The Rush: Kyrie flips off Celtics crowd, Tatum buzzer beater downs Nets in Game 1
Jayson Tatum’s buzzer-beating layup got the Boston Celtics a win over Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of their first round playoff series, but not before Kyrie Irving went full villain, flipping off the Boston crowd multiple times. The top seeds took care of business with the Heat blowing out the Hawks and the Suns downing the Pelicans, while the Bucks held on against a feisty Bulls team. PLUS: Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki almost had his second straight perfect game, but was pulled after eight innings.
Video Transcript
- Brown, the drive. Jaylen Brown kicks it out. Smart fakes, inside. Tatum spins, and a quick lob. Celtics go up by 1.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JARED QUAY: That was Celtics star Jayson Tatum with the buzzer beating layup to down the Nets in game one of their first round series. And if game one is any indication, this series is going to be feisty.
- I'm all in. I'm all in.
JARED QUAY: The Nets I'm themselves in a 15 point hole in the second half. But Kyrie Irving's 39 points, six assists, and four steals helped the Nets take a fourth quarter lead. But Tatum's 31 points and that buzzer beater erased Kyrie heroics for a 115-114 win. And when I say Kyrie's heroics, I mean strictly for the Nets because he went pure villain with the Boston crowd. Throughout the game, Kyrie flipped the crowd a few birds.
- This is good defense, or better offense. Knock down shot in the corner, and then--
JARED QUAY: Oh, Kyrie. Why are you so mad?
KYRIE IRVING: When people start yelling [BLEEPS] and bitch, and [BLEEPS] you, and all this stuff, it's but so much you can take as a competitor. And we're the ones expected to be docile, and be humble, and take a humble approach. No, [BLEEPS] that's the playoffs.
JARED QUAY: I told you this one is going to be feisty. Game two is on Wednesday.
- I'm ready. I'm ready.
JARED QUAY: The other NBA playoff games on Sunday were more straightforward. The Heat burned the Hawks from the get-go.
- Butler [INAUDIBLE].
JARED QUAY: The Suns took care of business against the Pelicans. Now the Bucks Bull game was a bit more interesting. The Bucks jumped out to a huge lead.
- Slammed down with a follow.
JARED QUAY: But Chicago managed to bull their way back into the game. You see what I did there? But in the end, the reigning champs rode their superstar to victory, despite Giannis picking up five fouls. If these first games are any indication of this year's playoff, it's going to be physical. How many times in a row can you be perfect? Two times? Three times?
- How many times?
JARED QUAY: Well, Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki has done it 17 times. That sounds like a typo. Last week, Sasaki pitched nine perfect innings in what some consider the most dominant pitching performance at the pro level ever. And as impossible as it sounds, he nearly pitched a second perfect game again Sunday but was pulled after a perfect eight innings. I personally can't believe it. I mean, I understand preserving the guy's health. But Sasaki is only 20 years old.
To be that close to perfection twice in a row and you pulled him? I mean, I was mad when the Dodgers pulled Clayton Kershaw at the seventh perfect inning. But now I'm livid. Please tell me there's a prophecy in Japan when you're like, yo. If you pitch 18 perfect innings, the world ends. And that way, I can understand, all right. 17 perfect innings. But what reason do you really have?
