Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was the recipient of a Flagrant 1 foul for shoving Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum during the fourth quarter of Game 4 on Monday.
After an official called a foul on Heat guard Patty Mills, Tatum, who had the ball in his hands, attempted a practice shot. Adebayo contested it, resulting in Tatum landing awkward and rolling his left ankle. NBA on TNT analyst Stan Van Gundy gave his commentary on the situation, saying he didn’t believe there was enough to warrant a Flagrant 1 foul on Adebayo.
“There’s the foul call, it’s already over,” Van Gundy said. “Tatum’s gonna shoot it. You’re not gonna let the guy get a warm-up shot to get ready for the next one. I don’t think there’s anything there.”
Van Gundy admitted there was some bias to his take on the play.
“I am a bit biased here because I have not liked the Celtics’ approach this entire game,” Van Gundy said.
Jayson Tatum-led Celtics put away Heat in Game 4
Tatum remained in the game after the incident. The Celtics defeated the Heat, 102-88, to take a 3-1 series lead in the Round 1 matchup. Tatum, the three-time All-NBA selection, scored 20 points on 5-of-14 from the field and 2-of-6 from behind the arc. He added 11 rebounds and five assists, recording his third double-double of the series.
Boston received a big-time contribution from guard Derrick White, who had a career night. White put up 38 points on 15-of-26 shooting and 8-of-15 from three to go along with four boards, three assists and three blocks. White is the first player in Celtics history to record 35 points and three blocks in a playoff game since blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74, per ESPN.
“Once you make a couple, the basket looks huge,” White said after the game.
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