybody that plays basketball knows that if you get to the free-throw line, see some easy ones go in, you just feel better about yourself.”

Boston’s prized young star should feel great following this performance, especially after the comment Durant made about him during a postgame interview. Durant, who during the second quarter became Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in Olympics play, said in part after the game, “This guy to the left (Tatum), I think he’s going to be the next one to break that record.”

Durant deflected attention with his humble answer, but he, too, deserves praise. He helped the Americans turn the tide in their favor during the second quarter.

The former MVP and four-time NBA scoring champ scored six of the USA’s 10 straight points midway through the frame to fuel a 39-33 lead, after which Team USA never again trailed. He also scored 10 points during the third quarter as the US pulled away for good and eventually built a 37-point lead.

Durant helped the USA to find an offensive rhythm during the second quarter after it struggled to make shots out of the gates. The USA fell behind early and trailed 25-18 at the end of the opening period while shooting a woeful 7-for-20 from the field.

Yet during the second period, the US scored 29 points – an average of nearly three per minute – while shooting 12-for-19 from the field. The Americans then shot a sizzling 12-for-13 from the field during the third quarter to build a commanding 82-60 lead.

While Tatum excelled from an individual perspective during the fourth quarter, as previously outlined, he was also a key piece of that second-quarter surge. He played all 10 minutes of the frame, scoring six points to go along with one rebound and one blocked shot. The USA outscored the Czech Republic by 10 points while he was on the floor during the first half, giving him by far the top plus/minus rating of the game heading into halftime.

Team USA’s victory was a must in order to advance to the knockout stage, which is a single-elimination tournament comprised of the top eight teams from the group stage. The Americans will next play Aug. 3 against an opponent that is to be determined.

The only opponent that the US cannot face is France, which upended Team USA during each team’s first contest at these Olympics. The Olympics features a rule that prohibits two teams from the same group from matching up during the opening round of the knockout stage.

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Tatum Erupts for 27 Points To Lead Team USA into Olympics Quarterfinals

Jayson Tatum scored 14 points, and Team USA restored order Wednesday afternoon in Tokyo by logging a runaway 120-66 victory over Iran during the group stage of the Olympics.

Tatum caught fire during a fourth-quarter run that pushed Team USA’s lead into the 50s. He scored 10 points and assisted on three more during a stretch of four-plus minutes of the final quarter, including his final basket of the night, which pushed the US ahead 108-57 for its largest lead of the night to that point.

Tatum finished third on the team in scoring, behind Damian Lillard’s game-high 21 points and Devin Booker’s 16.

Team USA, which must win the remainder of its games in order to bring home a gold medal following its opening-game loss to France, dominated Iran from the opening tip. The Americans smothered their opponent with high-level defense and shot the lights out offensively. That lethal combination allowed them to pull ahead 28-12 at the end of the first quarter, by as many as 33 points during the first half, and by 55 points late in the fourth quarter before polishing off the victory.

Lillard drained six 3-pointers during the first half and seven overall to account for his 21 points. Six USA players scored in double-figures, including three starters (Lillard, Booker and Kevin Durant) and three reserves (Tatum, Zach LaVine and Khris Middleton).

"I think we came out with a lot more urgency," Lillard said after the win. "Our energy was higher. We played at a faster pace. We was more aggressive, and we played like ourselves."

Team USA’s offense was borderline unstoppable, just a couple of days after it struggled to put the ball through the basket against France. The offense sizzled during the first half, as the US canned 56.8 percent of its shots overall and 13 of its 21 3-pointers, good for 61.9 percent. That momentum carried over to the second half as well, as the team finished the afternoon having shot 55.3 from the field, 48.7 percent from long distance, and 94.4 percent from the free-throw line.

The Americans reached the 79-point mark when Durant threw down a transition dunk with 2:58 remaining in the third quarter. This was after the team scored 79 total points during its loss to France just two days prior. They also committed only six total turnovers.

Tatum did not start the game but checked in late in the first quarter for a stint that lasted about eight minutes. He missed his first shot before connecting on his next two, which featured a monster transition slam that pushed the US ahead 51-18. He played the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter as well, during which he scored or assisted on 13 points. Boston’s star wing finished the game having shot 5-for-11 from the field, 2-for-7 from 3-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. He also contributed four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot during 17-plus minutes of action.

