Jayson Tatum suffered through a rough night on what should have been a history-making moment for the Boston Celtics.
After going down 0-3 in the series, Boston responded with three wins of their own for a chance to become the first team to come back from a 0-3 deficit on their famous parquet home floor.
Instead, 26 seconds into the game, the Celtics star rolled his left ankle after stepping on Gabe Vincent's foot, leaving him hurt.
Jayson Tatum hurt his ankle on the first play of the game.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2023
He's staying in the game. pic.twitter.com/Tny92sVPXb
Hobbled for the rest of the night, Tatum finished with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting and 11 rebounds in 42 minutes as the Miami Heat denied them of history in dominating fashion.
Tatum did not want to make an excuse for the loss despite the injury, saying that it was a part of the game.
Read more: Heat Injury Report: Will Tyler Herro Play
Jayson Tatum Backs Up Jaylen Brown
With Tatum down, sidekick Jaylen Brown was tasked to lead the Celtics to the promised land. Instead, his game-high 8 turnovers became one of the catalysts in Boston's downfall.
Brown had 19 points and 8 rebounds but shot a horrible 8-of-23 from the field and 1-of-9 from three-point distance.
The 26-year-old is eligible for a massive five-year, $295 million extension this summer. It would give him the largest contract in NBA history in the meantime.
However, there might be questions surrounding the Celtics handing him the deal due to his subpar performance in the season's biggest game.
However, when Tatum was asked about the importance of keeping Brown, he gave a definite answer.
"It's extremely important."
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 30, 2023
Jayson Tatum on importance of Celtics keeping Jaylen Brown as he is up for a contract extension pic.twitter.com/NgMo6zP7FM
"It's extremely important. He's one of the best players in the league," the First Team All-NBA member said.
Related Article: Celtics Stars Tatum, Brown Set to Receive Massive Supermax Extensions
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