The Miami Heat just changed the whole complexity of the Eastern Conference Finals after shocking the Boston Celtics with a 123-116 win in Game 1 at the TD Garden.
After scoring 18 points in the opening quarter, Jayson Tatum pretty much disappeared for Boston in the second half. He was still able to finish with 30 points, but the fact that he took just four shots in the final two quarters — and made ZERO field goals in the fourth period — had NBA Twitter pinning the blame on him for this stunning defeat:
The mean streets of Twitter showed no mercy for Tatum after his disappearing act in the second half of Game 1. It's as if it didn't matter that he was still able to drop a team-high 30 points in this one. What stands out, however, is that he was nowhere to be found when his team needed him the most. The Celtics superstar also committed two crucial turnovers down the stretch — both of which were traveling violations.
On the other hand, it was Jimmy Butler who was once again the hero of the day for the Heat. The Celtics already knew that Miami's success would rely heavily on Butler, but somehow, he still managed to carry his team to a surprise Game 1 victory. Jimmy Buckets finished with a game-high 34 points on 12-of-25 shooting, to go along with five rebounds, seven assists, two triples, and perhaps most impressively, a whopping six steals in 43 minutes of action.
The Celtics will need Jayson Tatum to bounce back in Game 2 because another loss for them could spell the end of their title hopes this season.
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