Tatum and Team USA will look to carry over their momentum from this contest into their final group stage contest, which is set to be played at 9 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET) Saturday night in Tokyo against the Czech Republic (1-0). The Czech Republic beat Iran 84-78 for its first victory of the 2020 Olympics, and is set to match up with France for its second game Wednesday.

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Tatum Scores 14 as Team USA Dominates Iran in Tokyo

Jayson Tatum made his Olympic debut in Tokyo Sunday night, though it didn’t go quite as well as he would have hoped.

The Celtics wing came off the bench and tallied nine points, one rebound and two blocks, as the U.S. Men’s National Team dropped Game 1 of the preliminary group stage to France, 74-67, snapping a 24-game Olympic win streak dating back to 2004.

Team USA started off strong, leading 22-15 after one quarter and 45-37 at halftime. However, its offense hit a snag after Kevin Durant got into foul trouble early in the third quarter, and France capitalized by storming back to take a 62-56 lead into the final frame.

USA seemed to regain control at the start of the fourth quarter, as it opened the period on an 18-5 run. But then France countered with a 16-2 run to end the game.

Ironically, Tatum’s first Olympic loss was hand-delivered by his 2020-21 Celtics teammate and impending NBA free agent Evan Fournier, who led the game in scoring with 28 points and knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer during the final minute of regulation.

Adding to the Celtics-related intrigue was the fact that Fournier’s momentum-swinging triple was assisted by former Boston big man Guerschon Yabusele, who made a diving save to prevent the ball from going out of bounds, flipping it back to Fournier before crashing into Team USA’s bench.

Despite the loss, Tatum had his fair share of highlight-worthy moments, as well.

The 23-year-old made his debut midway through the first quarter and wasted no time entering the scoring column, as he took a defensive rebound coast-to-coast for a lay-up over Fournier for the first two points of his Olympic career. He then doubled his scoring total just 16 seconds later, capitalizing off a Jrue Holiday steal with a fast-break dunk.

Tatum scored the remainder of his points during the third quarter, as he accounted for nearly 50 percent of USA’s scoring during its dismal 11-point frame. He was the only team member who scored from the nine-minute mark to the 2:05 mark, during which time he knocked down his lone 3-pointer and his only two free throws of the game.

Holiday was the top performer for Team USA, as he tallied 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists off the bench, all despite landing in Tokyo less than 24 hours ahead of tip-off following his NBA championship run with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Team USA will get a chance to redeem itself Wednesday against Iran in what will be its second of three group-stage matchups. Its final preliminary game will follow on Saturday against the Czech Republic. Ultimately, the top two finishers in each of the three groups will advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams overall.

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Tatum, Team USA Drop Game 1 of Group Stage to France

Competing for an Olympic gold medal has been a lifelong dream for Jayson Tatum. And now, that opportunity lies directly ahead of the 23-year-old basketball superstar.

Following two weeks of prep work in Las Vegas, Tatum and the rest of the United States Men’s Basketball Team flew halfway around the world to Tokyo earlier this week, marking the beginning of their Olympic journey.

“I’m excited. I’m ready,” Tatum said Thursday, two days after arriving in Japan. “After being in Vegas and the long flight over here, it’s almost that time. So I’m ready to get it started.”

The first challenge of Tatum’s trek is getting used to his surroundings, more specifically adjusting to the time zone shift. In his case, the East-Coast dweller is currently fighting off jetlag, as he’s now 13 hours ahead his typical schedule.

“I’m trying to still get used to it,” Tatum said during his 8 p.m. local-time media session, which would have been 7 a.m. in Boston. “Trying not to randomly fall asleep. Waking up at all hours of the night because my body is still trying to get adjusted. I guess it takes a couple of days.”

In the days leading up Sunday’s opening game against France, Tatum is looking forward to building chemistry with his star-studded group of teammates and world-class coaches.

Included on Team USA’s coaching staff is new Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, with whom Tatum has spent plenty of time already. Shortly before departing from Vegas for Tokyo, Tatum got a taste of Udoka’s hands-on coaching approach, as he faced off against the former seven-year NBA journeyman in a one-on-one practice session.

