After a monster outing on Wednesday, Brown believes that The Jays have “other limits to reach in the future.” Brown dropped a season-high 41 points and 12 rebounds, while Tatum added 31 points and 10 rebounds to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 125-114. It was the fifth 40-point game in Brown’s career and the 10th time that Brown and Tatum combined to score 70+ points.

“I don’t think this is the best you will see,” Brown said, per ESPN. “I definitely think we’ve got other limits to reach in the future, in our career. This is just part of the process.”

41 PTS (season-high)
12 REB

Jaylen Brown went off in the Celtics home W pic.twitter.com/faQNsTi5qo

— NBA (@NBA) January 12, 2023

Interim head coach Joe Mazzulla believes Tatum and Brown have been using the pain of losing the 2022 NBA Finals to fuel their high level of play. He complimented Brown for playing aggressively against the Pelicans, saying Brown “took what the defense gave him and made the right plays.”

“To get to that point in your career when you know you need each other, and you know you need your teammates — it’s a very powerful thing,” Mazzulla said.

The Jays continued to shine for us tonight by combining for 72 points and 22 rebounds during our win over the Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/CHr0zdzD8f

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 12, 2023

Malcolm Brogdon (20 points, four rebounds, and four assists) echoed those statements during a TV appearance and said that he’s noticed how The Jays have “taken a huge leap individually and together, so it’s a joy to be with them.” Al Horford (14 points, three board, and four dimes) commended The Jays for the growth they’ve experienced this season.

“They continue to grow in front of our eyes,” Horford said. “What we did last year and what they did last year leading us to the Finals, it shows a lot of growth on their end — Now I feel like they’re just playing basketball, trying to lead us.”

Boston (30-12) plays the Brooklyn Nets (27-13) on Thursday.

The post Jaylen Brown Believes He Has ‘Other Limits to Reach in the Future’ with Jayson Tatum appeared first on SLAM.

The fifth-year center out of Texas A&M started a game for the first time since Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals. He ended the night with six points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks while playing 23 minutes in a 107-99 win over the Chicago Bulls.

“He was great,” Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Williams’ contributions, per NBA.com. “I think he brought a level of joy to our team just because of how unselfish he is and the type of plays he’s able to make on both ends of the floor. I thought our spacing was better with our big lineup. That’s just something we’re going to continue to work on.”

big man pass, big man jam pic.twitter.com/qbcq5WGOxV

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 10, 2023

Williams has played in 10 games since he first returned from offseason knee surgery on Dec. 16 against the Orlando Magic. Since then, he’s averaged 7.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while playing 19.8 minutes. Boston has also become the seventh-best defense (110.9 defensive rating) and the best offense in the League (117.1 offensive rating).

According to Mazzulla, Boston found their identity as an improved offense that can play stingy defense. Williams being in the lineup allows Boston to fully realize their two-way potential, with Mazzulla specifically stating that Williams gives Boston “a different attack that we can have.”

Grant Williams seems to agree with that assessment. The fourth-year forward said that the Time Lord strengthens Boston offensively and fortifies them on the defensive end with his ability to patrol the paint and defend the rim at an elite level. Tatum noticed how Williams “was in a great rhythm” and that the Celtics are”extremely happy to have (Williams) back.”

 “He does so many tremendous things that not many people in the league can even do,” said Grant, “He does a phenomenal job of not only protecting us on the defensive end, but he’s doing a great job pressuring on the offensive glass, being a threat down there – a lob threat. And like JT and [Jaylen Brown] have both said in previous days, we get to continue to include him, we get to continue to work him back into the offense, get familiar with him, understand that there may be opportunities to not only throw lobs but also dropping off to him to allow him to make a play.”

Boston will look to win their fourth-consecutive game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

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The recent stretch of lagging defense and tough losses have proven to be their first test of adversity this season. Surging star forward Jayson Tatum recently gave NBC Sports Boston some insight into what Boston has to do to rediscover their identity and play winning basketball again.

“I think it’s on the first group; we’ve got to back to our identity,” Tatum said. “When we were playing at the best and highest level, we would just play faster. That’s some 0.5 basketball, shoot it, pass it, or drive it. When we play like that, we’re damn near unguardable. Making shots is part of that, so they go hand and hand.”

Over the last nine games, Boston ranks 23rd in offense (113.5) and seventh in defense (112.8). A bit of a reversing trend for a team that held the top offense in the League and a bottom-15 defense before the Celtics’ 4-5 stretch of basketball. Going forward, Boston will likely look to marry their two-way play at a higher level beginning with a road game against the Dallas Mavericks.

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However, the spectacular play from the Celts hasn’t led Celtics president Brad Steven to consider removing Mazzulla’s interim tag. Steven said that Mazzulla has “done a good job” and is “running the show like a head coach.” Those words couldn’t be any more true for a team that ranks second best on offense (116.6 offensive rating) and seventh in defense (110.6 defensive rating).

Brad Stevens said he had no update on if or when the #Celtics will remove Joe Mazzulla’s interim status. “He’s done a good job. He’s running the show like a head coach.”

— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) December 23, 2022

Boston also has an MVP frontrunner in Jayson Tatum and an All-NBA/All-Star in Jaylen Brown. They can still rely on the two-way excellence of Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Al Horford. With those five and a reliable bench mob, the Celtics look like the cream of the crop.

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While we are less than halfway into the NBA season, Mazzulla and the C’s are thriving. Mazzulla credits Brad Stevens, who coached the Celtics from 2013-2021, for supporting him this season and being his “sounding board” per the Boston Globe.

“Just constant communication as far as where we think the team is, where we think we can go, what we can get better at, and what we’re doing well,” Mazzulla said. “He’s always done a good job as a coach of homing in on what we’re doing well and what we could do better. So for him to be on the outside and seeing it from a different perspective has helped me narrow in on what’s important on both ends. As a first-time head coach, to have a guy who’s coached in the NBA, has coached in a lot of big games, and has coached this team and has a great feel for what’s going on, it’s priceless.”

Stevens has had Mazzulla’s back since day one, so it’s no surprise he’s continued to offer his guidance as the C’s look to maintain their spot at the top of the League.

The ‘Kiss of Death’

A Tatum dagger is almost always followed by a kiss to the crowd, a celebration he calls the “kiss of death”. On Dec. 7, Grant Williams sank a 3-pointer in the first half and tried out the celebration for himself.

Goofy and loving, Williams has become a “little brother” figure in the Celtics locker room. Tatum essentially rolled his eyes at Williams celebration and said “he was too excited, too hyped”. 

“He was jumping. I was like, ‘Grant, it’s still the second quarter.’ So I pulled him aside and said, ‘You can do it, but I’m cool when I do it. I look cool. You didn’t look cool. You looked like a kid.”

The Celtics start a seven-game homestand on Friday, and armed with a Tour player, muscle milk God, and the kiss of death, hope to keep their streak rolling in Boston.

The post Boston Soundbites: Joe Mazzulla on His Relationship With Brad Stevens and Jayson Tatum’s ‘Kiss of Death’ appeared first on SLAM.

Boston Celtics All-Defensive center Robert Williams will make his season debut Friday vs. the Orlando Magic, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 15, 2022

Williams hasn’t played this season due to a knee procedure he received in September that would knock him out of action for 4-6 weeks.

Williams is a significant difference-maker for a Celtics squad with the best record in the League, the best offense (118.1 offensive rating), and the eighth-best defense (111.8 defensive rating). Last season, Williams averaged 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Those numbers were the backbone of a Boston team that held the best defense in the League and a dangerous offense on the other end as a lob threat that cleans up the boards.

