Jayson Tatum vocal on real ‘test’ for Celtics after taking 2-1 lead vs. Heat

It didn’t take long for the 64-win Boston Celtics to face some adversity in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. In Game 2 of their opening round series against the undermanned Miami Heat, the Celts were stunned in front of over 19,000 fans at the TD Garden, giving up 23 three-pointers (a Heat postseason record) and surrendering home court advantage back to their long-time Eastern Conference rival. But if anyone thought that the Celtics were going to wilt under the pressure of potentially losing in the Playoffs to an 8th-seeded Miami Heat team for the second consecutive year, they were emphatically proven wrong on Saturday night.

The Celtics offered a resounding response in Game 3, winning by 20 points in a game in which Miami never led, and trailed by double-digits for the final 35 minutes of the contest. It was a dominant effort from a team whose toughness and reliance had been called into question repeatedly over the past few years in the postseason in meetings with the Miami Heat. For Boston, Game 3 was all about reasserting themselves and changing the narrative, proving that their toughness matched their talent.

“Everybody knows how talented we are. But can we be the tougher, harder-playing team?” Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum said after the game, per Chris Herring of ESPN. “If we can combine that with the talent, it’s going to be hard to beat us. Can we start off every game, essentially, punching first instead of reacting? That’s a test we have to be up for every single night.”

On Saturday night, the Celtics passed that test with flying colors, led by Jayson Tatum, who finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. All that was missing was each and every member of the Celtics getting a “Well done!” sticker or a gold star pinned on their jersey at game’s end.

At the under 7 timeout in the 1st quarter, Boston had already built a 10-3 lead and they never looked back, seeing their lead balloon up to 29 points at various points throughout the game. The Celts dominated in all facets, ending the game with the rebounding advantage, the edge in points in the point, and they forced twice as many turnovers. And at night’s end, it wasn’t just those in Boston’s locker room who knew that the Eastern Conference’s top seed had outclassed the home dogs.

“They were the more physical team. They bodied us [and] bullied us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game.

Now the task for the Celtics will be to win Game 4 and send the series back to Boston with a chance to clinch in Game 5. But even as the Heat continue to play without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, and last night, Delon Wright, you can never underestimate the power of Heat Culture in the postseason. And the Boston Celtics know that all too well.