Former NBA player: Miami Heat’s Caleb Martin tried injuring Jayson Tatum to gain advantage in NBA Playoffs

Even if there are a few games players take off, the NBA regular season is competitive. But when the NBA Playoffs begin, the intensity reaches new heights.

That was true on Sunday as the Miami Heat and Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics squared off for Game 1 of their first-round NBA Playoff matchup tipped off at TD Garden.

Without Jimmy Butler in the lineup, the Celtics faced little resistance from Miami and had no issues dominating in their 114-94 win. But now, there’s some controversy lingering due to the actions of Miami’s Caleb Martin.

Former Boston Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine says the Miami Heat’s Caleb Martin committed a dirty play intended to take Jayson Tatum out of action. Taking things a step further, Scalabrine believes Erik Spoelstra tried to get his team to intentionally cause an injury to Tatum in the hopes of gaining a quick advantage.

Here, Scal accuses Coach Spoelstra of plotting the dirty play during a timeout that occurred just seconds before Martin fouled Tatum.

Clearly, Tatum wasn’t any worse for the wear after the hard fall to the court. He immediately sprang up from the hardwood, showing Martin’s possible attempt to injure him failed miserably.

While Tatum may feel that one in the morning, he gets the last laugh, knowing the Heat were no match for the Celtics. Their next matchup doesn’t occur until Wednesday, giving Tatum plenty of time to heal before his next duel with the Heat.

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