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It was a game that had a little bit of everything. Superstars were making plays, tough buckets were being traded back and forth by both teams, and even overtime. The two teams were on fire down the stretch, but the Boston Celtics clutched up and came away with the W.

After putting up 25 points on 10 for 21 shooting and snatching 15 boards, Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown spoke to the media following the OT thriller;

“You know, I think one of the greatest rivalries in sports is Celtics/Lakers. From the history of the game from the 80’s carrying on till now. So to be able to be live here in 2022 going into 2023, to be able to play to play against the Lakers in a competitive atmosphere, I’m sure from a spectators standpoint, it’s amazing, but to be on the court is even more amazing. Being able to compete and be a part of that, say, legacy, so it’s definitely an honor. I had a lot of fun tonight.”

"One of the greatest rivalries in sports is Celtics – Lakers… It's definitely an honor, I had a lot of fun tonight"

Jaylen Brown on being able to participate in the Celtics – Lakers rivalry after tonight's OT thriller. pic.twitter.com/WtSez6vQmd

— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2022

Brown hit a clutch three that gave the Celtics a 122-114 lead with 53 seconds left to go in the overtime period, and what was eventually that bucket to seal the team’s victory 122-118. Boston improved to 22-7 on the season to remain in first place in the Eastern Conference, while Los Angeles remains in 12th in the West.

Both teams will be interesting to pay attention to as the season approaches the trade deadline on February 9th. We’ll just have to wait and see if either team makes a move.

The post Jaylen Brown Says Competing in the Legendary Celtics-Lakers Rivalry Is An ‘Honor’ appeared first on SLAM.

Deuce’s dad was dominant on national TV after dropping 44 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on 15-29 shooting, including 5-10 from downtown. Tatum scored 18 points in the second half, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Brown posted 25 points, 15 boards, five dimes, and three steals on 10-21 shooting and 3-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

“Games aren’t won or lost in the fourth quarter or overtime,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said per ESPN. “We have to be elite at managing the end of the third, beginning of the fourth quarter. That is where NBA games are won and lost, and we didn’t do a good job managing that part of the game. So we’ll take the positives of how we worked to get back in the game and then managed a run to end it, but we’ll also focus on that stretch.”

44 PTS | 9 REB | 6 AST | 5 3PM

Jayson Tatum was NEXT LEVEL as he battled LeBron and AD in the @celtics OT win! pic.twitter.com/0MchIYGSds

— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2022

The monumental effort that the Double Jay’s had to exert left Tatum to tell Chris Haynes, “Damn, I’m tired,” on national TV during their postgame interview.

Easy to understand on a night when Boston surrounded a 20 point and allowed LA to go on a 45-12 run that led to a 13-point lead in the fourth-quarter. In response, Tatum made the Lakers defense look like it was in quick sand in the final frame, especially when he forced a switch agaisnt Matt Reaves. JT abused the mismatch and scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, but he ended up scoring the game-tying bucket against LeBron James to force overtime.

“To come back after blowing a lead a little bit, it shows the resilience of this team,” Brown told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin. “We came back, we made some big plays, we didn’t let the wheel go when they came back and stormed back on us, and we made some big plays down the stretch. JT, Smart with a big 3, all of the above. So it just showed what we’re made of.”

And that’s why you never give up. pic.twitter.com/WT5trTuJTa

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 14, 2022

From there, Tatum and Brown combined to score seven of Boston’s 12 overtime points, with Brown knocking down the decisive triple to give Boston a an eight-point lead with 53.1 seconds left in the contest.

“That game just says a lot about our experience and mental toughness,” said Brown, who also had 15 rebounds. “That’s a tough and perfect way to close out our road trip.”

THIS IS WHAT JB DO pic.twitter.com/yTT6JJPCQO

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 14, 2022

Boston (22-7) looks to build a winnings streak when they take on the Orlando Magic (8-20) and LA (11-16) will look get backon track when they play the Denver Nuggets (16-10).

The post Jayson Tatum: ‘Damn I’m Tried’ After 44-Point Outing Against the Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Mazzulla has also earned the respect of the players on the Celtics roster, who have responded well and have been ‘all-in’ on their new coach.

“The thing I appreciated most was that he wasn’t going to try to be somebody he wasn’t because he was in a new role,” said Celtics star Jayson Tatum in a recent interview with Andscape. “He was very transparent. He said this was new for him, and it was going to be new for everybody. It wasn’t something that we were just going to move on and forget about. It was going be tough and a transition that everyone was going to be comfortable talking about.”

Mazzulla recently sat down to talk about his upbringing, coaching style, and how he prepared himself for his latest role as the head honcho of the Celtics. One of the first things everyone wanted to know was what was going through Mazzulla’s mind when he was first named to be Celtics interim coach;

“I’ve always had faith that I was going to be an NBA head coach,” answered Mazzulla. “I believed in myself, but I didn’t know it was going to happen this fast. I didn’t know it was going to happen in Boston. But I kind of felt it that it would happen at some point. At least, I had hope that it would.”

Given the Celtics’ rich championship-winning history and big-name head coaches of the past, Mazzulla was asked where his confidence came from;

“It’s developed over time. I think my dad and my mom, they had a huge influence on me as far as my mental preparation. As far as what’s your mindset on a daily basis, how do you navigate the world around you? And as a player, I wasn’t great. I thought I was a tough kid, but I didn’t have true mental toughness. I didn’t handle adversity well. I didn’t have great self-awareness. I didn’t have great self-management. I couldn’t self-regulate a lot. And so, when I got into coaching, I made a huge investment into that emotional intelligence and that mental preparation and how you navigate everything that’s going on around you. So, that’s helped.”

When asked if he felt any added pressure being the coach of such a historic franchise, Mazzulla responded by saying;

“There’s no real pressure. To me, you just have a responsibility. I have a responsibility to the Celtics, to the tradition, to the players, to the organization, the owners, to just do whatever you got to do to give this team and this organization the best chance to win another banner. And you just can’t stop until that happens. To me, it’s just a responsibility. And when I’m in moments of that, the only thing I can focus on is how do I execute. How do I just execute the next situation that I’m in?”

Mazzulla is definitely making the most of his opportunity right now and knows that whether he’s interim or coach in the NBA, either title can be taken away at any time. That being said, we should all be excited to see what Mazzulla and his Celtics do as the season progresses.

The post Joe Mazzulla Says He ‘Always Believed’ He Would Become an NBA Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

As this team marches on, Marcus Smart and currently rehabbing Robert Williams are set to rejoin the squad soon after suffering minor setbacks from injury. When the Celtics are at 100%, there’s no telling how far they can go.

In the postgame press conference after the win, Brown told NBC Sports that he envisions Boston returning to the NBA Finals.

“I want to get to the playoffs, and I want to show what I can do there,” said the Celtics star. “I think I could play with the best of them. I know what my capabilities are, but my emphasis right now is on winning games and leading this team back to the Finals. So that’s where my point of emphasis is. Anything else that comes along, whatever — I’m really focused on getting us back to the NBA Finals.”

Boston has significantly improved since losing in the NBA Finals in June. They currently have the best offensive rating in the League at 120.7, according to statmuse.com. New acquisitions like Malcolm Brogdon and Blake Griffin have unlocked another gear for this team.