“He was trying to guard me. Didn’t have too much luck,” Tatum recalled while smiling about his friendly battle with Udoka. “We were just getting some extra work in after practice, putting me through some drills, and getting some extra shots up.”

Through their time spent together, Tatum has also begun envisioning what it will be like playing under Udoka in Boston.

“He’s obviously excited to be the new coach and for this opportunity,” Tatum said. “He’s motivated and driven. We’re both excited. But obviously we have a job to do here first, and we’ll take care of [Celtics business] when we get there.”

The first task of the job for Team USA will be taking on France Sunday night (8 a.m. EST). Not only does France boast one of the most talented rosters in the field, but it also contains several of Tatum’s friends and former teammates, including Evan Fournier, Vincent Poirier, and Guerschon Yabusele.

“All three of those guys, they’re all still my teammates. I love playing with those guys,” Tatum said. “VP and especially Guerschon, I haven’t seen those guys in a while. I guess I’ll be happy to see them Sunday, but there won’t be any friends out there when the game starts.”

Tatum has been waiting for Sunday’s tip-off his whole life, as it will mark the beginning of his first Olympic journey. It’s an opportunity for which he holds a great appreciation, especially after going through the trials and tribulations of the ongoing global pandemic.

“I’ve learned to not take things for granted,” said Tatum, who tested positive for COVID-19 in January and spent most of the NBA season battling through its aftereffects. “I think in the climate of the last year and a half, just realizing that not everything is promised, and you never know what could or couldn’t happen. So, I’m just staying in the moment and really enjoying this journey, this process of being 23 and being in the Olympics. It’s an honor. It really is a dream come true.”

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Tatum in Tokyo: Competing for Gold Medal is a ‘Dream Come True’

Jayson Tatum got his first taste of action with the United States Men’s Basketball Olympic team Saturday night and turned out to be one of its few bright spots during an exhibition upset defeat to Nigeria.

The Celtics wing served as Team USA’s primary source of offense throughout the majority of the contest, as he tallied 15 points and a game-high-tying seven rebounds, while shooting 4-of-7 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
But despite the efforts of its youngest member, Team USA came up short, 90-87, in its first of five exhibition matchups ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

Tatum earned a spot in the starting lineup alongside Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, and Bam Adebayo. He proved right away that he belonged among such a star-studded group, as he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during the opening frame, including a transition trey at the end of the frame which gave USA a 23-22 lead.

Tatum added to his scoring in the second quarter with an and-one lay-up and three free-throw makes, giving him a team-high 11 points at the break. However, USA could not sustain its 43-41 halftime lead, largely due to Nigeria’s 20-of-42 shooting effort from 3-point range, which included a 6-of-8 effort from the game’s leading scorer, Gabe Vincent (21 points).

Nigeria saw its lead expand to as many as eight points during the closing minutes, though Durant was able to keep USA in the game by scoring eight of his team-high 17 points during the final minute-plus of regulation.

It was a stunning defeat for Team USA, which was favored by 30 points, but as Tatum noted, it was the first time that many of these guys have played in a game together, and following just four days of preparation.

“We’re just trying to get a feel for the game, for each other,” he said during a halftime interview with NBC Sports. “We’re trying to get in a flow, get in shape, and so we’re trying to figure a lot of things out.”

Tatum also believes that a loss like this can help in the long run, as he said after the game, “We’re going to learn a lot from film, and just regroup, stay positive.”

One piece of intel that he and his teammates will take away from the film is that they will need to move the ball better and not settle for so many isolation plays moving forward.

“We’ve got a lot of great isolation players, and in this deal, we’re going to have to play together and figure out what works best with certain guys out there and getting other guys easy shots instead of for ourselves,” Tatum said.

Obviously, it wasn’t an ideal start for the gold-medal favorites, but getting a wake-up call out of the way early could be a blessing in disguise.

In fact, while sitting next to Tatum at a podium post-game, head coach Gregg Popovich went so far as to say, “In a way, I’m kind of glad it happened. That loss means nothing if we don’t learn from it, but it could be the most important thing in this tournament for us, to learn lessons from this and see what we did to move on. Because it’s a great group of guys, high-character, and we’ll figure it out.”

Tatum and the rest of the group will have four more exhibition games to figure it out before heading to Tokyo, with their next game falling Monday night against Australia.