Celtics fans viciously call out Heat’s Bam Adebayo over controversial flagrant 1 foul

The Boston Celtics are getting closer to advancing to the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Celtics beat the Heat 102-88 in Game 4 of their intense Eastern Conference quarterfinal. Of course, Miami center Bam Adebayo gave Boston a hard time, but one of his plays drew ire amongst fans.

Derrick White attempted to set a screen for Jayson Tatum at the top of the key late in Monday’s night game. However, White was involved in a foul call when Patty Mills attempted to navigate around him. Bam Adebayo happened to be involved as well, but it was what happened after the play that got fans fired up.

Tatum decided to shoot the ball even though the play was dead, and Adebayo stepped up to contest the shot. The Heat center inadvertently stepped into Tatum’s landing space, causing Tatum to land on Abdebayo’s foot. Tatum slightly twisted his ankle on the way down, and as a result, Adebayo was called for a Flagrant 1.

Fans were quick to criticize Adebayo for the foul. One X user said the flagrant was a good call and that Adebayo’s action was unnecessary. Another fan added that it was unacceptable for Adebayo to contest after a dead ball. Nevertheless, some fans disagreed with the call and believed Tatum was in the wrong.

“Might be the worst call in the history of basketball,” one X user exclaimed. “Especially after Tatum shoves everyone all game and gets away with it.”

Another fan went into the specifics of why Tatum is to blame for the interaction.

“He twisted his ankle because it’s his fault. The play is over, and he wants to get a practice shot in and because of that landed on the other player’s foot. So if he can shoot after the play, the other player has the right to contest the shot working his defense,” the fan explained.

Thankfully, Tatum was okay. It will be interesting to see how Boston’s momentum translates to a crucial Game 5.

Can the Celtics close out the Heat in Game 5? 

Boston put on an impressive two-way tirade on Monday night. The Celtics held the Heat to a lowly 27.3 percent on three-pointers while nailing 37.8 percent of their own. In addition, Boston contributed to 13 Miami turnovers. However, their defense does not tell the whole story.

The Celtics made 88.9 percent of their free throws compared to Miami’s 75.0 percent. Boston also got hefty production from its starters.

Jayson Tatum finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, while Jaylen Brown notched 17 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Nevertheless, the Celtic with the performance of the game was Derrick White.

White amassed a whopping 38 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and shot 53 percent on threes. The veteran guard is a true difference-maker for the Celtics who will be important for the rest of the NBA Playoffs. Despite the positives from Game 4, Boston is concerned about star center Kristaps Porzingis.

Porzingis exited the game with an apparent calf injury early on. Hopefully, the injury is not serious and he will make a speedy recovery.

Boston needs to win one more game to advance to the next round of the NBA Playoffs. Yet, Bam Adebayo and the Heat will not make it easy. Can Boston put Miami’s flames out in Game 5?