Grant Williams is one of the League leaders in three-point accuracy, hitting triples at an incredible 46 percent. Last but not least, to put the icing on the cake, Jayson Tatum is playing at an MVP level. He’s averaging 30.7 points and 8.1 rebounds on 48.1 percent shooting, which are all career highs for the 24-year-old. It’s safe to say that the Celtics’ revenge tour is in full effect.

The Celtics will try and repeat the same success they had against the Nets on Monday when they face the Toronto Raptors at 7:30 p.m.

The post Jaylen Brown is Focused on Leading the Boston Celtics Back to the NBA Finals appeared first on SLAM.

Rob Williams is back scrimmaging at Celtics practice pic.twitter.com/gHCHkMRPQI

— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) November 30, 2022

During a recent team practice, some of Williams’s teammates spoke to The Athletic about the progress they have seen in Williams.

“He looks good, man,” said Celtics small forward Sam Hauser. “When you come back from injury, you still gotta get over the mental block of being okay. But physically out there, he looks like you would have never thought he had surgery.”

Hauser also spoke from his own experience about returning from injury, adding;

“Getting back into shape is the worst; I had somewhat of a similar feeling to what he’s feeling right now, but I’m sure he’ll be ready to go whenever he gets his number called and whenever he is allowed to play. We’re excited to have him back.”

Celtics power forward Mfiondu Kabengele also spoke on William’s progression after practicing against him, stating;

“It was really fun; he’s been progressing really well. I don’t know what his status is right now, but he looks strong. He’s moving well.”

Robert Williams can still block shots. pic.twitter.com/p6y7XQ9fNR

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) November 30, 2022

At a recent press conference, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about William’s progress and return to the court, to which he answered;

“He went through another session today; he’s progressing really well. Pretty close to returning along with the timeline, and it’s just a matter of getting him back conditioning-wise, making sure he’s comfortable and ready to go.”

Joe Mazzulla says Robert Williams is "pretty close to returning" pic.twitter.com/adRhbS83eo

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 4, 2022

The Celtics are currently in first place in the East and have been clicking on all cylinders. So whenever Williams returns to the court, he will make the team even stronger. We’ll have to wait and see whether that is before the All-Star break.

The post Robert Williams ‘Making Progress’ Toward Return From Knee Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

Taco Jay is on a rampage, and he’s launched himself to the top of the MVP race. Wednesday, Tatum dropped a season-high 49 points on 8-12 threes and 15-25 shooting from the floor in a 134-121 win over the Miami Heat. TD Garden lauded the guard’s stellar performance with MVP chants.

“That means everything,” Tatum said per NBC Sports Boston about the MVP chants during the game. “That’s something I’ve dreamed about as a kid, and to hear it in front of our home crowd from the best fans in the world, it holds a special place in my heart.”

“I love this place, I love being here, and hearing that during the game gives you chills.”

Leading the No. 1 ranked Celtics with 31.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, Tatum is locked in as an early-season MVP candidate. 

The C’s are a League-best 18-4 a quarter of the way into the season, and they are hungry as ever following their Finals run.

Tatum has been vocal about the devastation he felt following Boston’s Finals loss to the Warriors and the subsequent motivation he and the Celtics’ have to get back to the championship round and ultimately win a championship. 

While Tatum’s first five seasons with the Celtics were riddled with inconsistency, injuries, and both roster and front-office changes, the C’s may have finally found their footing. Undoubtedly their most consistent and confident start to the season, the Celtics rely on an unusual metaphor to stay locked-in day after day: the sandcastle.

Every time the Celtics enter the film room, head coach Joe Mazzulla has a picture or video of sand castles up. The “cheesy” message is that you build great sandcastles on vacation, but when you leave the beach, the tide inevitably comes in and washes the sandcastle away. So the next day, you arrive at the beach, and you build another sandcastle. 

The C’s are focused on being a one-win-at-a-time team. They are trying to show up each day and build the best sandcastle they can. 

“It’s a choice that we’ve got to make every day when we come in and try to be the best version of ourselves — and knowing that it’s never going to be easy,” Tatum said per MSN. “We’re always going to get the other team’s best shot.”

An 18-4 record and a dominant win over an Eastern Conference rival in Miami don’t mean much to Boston today. That record and that win were yesterday. The tide came in, washed the win away, and left a fresh beach for Boston to build another great sandcastle. 

The Celtics refuse to be complacent. They refuse to be satisfied. Until they win Banner 18, it’s “done, next” for the C’s.

Boston faces the Heat again tomorrow night and looks to add another W to their win column.

The post Records and Sandcastles: An MVP Candidate and Unique Mindset Keep the Celtics Rolling appeared first on SLAM.

Boston Celtics center Al Horford has agreed on a two-year, $20 million contract extension that ties him to the franchise through his 39th birthday, his agent Jason Glushon of @GlushonSM tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/10v0FHqIIU

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 1, 2022

Horford will be under contract with Boston through his 39th birthday. The 6’9 center is averaging 10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.8 rebounds per game on 55.5 percent shooting from the field and 48.8 percent from beyond the arc. Boston (18-4) has the top record right now in the League due to their top-ranked offense (121.5 offensive rating) and 20th-ranked defense (112.4).

Horford and Boston are coming off a 134-121 win over the Miami Heat, their fifth consecutive win in a row. They’ll look to make it six straight when they play Miami again on Friday.

The post REPORT: Celtics and Al Horford Agree to A Two-Year Extension appeared first on SLAM.

“No, nothing close,” Brogdon told NBCSports if he’d ever played on a better team like this season’s Celtics. “This is a treat for any NBA player. Whether you ask Marcus Smart, Tatum, Brown, anybody, it’s a treat to play on a team like this.”

While playing alongside all-stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Brogdon is averaging 14 points a game with a 48.8 percent field goal average and 46.9 percent from beyond the arc.

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A post shared by Boston Celtics (@celtics)

The 29-year-old joined the Celtics hoping to contribute to a veteran role for when they are again pushing towards a championship, similar to last season. However, this isn’t the first time Brogdon has been part of a title contender and playing alongside an MVP candidate like Tatum.

In 2019, the Milwaukee Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finals and were two wins away from reaching the big stage. Brogdon averaged 13.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 rebounds per game during Milwaukee’s run to the ECF. The 2019 MVP, Giannis Antetokumpo, was just getting into the flow of superstardom, but the team ultimately fell to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors.

In just 25 games as a Celtic, Brogdon says his teammates and the front office have developed their leadership from and have encouraged younger players “to be appreciated of what they have here.” Holding each other accountable while maintaining the good vibes around the team will help the Celtics reach their ultimate goal of hanging an 18th banner.

“There’s a lot of good here, from the top down — the leadership down to the PTs, the players,” said Brogdon. “I remind the guys of that when times get tough because there’s always going to be times and days when there’s lulls, but for me and Blake (Griffin), we’ve been in situations where the team is not winning, and the team is really struggling, and there’s chaos. I try to encourage guys to be appreciative of what they have here.”

The post Malcolm Brogdon: ‘It’s a Treat to Play’ On High-Powered Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

ICYMI: 

Most of the fireworks on Friday night happened in Houston in an absolute shoot-out between the Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray combined for 83 points, but it wasn’t enough. After leading by as much as 16 points in the third quarter, Atlanta squandered the lead, and the Rockets surged late to capture their fourth win of the season, 128-122.

Despite Murray scoring a career-high 39 points and making a career-high eight threes, the Hawks couldn’t get the job done. A big reason for this was their performance on the boards in the absence of Clint Capela, who was out due to dental pain. Houston outrebounded Atlanta 59-28. This included a 22-6 drubbing on the offensive boards and a 37-22 advantage on the defensive boards.

