Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown ‘still pissed about last year’

Robert Williams: Tatum, Brown ‘still pissed off last year’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The failure of the 2022 NBA Finals has fueled Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s outstanding performances so far this season.

Both Boston Celtics stars are in the middle of their career years as they seek to return to the big stage and finish the job in 2023. They asserted their dominance again in Wednesday night’s 139-96 rout against the Brooklyn Nets.

Celtics-Nets takeaways: It’s rain 3s, sets franchise records in searing win

Tatum himself beat the Nets in the first quarter (18-16) while Brown had 12 points in the frame. They combined to shoot 7-for-8 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes, and they didn’t stop there.

Tatum (31 points) and Brown (26 points) both finished the game 7-for-12 from beyond the arc, becoming the first teammates in C history to make seven 3s in the same game. They accomplished that feat in just three quarters as Boston’s huge lead allowed them to rest in the fourth.

“Carrying the team, man,” Celtics big man Robert Williams said of Tatum and Brown after the win. “They accept all criticism. They accept everything he said, she said. But I love the way they reacted. I really feel like they are hungry. You know I mean? Still mad at last year.”

Motivation from the Celtics’ Finals loss helped Tatum hit a career-high 31.1 points per game and earn a spot on the 2023 NBA All-Star starting lineup. Brown is averaging 27.0 points per game, a career high, and will almost certainly earn his second star nomination as a reserve. They helped the C’s set a league-best 37-15 record.

Williams has also done her part since returning to the Boston roster, averaging 8.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in 18 games. He had 16 points and nine boards in Wednesday’s win over Brooklyn.

He and the Jays will be looking to stay warm when the C’s host the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

You can watch Williams’ full post-match press conference below: