The Boston Celtics have listed standout forward Jayson Tatum as available for Game 3 of the first-round Eastern Conference series against the Miami Heat on Saturday.
Wednesday’s 111-101 home defeat marked the first recent sign of vulnerability for the Celtics. After a historically strong regular season, it appeared that Boston would easily surpass a Miami team missing Jimmy Butler.
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The Celtics had an impressive 38-4 record at home this season before their recent loss to the Heat. Despite the setback, Boston remains the strong favorite to win the Eastern Conference at -195 and is also the top choice to claim the NBA title with odds of +130.
The Celtics won the turnover battle 14-13, but that was about the only area where they outperformed the Heat. Miami led in field goal percentage (49.3% to 46.3%), 3-point accuracy (53.5% to 37.5%) and rebounds (40 to 39).
Jaylen Brown was a standout with 33 points in the game two loss, and he’s averaging 23.0 points per game this season.
Jayson Tatum has been a key player, leading in scoring with 26.9 points per game and rebounding with 8.1 per game. Derrick White is the primary facilitator, contributing 15.2 points per game and leading the team with 5.2 assists per night.
What happened to Jayson Tatum?
Jayson Tatum has missed eight games this season, including two due to a right ankle impingement. Moreover, Tatum exited early against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 19 after a left ankle sprain.
The injury happened just before the eight-minute mark of the first quarter when Tatum inadvertently stepped on Brandin Podziemski’s foot. Following the incident, he was seen limping to the locker room for evaluation.
Although he returned at the start of the second quarter, he was noticeably less explosive, significantly affecting his performance.
Jayson Tatum stats vs Miami Heat
Jayson Tatum has appeared in 22 games against the Miami Heat, going 13-9, and has played them 22 times in the playoffs, going 10-12.
He has averaged 22.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists with 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks on 47.5% shooting, including 41.5% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
However, in the playoffs, his scoring output has increased to 25.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists with 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks on 44.9% shooting, including 29.3% from the 3-point line and 88.1% from the free-throw line.