Most of the headlines after the game were about the aftermath of a third-quarter scrum between each team’s respective backcourt. Young and Murray did plenty of showboating on the way to scoring a combined 83 points, and you get the sense that Green and Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t like it one bit. Green and Porter took to Instagram to mock Young following the game. Green waved goodbye to the Hawks after their 18-point fourth quarter. 

Ja Morant messed around and dropped a triple-double in Madison Square Garden, dropping 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 dimes. He’s been highly productive during Desmond Bane, who suffered a sprained big toe injury on Nov. 15 and won’t be back for at least another week.

Postgame, Morant credited New York Knicks point guard and Chicago/Memphis legend Derrick Rose for paving the way for hyper-athletic guards by saying; 

“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant told the Commercial Appeal. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”

Klay Thompson was off to a rough start on the offensive side of the ball to begin the season, but he’s beginning to get on track. He shot 61.5 percent from the field in Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Golden State scored 47 points in the first quarter and never really looked back. They had crisp offensive execution the entire game. 

The Boston Celtics continued their winning ways. They have won 12 of their last 13 games. They are a League-best 16-4 on the season. Jaylen Brown had 36 points in their most recent win sans Jayson Tatum against the Washington Wizards. The Celtics are poised for a return to the NBA Finals if they keep playing the way they’re playing. 

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and the Brooklyn Nets are now only a single game under .500 following their 111-97 win against the Trail Blazers on Sunday night. Seth Curry was a big factor in the win against his former squad, with 29 points on 11-15 shooting. 

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox has been playing out of his mind and is turning some heads. Fox has been shooting a career-high 53 percent from the field, helping him average 25.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

Fox has the Kings sitting in sixth place in a jammed Western Conference with a record of 10-8. Fox’s play has been so good that this past weekend, he inked a deal with one of the biggest and most well-known sports agencies in basketball Klutch Sports. For Sacramento, Fox’s recent play and lead role in the Kings’ resurgence could be just what the team needs to end their 16-year playoff drought.

The Kings have the talent and youth to be very disruptive if given a postseason opportunity. The team’s additions of Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk (in addition to Fox’s play) have been a great fit. Hopefully, Fox and the team can continue this momentum.

Over the weekend, the Lakers played the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in their last four games. During the third quarter of Saturday’s game, Russell Westbrook was going up for a layup after previously grabbing a rebound and was fouled on the way up by Spurs center Zach Collins. When Westbrook rose up from the ground heated from the foul, you could see that he had a cut and was visibly bleeding from his forehead.

The two teams got together for what seemed like a couple of seconds after the foul, but everyone was calmly escorted to their respective benches. Westbrook, who was fuming for a good reason, was taken away by LeBron James, who quickly compressed Westbrook’s head wound with a towel and walked him over to the bench to be further examined by the Lakers team doctors.

Once the situation calmed down, a Flagrant 2 foul was given the Collins, and a tech was given to Westbrook. Postgame, James commented on the altercation, saying;

“I saw where the cut was immediately. It was just common sense to put pressure on the cut right away. Don’t let it continue to go. Before we became teammates, we’ve always been like brothers and cool and things of that nature. His health is more important than the game of basketball. We were just trying to stop that and let the training staff do their job after we got him over to the bench.”

Miami center Bam Adebayo has had a quiet yet phenomenal stretch over the Heat’s last six games averaging 25.5 points per game and 10.2 rebounds on 52 percent shooting from the field. However, in Adebayo’s last two games, he has scored over 30 points and has been a key contributor toward the end of games on both the defensive and offensive sides.

The Heat are currently on a three-game win streak led by Adebayo’s diverse and consistent play, and the team looks to carry that momentum into their Wednesday matchup with the 2022 Eastern Conference Champion Celtics. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND:

Ja Morant’s father asked for his son’s jersey for the first time in Morant’s career. Morant stated that it was “special” for him to get a triple-double in the Garden and that it was a place that he always had a special feeling for.

Morant admitted after Sunday’s game that MSG was special for him to have a triple-double since it was a place he watched in so many games on television as a kid — which was why his father made the unusual request for his jersey.

“It’s just the bright lights, man,” Morant told ESPN post-game. “Having a triple-double in the Garden is crazy. Growing up actually watching teams come here and play, watching the Knicks play — everybody loves the Garden. We really called it the bright lights. Everybody is watching. So for me to be able to go out and play like I played tonight was big-time for me.”

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However, the promotion of Joe Mazzulla has helped Boston become an offensive juggernaut with the top-rated (118.8) offense in the League. The only question to solve is how to get Boston to regain their defensive dominance; as of Wednesday, the Celtics hold a 112.5 defensive rating, good for 19th.

After Marcus Smart (22 points, five rebounds, eight assists on 8-12 shooting) helped lead Boston to a gritty, come-from-behind, seventh-straight win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, it’s clear that the vibes are immaculate in Beantown. During his postgame interview, Smart said, “last year around this time, we would have lost this game.”

We never stopped believing and pulled off a big comeback against OKC for our seventh straight win pic.twitter.com/p2byTNFvzw

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 15, 2022

But that was last year, this season, Boston has shown maturity and veteran polish after their run to the Finals. Although the Celtics were outplayed for the first 36 minutes of the game, Smart refed to let Boston’s win streak end. Smart dropped 10 points and four assists and hit the lead-clinching three-pointer after he checked in with 8:03 left in the game.

“It feels amazing,” Smart said, per NBC Sports. “We had a lot of stuff going on early in the season with us. A lot of controversy, a lot of expectations for us, a lot of obstacles to overcome. And we just continue to keep fighting, trusting one another, and keep going.”

Now that's how you break the zone @smart_MS3 found @jaytatum0 for the jam in tonight's @JetBlue Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/Qfk6a6u2cJ

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 15, 2022

Because of Smart, timely contributions from Peyton Pritchard and Derrick White, and the team-high 27 points, five rebounds, and eight assists effort from MVP candidate superstar Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics stole a feel-good win heading into a three-game road trip.

“Everybody contributed,” Tatum said. “D-White and Payton off the bench giving that spark at the end of the third, beginning of fourth, that really willed us to that comeback. So I was extremely proud of the way that we responded, the way that we competed, and figured it out.

“It wasn’t pretty. Obviously, some things we wish we could have done better, but that’s a talented team, and that’s a good win.”

Boston begins their road trip against Atlanta (9-5).

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On Saturday, Boston defeated the Detroit Pistons 117-108 in a game where the Celtics star seemed almost unstoppable, erupting for 43 points. After the game, when asked whether or not he felt like he was the MVP at this early point of the season, the 24-year-old did not hold back.

“I mean, I think I am,” Tatum told Yahoo Sports. “It’s a long season. Every time I step on the floor, I feel like I’m the best player. But it’s a lot of talented guys in this League – It’s (MVP) measured by team success. We have 69 games left. The key is staying healthy, keep playing the way we’re playing and see what happens.”

Boston is currently second in the Eastern Conference, only trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Tatum is a clear MVP candidate, but if the Celtics can remain one of the top teams in the League as the season goes on, he will have a case to be the clear-cut favorite.

Winning such an accolade has undoubtedly been one of his dreams since he was a kid, he clarified on Saturday; however, the goal of winning a championship is what’s most important to him right now. 

“As a kid, was one of my dreams winning MVP? Sure,” Tatum said. “If it happened, it would be a dream come true. But it wasn’t, like, ‘Come back, win MVP.’ It’s like, ‘Come back, get to the championship.’”

