The playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat just got a little more interesting after star player Jayson Tatum was on the receiving end of what some believed to be a dirty play.
In the Celtics’ 114–94 win over the Heat in Game 1 of the series at TD Garden on Sunday, Tatum went up for a defensive rebound in the fourth quarter and took a painful mid-air bodycheck from the Heat’s Caleb Martin. Tatum fell awkwardly on the ground but quickly got up and fortunately appeared to avoid serious injury.
Martin and Celtics wing Jaylen Brown exchanged harsh words with Martin in the ensuing dust-up, and were each assessed double technicals.
Boston broadcaster and ex-Celtics player Brian Scalabrine believed Martin’s foul on Tatum was a low blow, literally and figuratively.
“I’m not trying to start nothing here, but Eric Spoelstra called a timeout with 1:30 down by 16,” Scalabrine said on Sunday. “Thirty seconds later, that play happens…I don’t know, man. That looked shady to me.”
