Jayson Tatum Issues Serious Reminder on Boston Celtics’ True ‘Test’ Amid Playoff Battle With Miami Heat

The Heat, on the other hand, were led by Bam Adebayo when the All-Star center dropped 20 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Nikola Jovic notched 15 points and eight rebounds, while Tyler Herro’s 31 percent shooting from the field resulted only in 15 points as well.

The loss meant Miami is now closer to elimination against a team that boasts superior offense and defense. Without Butler, the Heat aren’t capable enough to bring the league’s best team down. A win in the Heat’s own home court, though, has given Boston the home court advantage back to their side.

Jayson Tatum Drops Serious Challenge For Boston Celtics in Their Series Against Miami Heat

After the game, Tatum spoke to reporters and aired his thoughts about Boston’s recent win. In a post shared by Bobby Manning on X:

Tatum: “Everyone knows how talented we are. Can we be the tougher, harder playing team … can we start every game essentially punching first and not reacting? That’s the test for us,” Manning tweeted.

It looked like Boston went ahead and punched first in Game 3, which can be seen in how they dominated the boards. Their starters also performed better than Miami, which saw both Herro and Jaquez shot poorly from the field and from beyond the perimeter.

With the Boston in the driver’s seat, they are now one step closer to getting rid of Miami. Even if that’s the case, Tatum and the Celtics must be more aggressive in the coming games to ensure their ticket to the next round.