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However, Boston’s All-Star duo changed that narrative and blossomed into the mature stars that Celtics fans had been hoping for since 2010 when they beat the Miami Heat to advance to the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

A credit to their dynamic run was the message shared by former teammate Kemba Walker, who spent time with the team from 2019-2021. During an appearance on NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast, Walker talked about the importance of the duo playing team basketball in order to reach new heights.

“They’ve always seen the talks and people saying they can’t play together. But I always just tried to tell them, ‘Just block that out,'” said Walker. “I always told them, ‘This organization ain’t going nowhere without you two.’ Literally.”

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The two frankly needed each to go on the journey they did last season. In the games Brown missed, the team went 8-8; without Tatum, the Celtics had a record of 2-4.

Of course, the stud defensive unit of Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams may have contributed to a portion of those victories, but the team certainly doesn’t match the post-season threats of a Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks without the star power and intangibles of Tatum and Brown.

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“My main thing to those guys was that they had to love each other,” said Walker. “Those two guys, Jayson and Jaylen — you two guys have to come together as much as you can and lead this team to the promised land. They can’t go anywhere without those two guys. Those two guys are so special, and they’ve shown it.”

The chemistry they’ve developed has grown into this season, as the Celtics currently have an 8-3 record, tying the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second-best in the conference.

The road towards another shot at a championship remains long for the Celtic. If Tatum and Brown still look to win the ultimate prize, they must still consider the leadership-quality messages of Walker.

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When interim coach Joe Mazzulla was asked how Hauser has earned his trust enough to garner plays being called for him to score, the only answer the rookie head coach could give was “not miss.” After Wednesday, that statement couldn’t be proven more true than by the fact that Hauser has knocked down 24 of his first 44 looks from beyond the arc.

“I just think it’s that, honestly,” Hauser said of Mazzulla’s assessment that he doesn’t miss, per the Boston Herald. “You gotta show you can do it in games and in game-like moments. I think I’ve done that so far. Little by little, I’m earning more trust from Joe. And I still gotta keep doing the other things out there to earn minutes out there and keep earning my spot in the rotation.”

The former Marquete Golden Eagle has noblely filled and exceeded expectations as a sharpshooter tasked with replacing the production Boston lost after Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL before the season began. As long as Hauser continues to hit big shots and is reliable as a shooter, he will continue to gain trust from the Celtics coaching staff.

Hauser delivered some big buckets outside of his remarkable long-distance shooting. When the Celtics needed a run to stave off a Pistons comeback, Hauser stepped up big time. He hit a runner, a three-pointer, and scored on two back-door layups. His second-quarter exploits helped the Celtcis grab a 14-point halftime lead.

“I think you’ve seen a couple easy ones go,” Hauser said. “I think it opens up the whole floor for you. Definitely puts more confident in the shot when you go back to the 3-point line. So, definitely getting those easy ones help.”

The Celtics found themselves up by only three midway through the second quarter but did a good job in weathering their sloppy play and a series of Pistons runs with the help of Hauser, who helped the C’s make a strong counter-punch to end the half on a needed run. Hauser then hit back-to-back threes to build a 16-point lead for Boston in the fourth-quarter, preventing any threat of a Detroit comeback.

Hauser and Boston will look to extend their four-game winning streak when they face the Nuggets on the road.

“it’s pretty cool, kind of a surreal moment,” Hauser said. “You dream of this stage when you’re young, and then finally being here knocking down shots in front of the best fans in the NBA, it’s something special. So I definitely don’t take it for granted.”

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Each team has lost the games they’ve played this week, possibly due to the distraction centered around the coaching staff, but veteran leader Al Horford believes the Celtics need to move on from Udoka if his decision happens to ship him to Brooklyn.

“Right now, our focus is on our group and continuing to move forward,” Horford told NBC reporters during the team’s shootaround this morning. “If that materializes for (Udoka), obviously, we’ll be happy for him, but at this point, we’ve already moved forward — We need to bounce back. That’s what’s on my mind.”

The Celtics lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in an overtime thriller Wednesday night, marking their third loss in the last four games. The team averages the most three-pointers (15.4) and sixth most blocks (6.1) across the League under interim Coach Joe Mazzulla. One thing that hasn’t helped is that Boston isn’t forcing many turnovers. They’re averaging 5.7 steals per game this season versus the 7.2 they created last season under Udoka.

That Udoka defense of last year led the team to the NBA Finals, but the past is the past. Horford wants the team to focus on Friday’s game versus the Chicago Bulls.

Considering the reasoning behind the suspension of Udoka, there’s no surprise that a title-contending organization like the Celtics is allowing Udoka to seek coaching opportunities outside Beantown. The objective remains to bring home an 18th title.

“The games are coming on. Things are not going to get easier, ” said Horford. “We’ve got a big challenge starting tonight with Chicago. So, our group, we’re moving ahead. We have to focus and look ahead.”

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The head coaching search didn’t last long for the Nets as reports have now circulated that they’ve narrowed their candidates to just Udoka and former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder. The Nets could possibly name him as their new head coach within the next 24 hours according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Last season, Udoka led the Celtics to a first round sweep against the Nets, which then resulted in seven game series wins against the then-defending champions Milwaukee Bucks and the first seeded Miami Heat.

Leading the Celtics to the NBA Finals was pinnacle success for the first year head coach, but then this offseason, allegations surfaced around a former employee and Udoka having ‘inappropriate relations,’ leading to the one-year suspension.

Altough it isn’t finalized as of yet, Udoka could soon lead the helm of another franchise with high expectations.

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As Boston weathered the storm behind their decision to suspend Udoka for violating team policy, team owner Wyc Grousbeck said that promoting Mazzulla “was never in question.”

“But during those talks, the one part that was never in question was who would step in if it wasn’t going to be Ime,” co-owner Wyc Grousbeck told the Boston Globe. “[Stevens] put his mark on that when he said, ‘I stand by this recommendation and feel extremely strongly about Joe.'”

The 34-year-old is undoubtedly a mastermind at what he does. He went from being a contributor to West Virginia’s 2010 Final Four team and carving out an overseas career to catching the coaching bug while helping other professional players work out. That realization led him to coach at D2 Glenville State, where he constantly studied film and searched for unique strategies and drills.

By 2013, he became an assistant coach at Fairmont State, becoming a player development guy as he designed workouts programs for each player in the program. Mazzulla then became an assistant on the Boston G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, where he caught the eye of former team executive Danny Ainge. After one season, he returned to Fairmont as their head coach from 2017-2019.

“Some coaches know X’s and O’s, and some are really good with building relationships, but very few can do both,” former Red Claws head coach Scott Morrison said. “Joe showed he could do both right out of the gate.”

As the leader of Fairmont, Mazzulla became legendary for his long hours watching game film, his knowledge of the college basketball rulebook, and for holding himself accountable and putting himself through a military-style workout for being one minute late to a workout. That obsessiveness led to Stevens hiring him as an assistant in 2019.

“We always knew Joe was too good to be at a Division 2 college,” former Fairmont forward Vince Franklin said. “His brain was just working way too much for that.”

When Ime Udoka was suspended for the 2022-23 season, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens wasted no time promoting Mazzulla to interim coach. As Boston figured out what they would do regarding Udoka, team owner Wyc Grousbeck said that promoting Mazzula “was never in question.” That confidence in Mazzulla came from Stevens witnessing Mazzulla’s competitive fire, basketball resume, and maniacal preparation

“He just told me he believed in me and that I was ready,” Mazzulla said. “And I just said, ‘Let’s do it.’

