Watch - Jayson Tatum has two costly turnovers in 30 seconds in Game 1
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum made two epic blunders late in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat. With two back-to-back travel violations, Tatum practically let the game slip away from Boston.
In the final minutes of the game, Jayson Tatum gets called for traveling twice in 30 seconds. https://t.co/hf7AvmqBYd
The Celtics came up with a 123-116 loss in Game 1 vs the Heat. Although the Celtics led for a majority of the first half, they were in a position to chase for the greater part of the fourth quarter. The Heat did just enough to keep the C's at bay and eventually the two teams were just trading baskets.
The turning point in the game came when the score was 117-110 in Miami's favor. The Celtics had a chance to cut the lead with a basket.
Jayson Tatum brought the ball up the floor and immediately looked to score off a drive. But Miami's trap defense caught Tatum in an uncomfortable spot and forced a turnover with a travel.
Miami's failure to exploit this turnover gave Boston an opportunity to remedy the faulty play. However, at that moment, Tatum made a crucial error yet again.
While attempting a three, Tatum's hesitation to avoid Caleb Martin's challenge resulted in yet another travel violation. The superstar was beside himself with the call, but the mistake was evident.
Miami didn't miss their chance twice. Heat superstar Jimmy Butler went down the other end and hit a huge buzzer-beating three-pointer to break Celtic hearts.
JIMMY BUTLER WITH THE DAGGER 😮💨 https://t.co/0XGjDzSlEa
Check This Out: Watch- Jimmy Butler hits a dagger 3 as the shot clock expires
With Game 1 in the books, Tatum and the Celtics can only hope to make the necessary adjustments for Game 2.
Jayson Tatum was simply outclassed by Jimmy Butler
Jayson Tatum actually had himself a fairly solid game on the stat sheet, not counting the two turnovers at the end. He had 30 points and seven rebounds on 9-17 shooting from the field.
Unfortunately, Tatum was completely outmatched by Jimmy Butler, who had 35 points, five rebounds and seven assists.
Butler was all over the place. He put on a masterclass against the Celtics while getting his teammates going in the process. Meanwhile, Tatum struggled to get his team's offense clicking as he notched only one assist for the night.
Tatum's skills as a playmaker will have to shine in Game 2 if Boston is to be successful. By creating avenues for his teammates to score, the Celtics superstar can ensure better opportunities for himself as well.
Read: "He gotta demand the ball" - Shaquille O'Neal is fuming at Jayson Tatum for not being the 'man' in Game 1