The first 47 minutes of the Boston Celtics' 114-94 win over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday afternoon were drama free, but that all changed in the final minute when Caleb Martin knocked Jayson Tatum out of mid-air with a hard foul that sent the All-Star forward crashing to the floor.
Tatum escaped injury and said he feels "fine," but the controversial moment raised tensions between the rivals, who are meeting in the playoffs for the third season in a row and the fourth time in five years.
As the clock ticked under a minute, Bam Adebayo tried a mid-range jumper that fell short. Tatum went up for the rebound but a hip-check from Martin took out his legs and he landed directly on his back. Everyone inside TD Garden held their breath, with memories of Tatum's ankle sprain in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season coming to mind.
This time, though, Tatum popped up immediately and Jaylen Brown got in Martin's face, which started a mini scrum. As the referees separated the parties, Tatum thanked Brown for his support, then walked down the floor and made both free throws.
Glad we saw Jayson Tatum get right up after this one... pic.twitter.com/FmAR3y3V0R
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 21, 2024
Tatum, who recorded his first career playoff triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, explained the message he wanted to send with his response during his post-game press conference.
"Just understanding it's playoff basketball, it's a physical game, playing against a physical team, shit's gonna happen," Tatum said. "It's not the last time I'm gonna get hit like that or fouled in this series. I wasn't hurt. If you get like that, just get up. And I knew we were in the bonus, so just go down there and knock the free throws down."
Martin, for his part, said he got pushed into Tatum and understood why Brown reacted the way he did.
"I know I hit him pretty hard, but momentum was carrying me and I think I got pushed into that direction," Martin said. "Hard foul, tried to pick him up, that's just what it is. If Jimmy [Butler] was on the floor, I'd have done the same thing [Brown did], I'm sure."
In what should come as no surprise, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had the most unique reaction.
"I was waiting to see what he was going to do," Mazzulla said. "I was kind of excited about the whole situation. I enjoyed watching it."
No one else enjoyed watching Tatum take a hard fall in the final minute of a blowout win, but the response from him and Brown was encouraging. That's exactly the type of toughness the Celtics will need in order to finally break through and win a title.
