Celtics utilizing Jayson Tatum-Caleb Martin conflict as gasoline for physicality

Success has been the enemy of the Boston Celtics all season. Their historic 64-win common season was not a product of welcoming triumph with open arms. As a substitute, whereas they appreciated their accomplishments, they refused to relaxation on their laurels.

“If we’re simply going to take a seat again and be comfortable after each win, then that’s an unhealthy relationship with success, and it’s going to come back again to chunk us within the a**,” Joe Mazzulla stated after their January 13 win over the Houston Rockets.

In Sport 1 of their collection in opposition to the Miami Warmth, the Celtics received in blowout trend. They punched Miami within the mouth from the opening tip, parlaying a 14-0 run to begin the sport right into a dominant 114-94 victory.

A fourth-quarter Warmth surge highlighted by Delon Wright going 5/5 from deep splashed some water in Boston’s face after they began sleepwalking. However that wasn’t their true wake-up name.

With roughly a minute left within the recreation, as Jayson Tatum was going for a rebound, Caleb Martin got here careening into him. He undercut Tatum, inflicting the Celtics star to fall flat on his again.

Tatum popped up rapidly, and it seemed as if Martin’s momentum was swayed by a Jrue Vacation shove, however none of that issues to the Celtics.

“I seen a man go down, and you understand, I bought my man’s again 10 occasions out of 10,” Jaylen Brown stated at observe on Tuesday. “You may’t inform what’s what within the warmth of the second, but it surely seemed like one thing a bit further. So I stated one thing. Nevertheless it seemed prefer it was simply basketball. It wasn’t intentional. So we maintain transferring.”

As Martin went to assist Tatum up, Brown slapped his hand out of the way in which. The 2 gamers bought into an altercation that led to double technicals.

“I simply instructed him to look at that, you understand, ensuring it’s basketball performs being made on the market,” Brown stated. “We all know they wish to play exhausting and be bodily, however there’s a line. So simply ensuring that we’re not compromising the integrity of the sport.

“So, I simply instructed him to look at it. On the time, it seemed like — can’t inform the entire parts, however from what I noticed – that’s all I did. I simply allow them to know that.”

Had the Celtics rolled on with their blowout of the Warmth in Sport 1, narratives would have been totally different. Boston’s dominance would have created a boring information cycle of “Do the Warmth have an opportunity?”

Now, Boston has much more wooden to gasoline the fireplace.

“Nah, I feel we like that,” Pritchard stated of if there could be any carryover from the incident. “I feel it was a pleasure to see that. And what it’s going to be like transferring ahead. And we’re prepared for that take a look at. That physicality. And you may even see when JT bought up immediately, it didn’t part him.

“Teammates had his again. So, we’re only one large household. We care for one another.”

It’s pure for a group to take their foot off the fuel a bit bit when able as dominant because the one Boston was in on Sunday. And when Miami got here out red-hot within the fourth—they shot 13/14 to open the quarter—the Celtics’ drop-off in vitality was part of the issue. “I’d say 70/30 we will management,” Mazzulla stated of what went into Miami’s run.

However now, mixed with Martin’s hit on Tatum and Bam Adebayo’s questionable screening, the Celtics have ammo. They usually plan to funnel it into physicality.

“Higher is simply doing what we did with greater depth and better physicality – I feel that’s what Sport 2s name for,” Mazzulla stated. “The primary adjustment is to do what you probably did with the next stage of depth and the next stage of physicality. The small particulars we will get higher [at] on at each ends of the ground. [We] labored on that in the present day, however I feel step one is what mindset [and] what physicality we’re coming in with.”

The Celtics and Warmth have a historical past that extends a number of a long time. Toughness has outlined the matchup. Exhausting hits. Excessive-intensity basketball.

From Dwyane Wade’s doubtful play in opposition to Rajon Rondo in 2011 to Jaylen Brown’s arm rip on Duncan Robinson from this common season, it doesn’t matter what the surroundings is. When these two groups step onto the ground collectively, it’s going to be a conflict.

However now, Boston isn’t simply ready for it: They need it.

“I’d say so,” Brown stated when requested if the Celtics are extra able to embrace confrontation now than previously. “That’s what it’s. Each recreation is a combat. You gotta win the sport, and also you gotta win the combat. Each of these issues are essential, and we embrace each.

“Being the higher, smarter group, but in addition being a group that’s prepared to dive on the ground. Being a group that is ready to set the tone bodily not again down. So you bought to win the sport, and you bought to win the combat.”

Each time a member of the Celtics will get requested about Matin’s play on Tatum, it’s met with a optimistic response. Mazzulla favored watching it. Pritchard stated it was a pleasure. Brown was wanting to again up his teammate. That’s the mindset.

Boston’s relationship with success might have been put to the take a look at had they cruised to a win. However Miami threw in some heavy blows towards the top of the sport. Each metaphorically and actually.

And the Celtics are glad that they did.