Jayson Tatum’s triple-double helps power Celtics past Heat

In his 2024 postseason debut, Jayson Tatum didn’t have his finest capturing efficiency, hitting simply 1 from 8 from downtown.

However, he in any other case performed a fairly excellent basketball sport.

Practically each time Tatum was double-teamed by a swarming Miami protection, he made the best learn — whether or not that meant dishing it out to an open Sam Hauser for a three-pointer or discovering Kristaps Porzingis within the put up.

In flip, Tatum delivered his first profession playoff triple-double, ending the afternoon with 23 factors, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Consequently, the Celtics blew out the Warmth in dominant style, profitable the primary sport of the primary spherical, 114-94, after main by double-digits for a lot of the sport.

Joe Mazzulla cherished what he noticed from Tatum from the leap, whereas Derrick White praised Tatum for “doing a bit of little bit of every thing.”

“The mindset and strategy all through the sport was nice,” Mazzulla stated. “I assumed he performed with nice endurance. I assumed he picked and [chose] his spots very effectively. I assumed he took what the protection gave him and located a stability of making for himself and for others.”

Tatum has maintained all 12 months that he’s not notably involved along with his scoring and desires to prioritize studying the protection. On Sunday afternoon, he stated making the best on-court selections got here straightforward.

“It was actual easy,” Tatum stated. “Simply making the best play, and – we speak about it on a regular basis – not losing interest with making the best play. Discovering the mismatch, drawing two, and surrounding your self with shooters.”

Kristaps Porzingis, making his Celtic playoff debut, was a bit of extra flowery of Tatum’s efficiency.

“That was a stupendous sport from him,” Porzingis stated. “Getting these assists, particularly early on – he was not forcing something an excessive amount of, getting everyone concerned. I feel it’s an enormous credit score to him, this sport, how all of us performed as a staff as a result of he bought everyone feeling good early on, and that was like an ideal sport from him.”

Tatum completed the sport with 23 factors on 7-18 (38.8%) capturing – practically 4 factors and 10% from the sphere worse than his season common. It wasn’t considered one of his quintessential offensive masterclasses we’ve seen from him up to now, like his 51-point outburst in opposition to the 76ers in Recreation 7 of final 12 months’s convention semi-finals. Nevertheless it was efficient in his personal proper.

The ball motion Tatum spearheaded bought everybody else going, and 6 Celtics gamers completed the sport with double-digit factors. Seven of his ten assists resulted in three-pointers, and the Celtics matched their franchise playoff file with 22 three-pointers on the evening.

“After all, for certain, he’ll say that he can play higher, and he can,” Porzingis stated. “However general, I feel that was a stupendous efficiency.”

It wasn’t only one teammate Tatum was establishing both. Two of his assists have been to Porzingis (18 factors), two to Derrick White (20 factors), two to Al Horford (10 factors), two to Payton Pritchard (8 factors), one to Jaylen Brown (17 factors), one to Sam Hauser (12 factors), and one to Jrue Vacation (6 factors).

Together with this 12 months, Jayson Tatum has now confronted the Warmth in 4 of the final 5 postseasons — the Erik Spoelstra-led defensive scheme is one he’s aware of. The Warmth will come out with changes subsequent sport, and the Celtics gained’t shoot practically 45% from three each evening.

However in Recreation 1, the Warmth’s defensive scheme was one he was in a position to exploit.

“They’re not a staff that’s essentially going to allow you to play one-on-one all evening,” Tatum stated. “They do a very good job of man, and assist, and exhibiting a crowd. They only sort of pressure you to make the best play.”