Jayson Tatum Says Boston Celtics Need To Play With More Pace Against Miami Heat

The Boston Celtics fell to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals

There were plenty reasons the Boston Celtics fell to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. 

There was Jimmy Butler scoring. There was Bam Adebayo playing aggressive. And There were Max Strus, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin being unlikely high-scorers.

But Celtics star Jayson Tatum thinks the biggest reason for the defeat was their inability to play at a higher tempo. 

“I think in the third quarter, we kind of played too slow, mainly because we weren’t getting stops," Tatum said. "In the fourth quarter, we made a couple runs, got to push the ball, and those go hand in hand with getting stops and getting out in transition. So, it starts on the defensive end. Just play with some more pace, play a little bit faster.”

The playoffs are all about adjustment, so expect the Celtics to answer in Game 2. But also expect Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to have a counter. 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

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