Jayson Tatum was putting the finishing touches on his first postseason triple-double (23 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) when a reckless Caleb Martin added some spice to the first-round series between the Celtics and Heat. With the game decided with under a minute remaining in Boston’s 114-94 Game 1 win, Martin elected to barrel into Tatum while going for an offensive rebound, undercutting the All-Star forward.
Tatum fell to the floor violently on the back in a scary exchange but bounced up almost immediately. While teammates like Jaylen Brown confronted Martin for the debatable cheap shot, Tatum kept his cool, walking calmly to the other end of the floor for his free throws while technical fouls were handed on. He was given a chance to fire back postgame at Martin but declined to take the bait.
“I feel fine,” Tatum declared. “I mean, I didn’t see it. I went to get the rebound, got knocked out of the air, fell, and I got right up to shoot some free throws.”
Was he trying to send a message by getting up so quickly from the collision though?
“Just understanding it’s playoff basketball, right,” Tatum said. “It’s a physical game, playing against a physical team, s***’s going to happen. It’s not the last time my body will get hit like that or fouled in this series. So, I wasn’t hurt. You get hit like that, you just get up, and I knew we was in the bonus. So I knocked the free throw down.”
The undramatic message may have been far different than what Tatum admits behind closed doors but it speaks volumes for a Celtics team facing their long-time nemesis. Over the past four postseasons, no team has given Tatum and the Celtics as much trouble as the Heat. Whether it’s zone defenses or an extra level of physicality, Tatum and the Celtics have been drawn out of their comfort zone far too many times against the inferior opponent.
In Game 1, Tatum was determined to avoid those pitfalls. He shined despite a poor shooting night (7-of-18 FG) with his passing and patience. He knew the double teams and helpers were coming and picked them apart instead of trying to play hero ball through them.
“It was real simple, just making the right play,” Tatum said. ‘And we talk about all the time, not getting bored with making the right play. Find the mismatch, drawing two, and surround yourself with shooters.”
He has far more help this time around with his supporting cast but that means nothing if he doesn’t use them as outlets. Boston got great looks all afternoon long and Tatum was the biggest catalyst in that.
“His mindset and approach throughout the game was great,” Joe Mazzulla said. “I thought he played with great patience, thought he picked and chose his spots very well, I thought he took what the defense gave him, and found the balance of creating for himself and for others. So fight for that discipline on the offensive end, on both ends of the floor really, is a huge key to this series.”
With Tatum locked in on the floor, his unwillingness to be pulled into extracurriculars by the Heat speaks volumes. Martin’s cheap shot could be an excuse to take future games personally, get involved in some payback or simply try to beat Miami all by himself. Those possibilities are potential traps for Tatum and the Celtics to get out of a matchup they should win easily on paper.
So while Mazzulla may have been eager to see Tatum show some fire in the heat of the moment, that’s just not in Tatum’s DNA. In that case, it bodes well for the Celtics since it allows Boston to get out of this series drama-free. If Tatum can keep his focus, the Celtics will dispatch the Heat in short order despite Miami’s attempts to muck things up.
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