Miami Heat’s Caleb Martin addressed the controversy surrounding his collision with Jayson Tatum during Game 1 of the first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
Martin emphasized that he didn’t intend to harm Tatum and checked on his well-being immediately after the incident, denying any malicious intent.
“I don’t feel the need to take out guys in order to beat somebody…,” Martin said, per Bobby Manning. “The first thing I did was turn around and check that he was ok … that’s just not who I am … if the roles were switched I don’t think anybody would’ve been calling it a code red…
“That just happened, and if anybody watched it, I clearly got pushed into him. I was going for a put back dunk and the push changed the trajectory. Stuff just happens, it’s guys playing full speed … I’d never try to hurt somebody.”
The altercation between Martin and Tatum sparked tensions between the two teams, leading to a brief scuffle and double technical fouls on Martin and Jaylen Brown.
Despite the controversy, both teams are gearing up for Game 2, with the Celtics looking to maintain their momentum and the Heat aiming to bounce back with a strong performance.
