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Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
After two games, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are all squares in the Eastern Conference finals. However, it’s clear the Celtics have been the better team.
Still, with the series now heading to Boston, the Celtics have the momentum following their victory over the Heat on May 19. Unlike the FTX Arena, the TD Garden is known for its intimidating atmosphere, which should give the Celtics an additional boost against a stern opponent.
Now that Boston has its starting five back healthy, the Celtics are viewed as the favorites to come out of this series and into the NBA Finals, primarily due to their strength in depth and superior talent.
“If Boston shoots threes the way that shot threes last night, they will win this series in five (games), and they will win the NBA championship game, maybe sweeping whoever gets out of the other series, I’m assuming it will be Golden State,” Skip Bayless said during a recent episode of The Undisputed.
Jimmy Butler Disappointed in Heat’s Big Loss
The Miami Heat are known for their competitive spirit and never-say-die attitude on the basketball court, so getting blown out as they did in game two will certainly sting. Since joining Miami, Jimmy Butler has been the poster boy of ‘Heat culture,’ providing exceptional scoring ability blended with a team-first attitude and willingness to fight for the cause.
However, for all of Butler’s post-season excellence, he didn’t have an answer for how the Celtics dominated and could not spur his team on to a second straight victory. Still, even with his team struggling to find ways to score the rock, Butler ended the game with an impressive statline of 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 32 minutes of play.
“I don’t like to move on from this because it has to hurt. They tried to embarrass us, they did embarrass us, so I think we gotta realize that. Use it as fuel, whatever you wanna say, but realize that the game can get out of hand whenever you’re playing a really good team like them that can score the ball and get stops. Overall, we just have to be better. We got a tough job to do to go over there and win. But if they can do it, we can do it as well,” Butler told the media following Boston’s 127-102 blowout victory.
Tatum ‘Proud’ of Celtics Performance
A calling card of Ime Udoka’s Celtics team this season has been their ability to bounce back after defeat and rise to the challenge in the face of adversity. And, following Boston’s third-quarter collapse in their May 17 contest against Miami – where the team only scored four points from open play, the Celtics stayed true to form, taking an early lead and never looking back.
Speaking to the media following the game, Jayson Tatum discussed his team’s resolve and ability to rise to the occasion despite the pressures the post-season brings.
“I was proud of the way we responded. Last game was tough, just how we lost, and myself included, just the way we played in that third quarter. So, I was just excited about how we were going to bounce back and respond, regardless of if we won or lost, just how we played. And we played a lot better.
Missing D White, congrats to him and his family. But with Al (Horford) and Marcus Smart back, we’re just that much bigger and better defensively, and obviously, we miss those guys when they’re not playing, and it was great to have them back today,” Tatum said.
With the series tied at a win apiece, the series now heads to the TD Garden for games three and four, with the next contest between these two Eastern Conference titans set to take place on Saturday, May 21.
