The Heat and the Celtics are sick of each other.
It may have only been Game 1, but Sunday marked the third straight year these teams have met in the NBA playoffs. Unlike other teams in the league, Miami and Boston feature many of the same familiar faces.
With a 20-point victory in the opening game, the Celtics affirmed their dominance as the first seed in the NBA. Needless to say, frustration began to set in for the Heat, who are hurt after two Play-In games.
Miami’s top star, Jimmy Butler (knee), is forced to watch from the sidelines, and someone who needed to step up, Tyler Herro, struggled mightily. Last year’s playoff hero, Caleb Martin, has not been able to achieve the same success this season.
While he doesn’t necessarily have Boston’s attention for his contributions on the court, one play in particular will ensure the Celtics know where Martin stands for the rest of the series. Here’s what happened between Martin and Jayson Tatum toward the end of Game 1 and how the Celtics responded after the game.
Caleb Martin fouls Jayson Tatum
The Heat trailed by 14 with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter when head coach Erik Spoelstra called a timeout to challenge a foul called on Delon Wright. While the challenge was unsuccessful, it would be quite common to see NBA teams empty the bench with the game out of reach.
Neither team did, and with 59 seconds left in the game, the Celtics, their fans and everyone else’s hearts sank. Martin knocked Tatum down and slammed into the hardwood on his back.
“Erik Spoelstra called a timeout with 1:30 left in the 16, 30 seconds after the play happens… that seemed shady to me.”
Brian Scalabrine reacts to Caleb Martin’s foul on Jayson Tatum pic.twitter.com/XRchYpbOVh
– Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 21, 2024
Tatum jumped again safely, while Martin and Jaylen Brown were assessed technical fouls. The Celtics star dismissed the idea of any malicious intent.
“Shit is going to happen. It’s not the last time I’m probably going to get hit like that or get fouled in this series.”
Jayson Tatum talks about the lack of Caleb Martin pic.twitter.com/ek7ZivTNWo
– Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 21, 2024
Head coach Joe Mazzulla, however, was hearing the bell ring in his head signaling the start of a fight. The anticipation of seeing how Tatum would respond excited Mazzulla, who had a dull day on the sidelines thanks to the landslide victory.
Joe Mazzulla on the work of Caleb Martin:
“I was waiting to see what [Tatum] I was going to do. He was a little emotional about the whole situation. I enjoyed watching it.”
he is a psychopath pic.twitter.com/c2oRk4Lxg9
— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) April 21, 2024
Of course, it seemed like nothing dirty was going on anyway, despite the initial reaction. Another angle showed that the Celtics protect Jrue Holiday pushed Martinwhich led his push to Tatum.
While the modern NBA is mostly glitz and glamour, a little throwback basketball on Sunday set the tone for what could be a fun series between two rivals.
As the series progresses, the physicality will only increase, so we’ll see if the coaches have a better sense of timing when it comes to taking their stars out of the game.
