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Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem Makes His Presence Felt In Stopping Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week, NBA fans roasted Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem because of his poor attempt at defending Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. 

Two days later, Haslem was on the court impacting the Heat's 120-116 victory against the Celtics. He played just four minutes and had one rebound but drew a key charge that produced Tatum's third foul in the first half. 

"I love it with UD out there for these kind of moments," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I've always trusted him, everybody in our organization always trusts him, in these big moments. I thought that was a great charge that he was able to get Tatum's third foul in the first half."

Haslem is in his 20th season with the Heat. While fans have criticized him for taking a roster spot, he still finds a way to impact the team. 

"He's just a crazy competitor," Spoelstra said. "Obviously, he's the best mentor in this league, could be the best mentor in the history of the league. He shows you that if you still need to play him a few minutes in a big game, he still can produce." 

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Heat and was syndicated with permission.

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