Boston Celtics stars Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum talk to the Voice Online

Saturday matches are part of the NBA’s initiative to promote games played in European primetime.

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates after making the game winning basket against the New York Knicks

THE BOSTON Celtics take on the San Antonio Spurs today as part of NBA Saturdays.

The Voice Online caught up with Boston stars Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum.

Walker talks about adjusting to life on the Celtics roster, as well as how he keeps up to date with other teams in the league while Tatum talks about being clutch down the stretch and what he has learnt from working with Kobe Bryant.

BOSTON CELTICS

Kemba Walker

Q: You’ve had slow starts on the road?

KW: “It’s something that has not been going our way. I think it’s really good that we find a way to stay in these games and still compete when we start slow. But that has to change. It can’t keep up this whole season. Teams that take advantage of that, it can be tough for us. We can’t play catchup the whole season.”

Q: How do you do that? Come out and match their energy?

KW: “It’s just us, me as well. I’ve got to set the tone, especially being one of the leaders on the team. I’ve got to just get my guys ready to start the game. Even me, it starts with me a lot. I’ve got to have better starts as well.”

Q: Do you feel like you’re playing differently than you have in the past?

KW: “I don’t think I’m playing differently at all. I can’t put my finger on it. It’s just something that we have to be conscious of. You just have to get better. I think for us, it starts on the offensive end. I think it gets in our heads. It starts to get frustrating. We’ve missed shots early and it trickles down to our defense. We just have to be better. We’re not going to make shots all the time. We can’t control the offense all the time, but we can control the defense with our energy, so that’s where we’ve got to start.”

Q: What changes for you when you start alongside Marcus Smart?

KW: “Nothing. Just knowing I have a warrior beside me, a guy that’s going to get after it with everything’s he’s got on the court. I love playing alongside him. He’s an awesome teammate, really fun to be around, really fun to play with. His passion for the game is second to none. I just know that I’ve got somebody that’s a warrior, man. I know we’re definitely going to go as he goes.”

Q: Do you watch other games?

KW: “Yeah, I love watching basketball. I love watching other friends around the league when I get a chance to watch those guys. I watch other teams. My League Pass is always on.”

Jayson Tatum

Q: You’re only 21-years-old but you seem to get more responsibility every week, how do you deal with those responsibilities in the game?

JT: “It’s what you work for. I am relatively young in age, but it’s my third year in the NBA. I got my feet wet a couple of years. It’s just being comfortable.”

Q: You scored the game-winner against the Knicks on a mid-range turnaround. Is that something you’ve been working on a little, putting more attention to it in the game?

Kemba Walker #8 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against the New York Knicks on October 26

JT: “Yeah, especially in situations like that, low clock, got to get a contested shot off.”

Q: Did you learn a little bit on that shot working with Kobe?

JT: “Yeah, he taught me some things… Positioning, footwork, reading what the defense gives you.”

Q: How much fun and different has it been playing with Kemba so far this season?

JT: “It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve got off to a great start. It’s still early, but hopefully we can keep it going.”

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