Did Raptors coach help force Tatum's costly Game 6 turnover? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jayson Tatum's errant pass near the end of regulation in Wednesday's Game 6 thriller was a bit of a head-scratcher -- until you watch the replay.
The Boston Celtics had possession with under a minute to play in a tie game against the Toronto Raptors when Tatum inexplicably fired a pass out of bounds, several feet from where teammate Daniel Theis was standing.
So, what did Tatum see? Upon further review, it could have been Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, who left the coaching box to conveniently stand right near where Tatum misfired his pass.
U.S. & World
Tatum owned his turnover after the game and insisted Nurse's positioning didn't cause his errant pass.
"That was my fault. Can’t blame Nick Nurse. He’s not playing. It was my fault," Tatum told reporters.
Forsberg: C's embracing the challenge of high-stakes Game 7
Still, it's not a stretch to assume Nurse influenced Tatum's turnover by getting in the Celtics star's peripheral vision. It's also not a stretch to say Nurse shouldn't have been standing there, and that the NBA may enforce its coaching box rules more stringently going forward.
Tatum's miscue cost the Celtics a chance to win the game in regulation, and the Raptors made them pay with a 125-122 win in double overtime to force a Game 7 on Friday night.