The Celtics, who are 3-1 on the season, are back in action on Friday when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden.

The post Celtics Owner Wyc Grousbeck: Hiring Interim Coach Joe Mazzulla ‘Was Never in Question’ appeared first on SLAM.

The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/52Bh8RfBSt

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 26, 2022

The incident occurred during Boston’s Oct. 24 matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Williams was given a technical foul and ejected with 8:58 left in the fourth quarter. Boston ultimately lost 120-102.

Williams will serve his suspension when the Celtics host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 28.

The post Grant Williams Suspended For ‘Recklessly Making Contact With’ and ‘Directing Inappropriate Language Toward’ A Referee appeared first on SLAM.

White did just enough for Boston to turn their early struggles around, and it reconciled into a second seed in the Eastern Conference standings. The success went on into the playoffs as the Celtics secured their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010.

White couldn’t have imagined this surge from the Celtics after being acquired, but personal issues and adjustments to the new squad became a mind-racing experience for him, leading to a championship series loss to the Golden State Warriors.

“It was crazy. I mean, from February to June, it felt like I was on the move nonstop,” White tells NBC Sports Boston. “This year, I feel much more settled in and comfortable. Last year was a great experience, and I loved it all. But I’m feeling much more settled in this year.”

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Although most of the statistical categories took a slight decline for White, his Celtic tenure can be remembered by the elite shot-making and defending he displayed in Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. In those games combined, White totaled 35 points off the bench while securing nine rebounds and nine assists.

Just days before that stellar play, White’s wife, Hannah, gave birth to their son Hendrixx which attributed to him spending time away from the team. Of course, the Celtics still found ways to win due to the offensive eruptions from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. White shared his recognition of the unorthodox duo and how their commitment is a significant aspect of the team’s success.

“From the outside, you see the games, and you’re impressed,” said White on Tatum and Brown. “But it’s all the stuff on the practice court, the things they do after practice — They’re obviously super talented, and their work ethic is a big reason why.”

After the Finals loss, White needed to settle into Boston with his family and team properly. Including the adjustment to fatherhood over the summer, White spent hours in the facility working on his craft as a perimeter shooter, to which interim coach Joe Mazzulla noticed he was shooting far differently as he did in the series against the Warriors.

“I love where he’s at from a confidence standpoint,” said Mazzulla. “I think when he plays with confidence, I think that’s important for all of us to make sure he’s confident because he’s really good for us. When he’s shooting with confidence, I think he’s a threat at all three levels.”

Now comprehensive of his career-changing, White looks to be that x-factor off the bench that the Celtics had wished he would’ve been just four months before. With White’s emerging presence in the gym, he feels the team has gotten much closer, with the taste of revenge lingering on their minds.

“I mean, everybody’s frustrated. Just be so close and not finish it,” said White. “You just want to have another opportunity at that. But you just have to keep getting better and understand the things that you need to work on and work on them. We can’t skip any steps.”

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We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but for now, here are seven takeaways from last night’s action.

Revenge SZN: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are looking even better

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been a nightmare for teams on both sides of the ball for a few years now. They have three ECF trips under their belt and a recent appearance in the NBA Finals — they’re not supposed to still be getting better. After showing up to opening night rockin’ some pretty eye-catching fits, Brown and Tatum dropped a combined 70 points (dropping 35 points apiece) and solidified the dub over Philly.

Both were attacking from every part of the floor. Having two dynamic players like Brown and Tatum gives the Celtics a good chance to get back to the Finals and maybe even win it this time. 

Ring Night: The Warriors may be poised to make another championship run

On ring night, the Warriors look good. Damn good. Stephen Curry is still just as good as he’s always been, and the Warriors’ weapons all kept them afloat and out of reach. The Dubs had their trademark explosive third quarter, and signature contributions from Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Curry, and Andrew Wiggins on offense guided them to a win. Draymond Green and Kevon Looney anchored a strong defensive performance. Their young core (Moses Moody, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga) came in off the bench and provided valuable minutes. Sheesh, the Warriors are deep. 

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The Beard drops a 30-piece on Opening Night

James Harden has been a picture of perfect health for the majority of his NBA career, but during his tenure with the Nets, and leading into his tenure with the Sixers, Harden was dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that sapped away a lot of his explosiveness and his ability to change speeds that made him so difficult to contain during his days in Houston. Houston Harden showed up in Boston last night for Philadelphia.

He finished the game with 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 64.2 percent shooting from the field and 12/12 shooting from the line. Some may say vintage Harden; we say he’s back. 

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LeBron James speaks on Lakers’ Shooting Troubles:

The Los Angeles Lakers Big 3 finished with 77 of 109 points as the remainder of the team struggled to score all game with their limited spacing. Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis also shot a combined 4-16 from three, while the Lakers as a whole shot 10-40. After the game, The King was quick to recognize this deficiency in the Lakers’ offense, citing a lack of “lasers.”

Moving forward, the Lakers need better shooting performances if they do not want to repeat their fate from last season. 

Honoring No. 7: Jaylen Brown Speaks on Bill Russell’s Legacy

The legendary Bill Russell, and 11-time NBA Champion (twice as a head coach of the Celtics), passed away this past summer. The Boston Celtics legend had his No. 6 retired around the League, and every team is wearing a “6” patch on their jersey to honor him. The Celtics took each step, however, intent on honoring their greatest player. Jaylen Brown took a few moments to commemorate Bill Russell before the game, honoring him as a player, a father, a leader, and a man. 

Coaching Debuts of Mazzulla and Ham:

Darvin Ham and Joe Mazzulla both made their head coaching debuts on opening night. Mazzulla won his first game, and Ham lost his. Mazzulla is an interim head coach, for now, following Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension by the Boston Celtics.

Near the end of their contest against the Celtics, Stan Van Gundy joked that Mazzulla now has the best winning percentage in NBA history. This is true and looks to remain true, at least through his next game. Ham, on the other hand, has the tall task of coaching a veteran Lakers team back to promise. There are some positive takeaways to be had from the team’s performance but look for tweaks in the next few games as they look to find their footing. 

FREE BG 

October 18th marked the beginning of the NBA season, but it was also Britney Griner’s 32nd birthday. Stephen Curry took some time to bring awareness to her wrongful incarceration in Russia during his direct address to the fans in attendance as well as the fans watching on TV at home. The fight for Griner’s freedom continues to be a major point of emphasis as the season begins. 

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Before Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics held a moment of silence as a tribute to Russell, and afterward, Jaylen Brown said a few words.

“Bill Russell was a great man, but what defined his greatness,” Brown asked the crowd. “Who he was as a mentor, a father, a member of his community, and most certainly his eleven championships here in Boston both playing and coaching, but undoubtedly, Bill Russell was a great man for what and who he stood for. During the peak of racial tension in our society, he represented a type of nobility and honor that transcended sports.

“The amount of respect that he receives from his people will live on eternally, and I’m grateful to be able to shake his hand. He was a true champion both on and off the floor, and our gratitude is endless. I started off by saying Bill Russell was a great man; in closing, Bill Russell was the greatest of men in the NBA, this organization, and this world was very lucky to have him. May he rest in peace.”

Russell’s impact throughout the NBA will be felt for many decades to come. This is a huge reason League Commissioner Adam Silver considers Russell “the founding father of the modern NBA.” Russell’s legacy will forever live on in the hearts of not only those within the NBA but the fans and the next generation of basketball talent coming up too.

