Jayson Tatum’s Redemption: Celtics Star Reflects On 2023 Playoff Setback After Knocking Out Heat

Jayson Tatum scored just 16 points alongside his 12 rebounds in Game 5 against the Miami Heat. However, it was enough for the Boston Celtics, who were without Kristaps Porzingis, to put on a 34-point win. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White led the way with 25 points apiece, as Miami shot a dismal 10.3% from the three-point line. Given that their only win in the series came behind their franchise record for 3Ps, the game was lopsided from the 1st buzzer. As Tatum reminisced about Boston’s barrage of post-season wins, he cites the team’s igniting spirit behind the win.

“It’s like my fourth time in 5 years playing them [Heat] in the playoffs,” he recollects. With that, he claimed to have expected another showdown with the Florida team around the play-ins. His thought came prominently from last season’s tough loss, citing that his team “might’ve relaxed a little bit”. Now, through numerous high-stakes matchups, as Jayson realized “how hard [Miami] they play, how well coached they are,” the preparations for redemption also extended just to the Boston Celtics’ leading star.

“We just had to get the job done,” Jaylen Brown reflected on the matchup against the Heat. On the other hand, Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra chipped, “They probably had something to motivate them even more against us.”

During the modern NBA timeline, the C’s earliest playoff stint against the Heat comes from the 2019-20 season. Jimmy Butler and the Heat clinched Game 6 to mark a finale against the Los Angeles Lakers in the bubble. The teams met at the same spot in the 2021-22 season, marking the Tatum-era Celtics’ first Final stint after defeating the Heat in a Game 7. Boston’s latest win comes after the Heat returned the Game 7 favor the previous year.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics have expectations to fulfill

The current version of the Boston Celtics is probably their best-ever rendition, at least since Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were shot to leadership. Their current version has a blooming Derrick White for added offensive help. Moreover, they have added Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to their lineup this season, who not only bolster their defense but have a knack for living up to the hype during crunch time.

With that, the C’s put on a league-leading season record, with no team coming close within 5 games. However, even when looking at their stints with Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving at the leadership spot, the franchise fared well and was amongst the top teams in the league. However, despite their dominance, the Celtics constantly face a dark cloud on their post-season caliber. Not because of their failure to garner a championship in the last 15 years (since 2008), but because of their young leaders falling in the face of intense moments.

This makes the win against the Heat a field day, as they missed their star players throughout the series. The Celtics’ real test will come in high-pressure moments when their season would be at the line; unless they avoid stumbling on that situation.

The green jerseys will now face the winner of the Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic first-round series, which currently favors the Cavs with a 3-2 record.