After clinching the best record in the league, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are aiming to dispose of the Miami Heat before they can even find their momentum on the court. But for the All-Star forward, though, there’s something his team should do in their series against the Jimmy Butler-less squad.
Just recently, the Celtics took care of their business in Game 3 against Miami in a 104-84 win over them. Tatum and Jaylen Brown both finished the game with 22 points each, with the former getting 11 rebounds along the way. Kristaps Porzingis made 18 points and five rebounds, while Derrick White added 16 points and three assists,
The Heat, on the other hand, were led by Bam Adebayo when the All-Star center dropped 20 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Nikola Jovic notched 15 points and eight rebounds, while Tyler Herro’s 31 percent shooting from the field resulted only in 15 points as well.
The loss meant Miami is now closer to elimination against a team that boasts superior offense and defense. Without Butler, the Heat aren’t capable enough to bring the league’s best team down. A win in the Heat’s own home court, though, has given Boston the home court advantage back to their side.
Jayson Tatum Drops Serious Challenge For Boston Celtics in Their Series Against Miami Heat
After the game, Tatum spoke to reporters and aired his thoughts about Boston’s recent win. In a post shared by Bobby Manning on X:
Tatum: “Everyone knows how talented we are. Can we be the tougher, harder playing team … can we start every game essentially punching first and not reacting? That’s the test for us,” Manning tweeted.
It looked like Boston went ahead and punched first in Game 3, which can be seen in how they dominated the boards. Their starters also performed better than Miami, which saw both Herro and Jaquez shot poorly from the field and from beyond the perimeter.
With the Boston in the driver’s seat, they are now one step closer to getting rid of Miami. Even if that’s the case, Tatum and the Celtics must be more aggressive in the coming games to ensure their ticket to the next round.
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