Russell’s No. 6 will not only be a patch on every player’s jersey, but the Silver announced Russell’s number would be retired by every team across the League. This is the ultimate tribute and the most significant sign of admiration and respect that is only fitting for someone like Bill Russell. Echoing Brown’s words, may he rest in peace and may his legacy continue to live on.

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Afterward, the Boston locker erupted in joy as they gave Mazzulla a customary water bottle shower to celebrate the first win of his career and team owner Wyz Grousbeck gave Mazzulla the game ball. The locker room commemoration was a fantastic moment for a team dealing with controversy after Ime Udoka was suspended for violating team rules days before training camp started.

“I’m grateful for the relationship we have,” Mazzulla said, per ESPN. “These guys have been through a lot together, and they’re great players. So it’s just a matter of working together. So I appreciate their trust and buy-in, but they come up with a lot of good stuff as well, and we kind of just figure it out.”

On a mission. : @sammironko pic.twitter.com/5aZy88VquF

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 19, 2022

Boston opened the season with a win due to their speed and quickness over Philadelphia. The Celtics outscored the 76ers 24-2 on the fast break and were torching the nets over the final 36 minutes as they shot over 60 percent from the field to erase an early Philly eight-point lead.

“Pace is the virtue of this team,” Grant Williams (15 points) said. “We have a bunch of guys that can bring it, a bunch of guys that are playmakers for one another, and we trust everybody. We trust everybody to make the right decision, to make the right read, to make the right play. So that’s why we keep the ball ahead, and we play freely. That encourages players to be who they are and that allows a lot of freedom and opportunity. It makes everybody a threat.”

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum became the first pair or teammates to each score 35+ plus during a season-opener since Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West did it for the Lakers in 1996. Tatum added 10 rebounds on the night and became the first Celtic to drop 35 and 10 during the first game of a season since Paul Pierce did it in 2004.

The last Boston Celtics to drop 35+ points and 10+ rebounds in the first game of a season:

Paul Pierce (11/3/2004)
Jayson Tatum (10/18/2022) pic.twitter.com/bJkUacfiKQ

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) October 19, 2022

The Celtics were filled with praise for Mazzulla during post-game interviews. Offseason trade acquisition Malcolm Brogdon complimented Mazzola for his even-keeled demeanor, Marcus Smart (14 points and seven assists) said it’s apparent the interim coach is “oozing” with confidence, and Brown said he’s “tough as nails.”

“He wouldn’t have took any of the credit for tonight, but the thing that I like about Joe and admire about him is that he’s very honest that he doesn’t know everything,” Tatum said. “He wants us to help him out as much as he’s helping us out. It’s like we’re in a relationship, and we’re all on the same page and trying to accomplish the same thing. We’re all in this together.”

Fly high. : @sammironko pic.twitter.com/x9AzxZGrv7

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 19, 2022

After their convincing opening night victory over Philly, it looks like Boston will be going about the season like it’s business despite a messy start to the season. Boston’s All-Star wing duo of Tatum and Brown will remain dominant, they’ll be reliant on their speed, quickness, and length to rev up their offense and defense, and Boston will continue to play with the intensity that helped fuel their run to the 2022 NBA Finals.

The most important thing to understand is that Mazzulla seems to have gotten a resounding endorsements from the Celtics players. This season, that’ll be the most important difference in whether or not they can replicate their success from last season.

“It was a proud moment,” Mazzulla said. “I think it started with the Bill Russell ceremony and just talking to the team about the legacy he left on and off the court and the responsibility we carry to be able to hold that and build our own legacy.

“I think at the end of the game, the ‘Let’s go, Celtics’ chant, we picked up right where we left off. I pride myself in the Boston fans and the city of Boston, and when they’re cheering for you, it means you’re doing something right.”

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Brown has evolved several times throughout his career, from rookie to dynamic emerging star to explosive scorer. The Boston Celtics haven’t been a stranger to deep playoff runs throughout Brown’s tenure, and this past season, they finally broke through and made the NBA Finals. Despite this accomplishment, the Celtics came up short, and Brown refused to rest on his laurels.

tfw it’s gameday pic.twitter.com/vb7uRSEJpv

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 18, 2022

This offseason, Brown decided to test himself in new ways. One way he pushed himself over the summer was by using underwater training to help him make another leap during the 2022-23 season. 

“I pushed myself to the limit this summer. I’ve done things that I never thought I could do,” Brown said to NBC sports. “I wasn’t a great swimmer. I was an average swimmer. And you would probably think I was born in the water if you saw me now.” 

The idea to go underwater for his physical development was born after Brown came across a video of big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton training in the water. His physical therapist immediately put Brown in contact with Hamilton’s training facility.

“In a word way, it kind of found me. All [last] season, I’d been telling myself this upcoming [offseason], I wanted to try something different. I want to get more in the water. I’m kind of muscular, tight, so if I get a little bit more fluid, I think that it can improve my game and also improve my cardio, all that,” Brown said. 

Jaylen takes it coast to coast pic.twitter.com/ChfHhBI2WH

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 15, 2022

Amidst trade rumors, the water became a safe space for Brown. He recruited Luca Padua to assist him with his underwater weight training and swimming regiments. All of the practice was supposed to build to a surfing expedition, but with the season on the horizon, Brown has put that off until next offseason. 

For now, Jaylen Brown is looking for his work from this prior season to pay off in the form of a championship. The Boston Celtics kick off the NBA season starting tonight at 7:30 EST against the Philadelphia 76ers. 

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Since he’s arrived in Beantown, the 29-year-old point guard has made it clear that he’s ready to sacrifice any individual desires to help push the Celtics over their final hump. The last time Brogdon tasted anything close to championship gold was when Milwaukee made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019. Since then, Brogdon has made it to the playoff once as a member of the Pacers, losing in the first round of the 2020 bubble playoffs.

One thing that Brogdon believes about these Celtics is that he can mesh well because of his cool and collected personality.

“These guys are locked in,” said Brogdon per NBCSports. “They know what they want. There’s one goal in mind, and guys are just focused. When the guys are in the gym, there’s not a lot of joking; there’s not a lot of laughing. It’s a lot of what my vibe is — I’m all about business when I step in the gym. I consider myself between the lines as soon as I enter the facility every day. So I enjoy the vibe of that; it’s a very workmanship approach. Guys are focused.”

Brogdon’s former college coach, Tony Bennett, believes that his desire to succeed will allow his former point guard to thrive in Boston.

Bennett believes that Boston “will reinvigorate him.” He also cited that Brogdon’s tough-mindedness and defensive pride will help him “fill in with the right pieces,” and he is capable of taking over games and will do “what’s required to win.”

“The thing that I sold Malcolm on, way back when recruiting him — don’t take a backseat. No backseats. He just wanted a chance to go against the best,” said Bennett. “He wanted to compete against the Carolinas and the Dukes, and — obviously, you’ve got a Duke guy [Jayson Tatum] on your team — but that’s what drove him. And now that he’s tasted that and he’s been successful, that still hasn’t changed. He’s very competitive, and he will not back down. And he loves that.

“When you see him matching up on the LeBrons or different guys, he takes great pride in getting a stop, being tough-minded. And I think this will reinvigorate him. I think you’re gonna see him just fill in the right pieces and then, at times, be able to take over games in his way. But just do what’s required to win.  And that’s what I think Celtics fans appreciate over the years and will appreciate in him.”

According to Al Horford, Boston acquiring the 50-40-90 club member invigorated the Celtics’ returning core.

