Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Heat Game

The prettiest of Jayson Tatum's 49 points, the MVP candidate's earning a Tommy Point, and Jaylen Brown attacking in transition headline the breakdown of the top five plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Heat game.

Bobby Krivitsky

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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The prettiest of Jayson Tatum's 49 points, the MVP candidate's earning a Tommy Point, and Jaylen Brown attacking in transition headline the breakdown of the top five plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Heat game.

Jayson Tatum Shakes Caleb Martin, Drills a 3

Caleb Martin almost comes up with the steal, but when that doesn't happen, he ends up on the side of Jayson Tatum, a suboptimal position. If you pause the clip above at the ten-second mark, you'll see Martin is facing the hoop with his back to Tatum as the latter pumps the breaks and dribbles between his legs.

When Martin recovers, there's a gulf between him and Tatum, making it easy for the Celtics' star to line up a clean look at a three -- not before getting into his bag, of course.

The Prettiest of Tatum's 49 Points

Gabe Vincent not screening Tatum immediately proves regrettable as the latter lunges to pick off the pass from Kyle Lowry, intended to get Haywood Highsmith an open three.

Max Strus is the furthest one down the court, but with him jogging and Tatum coming at him like a freight train, there's nothing Strus can do to slow him down when they cross paths. Lowry can't, either.

Charging towards the rim with the amount of momentum Tatum's generating as he slices through Strus and Lowry results in the three-time All-Star inverting his right hand for an underhanded layup on the left side of the rim, adding a great deal of style to this highlight.

And He Earned a Tommy Point!

It starts with a good play by Highsmith, knowing Tatum's about to put the ball in front him and reaching out to knock it away.

But that's also what opens the door to this turning into a Tommy Point as Tatum dives to the floor, beating multiple Miami defenders to the ball, prying it away, and having the awareness to immediately look up and spot Derrick White, dishing to him for a two-handed flush.

Jaylen Brown Glides to the Cup

After Lowry and Bam Adebayo fail to convert on two high-quality chances that should've cut the Heat's deficit to four, Jaylen Brown doesn't follow suit, never letting Highsmith get square as Brown crisscrosses his way to the basket. He maintains a low center of gravity, there's hardly any force behind his push off, and he glides to the basket for two points.

Brown Skies for the Slam

Tyler Herro goes airborne without a plan and settles for trying to float the ball to Adebayo. It's an easy interception for Al Horford. When Marcus Smart brings the ball across half court, Highsmith is stride-for-stride with Brown. But the latter has the inside position, wins the foot race, then skies for a thunderous one-handed slam. 

Further Reading

The Top 5 Plays from Monday's Celtics-Hornets Game

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Heat: Boston Prevails in Offensive Slugfest, but Has Much Work to do Defensively

Former All-Star Celtics Guard Reportedly Set to Sign With Mavericks

Jaylen Brown's Comments After Celtics Win Should Scare Opposing Teams

1:1 with Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Derek Ochiai, on Robert Williams' Knee Procedures, Recovery, and Long-Term Outlook

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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