Morning Sports Update

‘He’s a superstar’: Vince Carter discussed what Jayson Tatum needs to do for Celtics to win vs. Heat

"For Jayson Tatum, I love the aggressiveness, getting downhill, getting in the paint, it's just once you accomplish that feat, now what's next?"

By Hayden Bird

May 25, 2022

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The Red Sox extended the current winning streak to six in a row with a 16-4 win over the White Sox on Monday. Trevor Story, fresh from winning American League Player of the Week, hit yet another home run.

Boston will face Chicago again tonight at 8:10 p.m.

The Celtics are also back tonight, facing the Heat in Miami in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals at 8:30 p.m. The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2.

And the Revolution will be at Belson Stadium in Queens tonight at 7:30 p.m. for a Round of 16 U.S. Open Cup game against New York City FC.

Vince Carter weighed in on Jayson Tatum: With the Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and Heat tied at 2-2, the series now returns to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Neither team has been able to win back-to-back games, but Boston will need to break that streak if it hopes to advance.

A crucial factor in the Celtics’ hopes of winning two of the next three games will obviously be Jayson Tatum. In an interview on ESPN’s “Get Up!” on Wednesday morning, former NBA star Vince Carter broke down what Tatum needs to do to stifle the Heat.

“He’s a superstar,” Carter said of Tatum. “He’s capable of having bad nights but still an effect on the game, but you cannot turn the ball over because now you give life to the Miami Heat. They thrive off of getting stops, getting steals, getting into transition to get buckets.

“For Jayson Tatum, I love the aggressiveness, getting downhill, getting in the paint, it’s just once you accomplish that feat, now what’s next?” Carter continued. “[It’s about] making the right play — whether it’s taking the right shot, taking a shot in general, getting a shot up, or making the right pass.”

The Heat’s defensive impact tells a stark picture of Games 3 and 4. In Game 3, Miami recorded 19 steals in a crucial road win. But in Game 4, Boston took much better care of the ball, and the Heat managed just four steals in a 20-point loss.

As Carter noted, Tatum’s ability to learn from earlier mistakes in the series could be the difference.

“The Miami Heat, they get their hands on the ball,” he said. “They’re in the passing lane, so you have to watch that film and understand guys that you’re playing against, how they defend, knowing that they like to reach. That’s how they’re creating turnovers.”

Trivia: Vince Carter played a record 22 seasons in the NBA. During that time, he played for eight teams. Can you name all of them?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: Four Eastern Conference teams, four Western Conference teams.

More from Boston.com:

• Jayson Tatum named to All-NBA First Team, despite receiving fewer points than Joel Embiid
• Red Sox pound White Sox 16-3, extend win streak to 6 games
• ‘This doesn’t feel like America’: Julian Edelman, other Boston athletes react to Texas school shooting
• Don’t overlook the importance of the Celtics winning the battle of the big men in Game 4
• ‘Obviously what he did was wrong’: Joe Kelly shared his thoughts on Josh Donaldson
• Jimmy Butler offered ‘no excuse’ for Game 4 performance in Heat loss vs. Celtics
• Defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning back in East finals

Steve Kerr’s emotional statement on the Texas school shooting: Kerr was one of many voices in the sports community who spoke up on Tuesday.

A rain delay, and this bizarre free throw: Game 4 of the Western Conference finals had it all (along with Mavericks win).

Tom Brady hitting, Rob Gronkowski (sort of) catching:

On this day: In 1965, Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston in a rematch of the 1964 fight in which Ali first became heavyweight champion. The fight, originally set to be held at the Boston Garden, was eventually moved to a smaller venue in Lewiston, Maine.

Ali won in a first-round knockout that produced several iconic photographs taken by Sports Illustrated’s Neil Leifer and (as seen below) John Rooney of the Associated Press.

Daily highlight: On the first pitch of the night for the Rays offense, Kevin Kiermaier hit an inside-the-park home run on Tuesday.

Trivia answer: Raptors, Nets, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Hawks, Magic, Kings, and Suns