BOSTON — A Celtics-Heat series doesn’t really begin until there’s a double-tech. The Eastern Route has crossed these two cities since the beginning of the decade.
This created a rivalry of grudging respect. Two of the best-run organizations in the NBA, finding a way to compete sustainably every year.
“We obviously have a history with them, but that’s all really in the past and it just creates a competitive environment,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said before the first game. “Both organizations really respect each other. Both have been in the playoffs for several years and it’s not for nothing.
As the physical opener unfolded, Boston gradually opened the lead and remained in control for most of the fourth quarter. Then, late in the game, Heat wing Caleb Martin crashed into Jayson Tatum, landing the Celtics superstar on his back with a loud thud that could be heard from the stands.
On the NBC Sports Boston postgame show, Celtics color commentator Brian Scalabrine speculated that Spoelstra may have issued a “code red” in the preceding timeout, which would have led Martin to trying to bully Tatum, setting social media on fire.
“I’m not trying to start anything here, but Erik Spoelstra calls a timeout at 1:30, 16 minutes late. Thirty seconds later, this play happens,” said Scalabrine, a former player who won a title with Boston in 2008. “Why is he calling a timeout at 1:30 and why is this play happening 30 seconds later? It seemed fishy to me.
“Erik Spoelstra called a timeout with 1:30 left by 16, 30 seconds later this play happened…it looked fishy 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
Scalabrine has made several media appearances since he said those words, questioning whether it could have been an intentional move. Although the tone was generally diplomatic from both organizations, Scalabrine’s campaign drew a harsher response from Heat legend Udonis Haslem. The three-time champion left his review in the comments section of a video of Scalabrine’s appearance on “The Dan LeBatard Show.”
“Shut up, he’s an asshole!!” Haslem commented. “He was pushed. Brian Weak ass!!
“In our view, this was an irrational assessment of what actually happened. The players are fine,” Spoelstra told reporters Tuesday. “All the outside noise or anything like that is not going to decide the series or the game.”
Martin said he was pushed by Jrue Holiday and his momentum inadvertently carried him toward Tatum.
“If the roles had been reversed, I don’t think anyone would have called this a Code Red,” Martin told reporters. “It just happened and if anyone was watching it I was definitely being pushed towards them. I was going to do a putback dunk and the push changed the trajectory. This stuff just happens. The guys are playing at full capacity and things are happening. I would never try to hurt anyone.
It didn’t seem like anyone on the Celtics thought this was an unequivocally deliberate act. Coach Joe Mazzulla said he was excited about the whole situation and enjoyed watching it. All-Star wing Jaylen Brown said Tuesday that he stepped in and pushed Martin away because he had to defend Tatum, regardless of Martin’s intention.
“Seeing a guy go down, I got my guy back 10 times out of 10,” Brown said. “You couldn’t tell what was happening in the heat of the moment. But it felt like something a little more, so I said something. But it looked like it was just basketball, it was nothing intentional. So we continue to move forward. »
Of course, Tatum got up surprisingly quickly considering how hard he fell, then immediately marched to the other end to make his free throws while stirring up the entire fight.
“It’s a physical game, playing against a physical team, it’s going to happen,” Tatum said after the game. “This isn’t the last time my body gets hit like that or gets fouled in this series. So I wasn’t hurt. You get hit like that, you get up, and I knew we were in the bonus. So I made the free throw.
“I don’t feel the need to try to take guys out to beat someone,” Martin said. “The first thing I did was turn around and check if he was okay. If I was trying to eliminate someone, I would have kept walking away. It’s just not who I am. It’s the playoffs, serious fouls happen all the time.
Even though Brown didn’t know exactly why it happened, like just about everyone else, he made sure to send a clear message to Martin in the moment.
“I just told him to watch it,” Brown said. “Making sure it’s basketball plays that get made from there.” We know they like to play hard and be physical, but there’s a limit.
Brown stepped in to make sure that line was clear. Given Martin’s explanation, the idea of a code red does not seem plausible.
“We shouldn’t entertain shenanigans,” Brown said. “But at the same time, we’re not looking for anything more in this series. Just be professional. We do our jobs but we make sure we support each other.
Boston had to get tested at some point in this series. Without Jimmy Butler and his old friend Terry Rozier still out with a neck injury, Miami is at a disadvantage and that was evident in the first game.
But no matter how exhausted the Heat are, they always find a way to make things difficult. That’s why Mazzulla and even Payton Pritchard said they enjoyed the moment. Anything to help find a spark and get the Celtics to rally around each other, as long as no one gets hurt.
“We like it. I think it was a joy to see that and see what it’s going to be like moving forward,” Pritchard said. “And we are ready for this test, this physicality. And we were even able to see with JT, he got up straight away and it didn’t bother him. His teammates supported him, so we’re just one big family. We take care of each other.”
(Photo: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
