NBA Reportedly Reaches Ruling on Caleb Martin's Hard Foul on Jayson Tatum

Rob Greene | Apr 23, 2024

Apr 21, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket vs. Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin. / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is not expected to upgrade the Caleb Martin foul on Jayson Tatum to a flagrant foul or suspension, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.

Martin, with his Miami Heat down big with under a minute to go, initiated contact, colliding with Tatum, sending the MVP candidate to the parquet, falling hard on his back. He got up, showed his inner-Kevin Garnett toughness, and shrugged it off like it was nothing and converted the free throws.

Martin seemed as if he looked to walk over to Tatum and apologize after the accidental level he gave him, but Jaylen Brown was not happy and took no exception walking over with Kristaps Porzingis to share a word. Martin could have taken home the Eastern Conference Finals MVP last May when he averaged north of 19 points per game against the Celtics in their series where Boston almost pulled off the dramatic 3-0 comeback.

Tatum had his first career triple-double in the playoffs with 23 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds in the Celtics' 114-94 win in Sunday's series opener. Martin had said postgame how his contact with Tatum was unintentional and he tried to apologize.

The Heat were once down 30, but they stormed back in the fourth quarter to cut it to 12. Boston was able to prevail and maintain a 20-point deficit to win in blowout fashion. 

The Celtics will look to add on to their lead, continue to dominate this postseason and go up 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Further Reading

The Keys to Kristaps Porzingis Containing Bam Adebayo and What to Watch for in Game 2

Celtics Bench Stars in Its Role in Game 1 Win vs. Heat: 'An Identity of Our Team'

Jayson Tatum Discusses First-Career Playoff Triple-Double: 'A Beautiful Game'

Celtics Protect the Parquet in Dominant Display in Game 1 vs. Heat

Kristaps Porzingis Makes Clear What Celtics' Mindset is Entering Playoffs

How do the Heat Adapt Without Jimmy Butler? Joe Mazzulla Weighs in

'I Knew It': Jaylen Brown Discusses Celtics Drawing Heat in Round 1

Brad Stevens Addresses Potential Extension with Derrick White

Celtics Embracing Challenge to Go Beyond Most Talented

Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Sacrificing in Celtics' Title Pursuit: 'It's a Process'