"I’ve seen people penalized in the NFL" - Fans shred Jayson Tatum after brutal foul leaves Donovan Mitchell bloodied
Boston Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum harshly fouled Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell during Tuesday's Emirates NBA Cup East Group C clash. The late-game play left the five-time All-Star bloodied, sparking NBA fan backlash against Tatum.
After leading by as many as 21 points, Boston (12-3) held on for a 120-117 home victory, handing Cleveland its first loss (15-1). Tatum led the way with a team-best 33 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and six 3-pointers, shooting 50.0%. However, his standout performance was somewhat overshadowed by his arguably unnecessarily hard foul against Mitchell.
With the Cavaliers trailing 118-113 in the game's final seconds, Mitchell pushed the ball up the court. Before he could initiate a play, Tatum plowed shoulder-first into his face, leaving his mouth bloodied as he collected himself on the floor.
The play was ruled a common foul, and Mitchell converted both free throws. However, many fans on X/Twitter felt Tatum should have been penalized for the "dangerous" and "disgusting" move.
"That was a really dangerous play, and he is intelligent enough to know that. The next game with Boston will be interesting," @RavensClaw73 said.
"That was ridiculous. Up five (points) with 14 seconds left. What the actual f**k was that?" @ctownjc wrote.
"That should have been a flagrant," @cbunye said.
"This was disgusting. He lowered that shoulder all night. Reminds me of Draymond Green or Grayson Allen," @Rod_Smart wrote.
Meanwhile, others likened Jayson Tatum's foul to football and hockey plays.
"I've seen people penalized in the NFL for hits like that," @Fanof_theLand said.
"That's four minutes in hockey," @LeviDP937 wrote.
Donovan Mitchell says he avoided serious injury on Jayson Tatum's hard foul; defends Celtics superstar
While NBA fans didn't appreciate Jayson Tatum's hard foul against Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers star seemingly didn't harbor any resentment postgame.
Mitchell first expressed apparent relief to avoid sustaining a serious injury on the play.
"I'm, good. Yeah, he got me here, and I was just praying to God I didn't have a concussion. That's my only thing," Mitchell said.
He added that Tatum attempted to steal the ball before their collision.
"But like I said, it was a play on the ball," Mitchell said. "He's got bony shoulders, so I hit his shoulder, and it is what it is."
Mitchell and Co. have a quick turnaround following Tuesday's defeat. Cleveland (15-1) hosts the New Orleans Pelicans (4-11) on Wednesday in the second leg of a back-to-back set. Judging by Mitchell's postgame comments, he should be good to go for the contest.
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