Brian Scalabrine accuses Miami Heat of intentionally trying to hurt Jayson Tatum (1 Viewer)

[Dammyberry]

The Boston Celtics managed to win Game 1 of their NBA playoff series against the Miami Heat, despite a scrappy and physical contest. Jayson Tatum was the star of the night, recording a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

However, near the end of the game, when the Celtics had a solid 16-point lead, Tatum had a scare. He took a hard fall after colliding with Caleb Martin during a rebound attempt. Thankfully, Tatum got up quickly, and the Celtics went on to secure their victory.

Former Celtics player and current analyst, Brian Scalabrine, commented on the incident, suggesting that it was a "dirty play" by Martin. Despite the physicality and tense moments, the Celtics came out on top in Game 1.

"Erik Spoelstra called a timeout with a minute and 30 [remaining] down by 16. Thirty seconds later, that play happens... I don't know, man. That looks shady to me," Scalabrine said.

"And you go at the best player? I didn't like that. ... To me, it's a dirty play. I think Martin should get suspended for that. That's a dirty play. You can't do that. Like, just think about that. The NBA is about the star players. The idea of winning a championship is your star players have to stay healthy. And the guy goes up and you just ran into him? That ain't basketball."

Despite Scalabrine's remarks, Tatum just overlooked the hit, saying it was just "playoff basketball."

"It's a physical game against a physical team. S---'s gonna happen. It's probably not the last time I'm going to get hit like that in this series," said Tatum.