One play from Wednesday night’s thrilling Toronto Raptors’ Game 6 playoff win over the Boston Celtics is getting scrutinized by NBA fans and the players in the game alike … and, I think, with good reason.
With around 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 98, Jayson Tatum had the ball at the top of the three-point line before driving toward the hoop as the shot clock ticked down to five seconds. Tatum saw someone right in the corner of the three-point line, so he threw a pass in that direction.
That someone was Raptors coach Nick Nurse. It was a turnover at a crucial moment in the game.
Tatum finds a wide open Nick Nurse pic.twitter.com/svWciGFXDT
— MyBookie Sportsbook (@mybookiebet) September 10, 2020
Now, there are some people who wondered if Nurse positioned himself there on purpose to bait Tatum into the turnover. Obviously, he’s not wearing the bright green Celtics unis and he’s standing right next to Daniel Theis.
But … he really shouldn’t be standing where he stood, which was thisclose to being on the court in that corner. Maybe the NBA makes a rule change between now and Game 7.
I feel like something needs to be done about nick Nurse legit being on the court causing Tatum to throw it out of bounds pic.twitter.com/3Po2BIZ5H1
— Ray C-137 (@Raymundo_Gui) September 10, 2020
Tatum declined to blame Nurse:
Didn't realize until after the game the reason Tatum passed to Nurse wasn't just because Nurse was standing out of the coach box, but he was literally standing in bounds in the corner.
"That was my fault. Can’t blame Nick Nurse. He’s not playing. It was my fault," Tatum said. pic.twitter.com/yHbyqn0OXw
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) September 10, 2020
His teammate Jaylen Brown? Not so much:
Jaylen Brown called out Nick Nurse after Game 6 😬 pic.twitter.com/BWlU1wT7y2
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 10, 2020
Jaylen Brown on Nick Nurse coming on the court: "Grown men should be able to control themselves. Especially the coaches and coaching staff. But nothing we can do. We just gotta be ready to fight."
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 10, 2020
