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Jayson Tatum Shares His Perspective on Bucks' First-Round Exit
The Celtics got a gift Wednesday night. After erupting for 56 points and leading the Heat to a Game 4 win to push the Bucks to the brink of elimination, Jimmy Butler and Co. finished the job in Game 5.
Miami's star forward scored 42 points, fueling a 42-24 run spanning the fourth quarter and overtime as the visitors erased a 16-point deficit in the final frame, rallying to eliminate Milwaukee on its home floor.
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That development means Boston has home-court advantage in every playoff series it takes part in, including the Finals if the defending Eastern Conference champions get back there.
At shootaround on Thursday, with his team preparing for Game 6 in Atlanta after its own fourth-quarter collapse and the Hawks finishing Tuesday's tilt on a 20-6 run to extend the series, as captured by CLNS Media, Jayson Tatum shared his perspective on the eighth-seeded Heat advancing past the Bucks, becoming the first competitor to get from the play-in tournament to the second round of the playoffs.
"I wouldn’t necessarily call it an upset," expressed the four-time All-Star. "Miami is a really good team. They have a great coach, and obviously, they('ve) got some great players, and they made plays. I guess people weren’t expecting them to win, but I wouldn’t call it an upset."
Tatum continued, "It was a 1-8 seed, but it was two really good teams with some great players and great coaches. Just some good basketball to watch from both sides."
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Boston knows firsthand what Playoff Jimmy and the Heat are capable of this time of year. While Miami was the higher seed in last season's Eastern Conference Finals matchup, the Celtics had the more talented roster. But the Heat are relentless, have the best active head coach in the NBA, in this author's opinion -- not exactly a hot take -- and this is when Butler shines brightest.
Miami didn't just push Boston to a Game 7; if Butler knocked down his open pull-up three with 16 seconds left, the Celtics would likely be 0/5 in their most recent trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Heat would've been the team advancing to play for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
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"I wasn’t too surprised," conveyed Marcus Smart at Thursday's shootaround, as captured by CLNS Media. "The Heat is a dangerous team. We all know the Heat play different in the playoffs, and they played the Bucks really well. I’m not as surprised as probably others, but I am surprised they went down the way that they went down. That just goes to show you that it’s the playoffs. Anything can happen. You gotta be ready at all times."
And while Boston no longer has to worry about a playoff rematch against Milwaukee, the lone series it wouldn't have had home-court advantage in, Smart and the Celtics would be wise to act on Giannis Antetokounmpo's message after the Heat bounced the Bucks from the playoffs.
Further Reading
Film Room: Roots of Celtics' Game 5 Fourth Quarter Collapse
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 5 Loss vs. Hawks: Boston Talks the Talk but Doesn't Walk It
[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead
The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'
