The Stats Are Hiding a Secret About the Miami Heat’s P.J. Tucker

MIAMI — Plenty of N.B.A. gamers undergo the motions with regards to boxing out for rebounds on free throws, and nobody can actually blame them. Most free throws, practically 80 % of them, are profitable. So why trouble boxing out in any respect?

After which there’s Miami’s P.J. Tucker, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound wrecking ball who has spent his profession disguised as an influence ahead. Think about Recreation 1 of the N.B.A.’s Japanese Convention finals on Tuesday night time, as Gabe Vincent, a teammate with the Warmth, lined up for the second of two free throws. Tucker took benefit of that window to throw most of his physique weight into the midsection of the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum.

It was a bit a lot. One of many referees suggested Tucker to chill it, which didn’t please him. However it was not going to stop Tucker from taking part in the one method he is aware of easy methods to play — laborious — and his toughness was among the many causes the Warmth had been in a position to run away with a 118-107 victory within the sequence opener.

“He conjures up all people,” Warmth Coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned, including: “He’s like an incredible linebacker. He simply will get all people organized and he communicates so nicely.”

In a sport that Jimmy Butler, as normal, dominated for Miami, ending with 41 factors, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Tucker posted a bunch of numbers that had been nondescript. He had 5 factors, 6 rebounds and three assists. He shot 2 of 5 from the sphere and missed each of his free throws. He trudged across the court docket like a dump truck with a flat tire after rolling his proper ankle within the first half.

However his influence was huge. After Tatum scored 21 factors to steer the Celtics’ to an 8-point lead at halftime, Tucker — dangerous wheel and all — by some means managed to affix himself to Tatum for lengthy stretches of the second half, serving to to restrict him to 1 of seven taking pictures and eight factors the remainder of the way in which.

“What he does doesn’t actually get seen by all people on the market,” Spoelstra mentioned of Tucker. “I don’t have my glasses on, so I don’t even know what his stat line was. However you’re speaking about one of many hardest covers. After which when he’s on the weak facet, he does all the best issues.”

The Warmth outscored the Celtics by 12 factors within the 31 minutes that Tucker performed. They gained by 11.

“I didn’t know I might fall in love with a basketball participant as a lot as I’ve with P.J.,” Butler mentioned. “He’s obtained the robust job each night time of guarding the opposing group’s finest participant, after which goes down there and shoots the ball 5 occasions. You’ve obtained to respect that.”

The Celtics had been short-handed — and brief on relaxation. Their convention semifinal sequence with the Milwaukee Bucks went to seven video games earlier than they had been in a position to advance on Sunday.

As if that had not been difficult sufficient, they had been down two starters for his or her opener towards the Warmth: Marcus Sensible, the league’s defensive participant of the 12 months, was sidelined with a sprained proper foot, and Al Horford entered the league’s coronavirus well being and security protocols on Tuesday afternoon.

The Warmth had been off since Thursday. They scuffled by way of a rusty begin towards the Celtics, lacking their first seven field-goal makes an attempt. Tucker was miffed.

“Took us a very long time to get aggressive,” he mentioned. “We had been method too tender, and so they obtained to just about all the pieces they needed.”

At 37, Tucker is the proud protagonist of one of many extra well-chronicled basketball odysseys. He joined the Toronto Raptors for the 2006-07 season as a second-round draft pick of the College of Texas. However after he performed sparingly for the Raptors, he spent the next 5 seasons taking part in in Israel, Ukraine, Greece, Italy and Germany, refining his sport alongside the way in which.

By the point he signed with the Phoenix Suns earlier than the 2012-13 season, he had proved he may do a little bit of all the pieces: defend, rebound, facilitate and even rating when the chance offered itself. A useful defender, he gained an N.B.A. championship final season after the Bucks picked him close to the commerce deadline.

At this late stage, Tucker is nearer to the tip of his taking part in days than he’s to the start, and the damage and tear of his career was clear throughout Tuesday’s sport. After he rolled his ankle within the second quarter, he hobbled to the locker room. His return appeared unsure.

However Tucker swapped out his footwear — one of many league’s extra prodigious sneakerheads, he has a whole lot of pairs to select from — and summoned some divine intervention.

“There’s a genie again there,” Tucker mentioned. “Took considered one of my needs.”

Spoelstra recalled checking on Tucker’s availability for the second half.

“He checked out me useless within the eye and mentioned: ‘Don’t even give it some thought. I’m taking part in within the second half,’ ” Spoelstra mentioned. “I’m like, ‘All proper, I wasn’t even questioning it.’ ”

As he performed by way of ache, Tucker appeared to take out his angst on Tatum, one of many postseason’s rising younger stars. Tucker was just like the outdated man on the neighborhood park: hobbled however clever, an unshakably annoying presence. The Celtics shot 2 of 15 from the sphere within the third quarter because the Warmth outscored them, 39-14. However once more: Tucker noticed room for enchancment.

“What took us so lengthy?” he requested.

He sank his lone 3-pointer within the fourth quarter and seized the second by elevating his arms to the gang. It was a uncommon probability for him to wash within the highlight, however his teammates perceive his price.

On the ultimate buzzer, Butler embraced him.

“He does all of the little issues,” Butler mentioned.