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‘I Thought He Got Shoved From Behind’: Bill Simmons Defends Caleb Martin; Blames Off-Balance for Jayson Tatum’s Fall
In a contentious NBA clash, analyst Bill Simmons defends Caleb Martin's hard foul on Jayson Tatum, suggesting it may not have been intentional. Tatum remains unshaken.
In a recent defense of Caleb Martin's controversial foul on Jayson Tatum, renowned NBA analyst Bill Simmons postulated that the incident was a result of Martin being off-balance rather than an intentional act.
Despite the backlash from fans observing the intense rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, Simmons highlighted a key detail from the replay that showed Martin being slightly shoved by Jrue Holiday, disrupting his balance before the collision with Tatum.
Through the ‘Bill Simmons Podcast’, he said, “I thought he got shoved from behind by Jrue Holiday, which everyone missed. I watched the replay; I think he was a little off balance and crashed into him.”
Moreover, Simmons emphasized Tatum's reaction to the hard foul, noting that the Celtics' star player seemed unfazed by the physical play. Tatum's ability to quickly recover, get up, and calmly sink his free throws indicated to Simmons that the aggressive nature of playoff basketball often leads to such incidents.
Simmons further alluded to the inevitability of physicality in postseason games, suggesting that while the contentious foul sparked controversy, it was, in essence, an element of the competitive environment that players like Tatum are accustomed to navigating. 
Also Read: Here’s Why Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd Thinks ‘Kevin Durant Is Becoming Increasingly Irrelevant’
Caleb Martin Commented on the Tatum Collision
During the Celtics-Heat matchup, there was a collision between Caleb Martin and Jayson Tatum. Caleb Martin accidentally knocked down Tatum while going for a rebound, causing Tatum to fall hard to the floor.
Martin tried to help him up, but Tatum's teammate, Jaylen Brown, intervened, leading to a minor altercation between the two players. However, Tatum quickly got back up and continued playing as if nothing had happened.
After the game, Caleb Martin mentioned that it was just a hard foul and that he tried to assist Tatum after the collision.
Caleb told the media: “I mean, he’s just a hard foul; he’s trying to stick up for his teammate. I don’t know. I tried to go help him up. Obviously, I just heard him hit the floor.”
However, Caleb did acknowledge that the hit was strong, but the impact was caused by being carried away by the body's momentum.
“Obviously, I knew I hit him pretty hard, but momentum was carrying me. I didn’t think I got pushed into that direction. But, hard foul. Tried to pick him up. It’s just what it is. Jimmy was on the floor, I’m sure I would have done the same thing, I’m sure. It’s just what it is.”
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