This makes sense when you realize the Celtics acquired Brogdon at a relatively low cost after letting go of a protected 2023 first-round pick and a collection of bench players. Indiana’s commitment to tanking was Boston’s ultimate gain as they acquired a dynamic point guard that can space the floor and move the ball with the best of them.

“Bringing a guy like Malcolm in just makes us that much better,”  Horford said. “I believe that we have a chance to be where we want to be — but I’m really excited about the upside of our group.”

Brogdon is also confident that he can be the missing piece to the Celtics title hopes, specifically saying that he believes “what I bring to the team, this is something that the team is missing in some ways.

“I do. I think I can help them,” Brogdon said with his usual steely demeanor. “I think what I bring to the team, this is something that the team is missing in some ways. But I think I can definitely help.”

Brogdon will have a chance to prove that theory when the Celtics play the 7ers for their season-opener on Oct. 89.

The post Malcolm Brogdon Believes He Can ‘Definitely Help’ Boston Reach Finals appeared first on SLAM.

However, Al Horford hasn’t seen any kind of quit in his teammates. Instead, practices have been physical, and their teamwork and chemistry are at the same level as their second-half surge to the Finals. The Celtics are playing the same kind of basketball except for some minor tweaks interim head coach Joe Mazzulla has implemented.

“We have a lot of the same things we had last year,” Horford told The Athletic. “I just think it feels like continuity for us, which is positive.”

Horford is confident that Boston has prepared itself the right way and will seemingly not take any step back from its standing in the Eastern Conference hierarchy. Horford revealed that the Celtics have put together several productive preseason practices and that he’s seen no complacency despite the recent turnover at the head coach position.

Horford also said that Boston doesn’t mention their Finals loss much. They didn’t make it a rallying cry at training camp or a regular theme throughout the preseason. They just plain old have not focus on it, but Horford did say it was brought up and said, “it’s not something we’re not constantly harping on.” Horford also revealed that the Celtics aren’t “skipping steps” and that he’s “pretty pleased” with the “commitment from each of our guys.”

“Not skipping steps,” Horford said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. I’ve been pretty pleased with our training camp, the focus, and the commitment from each of our guys. Guys are putting in the work. We’re not comfortable. I still feel like we have an edge to our group. And I think that’s the biggest thing. Just because we did something doesn’t mean anything coming into the next year. We’re starting fresh, and we have to build this thing back up again.”

The Boston Celtics will likely look to turn to smaller lineups due to Robert Williams‘ knee injury knocking him out of action at the beginning of the regular-season. Although they added Malcolm Brogdon to the lineup, their winning style of smothering their opponents won’t likely be their formula to success. However, Horford believes that Boston can still lean on that same identity that helped them reach the Finals.

“I feel like our identity’s established,” Horford said. “I feel like we know who we are. I think last year, at the beginning of the year and throughout, we were trying to find who we are. Going into this year, we understand who we are and what we’re about. And we’re ready to go. I think the mindset, how engaged, how connected we are on the defensive end really doesn’t matter who is out there. Obviously, we miss Rob (Williams), and we do hope that he gets back. But the way we have to look at it is different guys need to be able to step up and fill in. And it will be a different challenge, but I feel like everybody understands it. And we’re up for what we have coming.”

Horford was complementary of Mazzulla, revealing that Mazzulla wants the Celtics to “play with a little more pace, especially on the offensive end.”

Mazzulla will look to lean on a coaching staff that came together because of their close collective bonds with Udoka. This is why Mazzulla will be holding onto much of what is working with Udoka, excluding the minor tweaks of playing at a quicker pace.

“Right away, I feel like we’re learning a lot off of him, how he’s thinking, how he wants us to play,” Horford said. “He wants us to play with a little more pace, especially on the offensive end. That’s a challenge for our group, but it’s something that we want to continue to do. We want to make sure that we have good ball movement. That’s kind of what I’m seeing, his emphasis with our group. Everything else pretty much is kind of the same thing we had last year. We have a lot of the same assistant coaches, pretty much all the assistant coaches, so we still have everybody here.”

The Celtics will open the season against the Miami Heat on Oct. 18.

The post Al Horford is ‘Pleased’ with Celtics and Not ‘Skipping Steps’ During Training Camp appeared first on SLAM.

“Definitely not a good feeling that I’ll never forget,” Tatum said per Sports Illustrated.

He shot 36.7 percent from the field in the Finals, down from 45.3 percent in the regular-season. The 2021-2022 NBA season was an eight-month slog for Boston, and after a rocky start, they almost came out on top. Tatum was exhausted toward the end of their run. Tatum went from averaging 35.9 minutes a night during the regular-season to playing 41.0 per game during the playoffs.

The physical tool he took manifested into a fractured wrist that forced Tatum to tape his wrist during games and a soft cast off the court, only taking it off when there were cameras around. When the Finals concluded with a Game 6 loss to the Warriors, Tatum went ghost for nearly two weeks, according to his trainer Drew Hanlen.

“I was exhausted. Didn’t feel like talking to anybody. Didn’t feel like being bothered. It’s hard to explain if you’ve never been in that situation but losing a championship was fucking miserable,” Tatum said on why he didn’t hit up Hanlen for two weeks after the Game 6 loss. 

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A post shared by Drew Hanlen (@drewhanlen)

After the two-week sabbatical, Tatum went to work on improving his game.

Per Hanlen, Tatum was “intense’ during workout sessions and “became obsessed with winning.” Hanlen said he didn’t lose a one-on-one game all summer and famously barked at his teammates when they fell 0-2 during a five-on-five session. After winning their third game of the session, Tatum and his teammates went undefeated for the rest of the day.

weekend work pic.twitter.com/Ov23iLkMgd

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 9, 2022

He also wanted to improve his burst while attacking the rim to create contact and put more pressure on defenders. He was only fouled on 9.8 of his total drives. He adjusted his posture, embracing a lower base on his face-up. He tried to find ways to combat fatigue by changing his diet and increasing his conditioning drills. He shot hundreds of floaters.

He picked the mind of frequent workout partner and future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant. Tatum studied Durant’s ability to protect the ball, mainly how Durant uses his hips and shoulders to shield the ball from defenders and can protect it when he attacks the rim. Durant also gave Tatum advice on his hesitation dribble and side-step jumper.

“I’m still young enough where I feel like I can learn from a lot of guys,” Tatum said. “And he’s one of the best to ever do it.” 

Despite his expected increased role, Tatum seems to be looking forward to the opportunity to improve on the Celtics’ dee 2022 playoff run in this upcoming season, and this time, he hopes he can take the lessons he learned this summer with him. 

The post How Jayson Tatum Attacked the Offseason Following Boston’s Finals Loss appeared first on SLAM.

In his first preseason game with the team versus the Charlotte Hornets, the veteran notched seven points and nine rebounds in sixteen minutes. With Robert Williams still out due to a knee injury, Griffin should see the court a lot despite just recently arriving.

According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, the veteran praised the maturity of this Celtics squad and pointed out similarities of this team to his old Clippers team. Or shall we say, “Lob City.”

“The intensity in those (preseason) games and in practice and shootaround has been something I haven’t seen in a while,” said Griffin. “Probably since my Clipper days when we were really making a run for it. The maturity of this team, and some of us sat down in the meal room for probably 2½ hours and just talked, and more and more people came, and it was a group of like 10 of us.”

It should be no surprise how hungry the Celtics must be after making it all the way to the NBA Finals last season, but falling short to the Golden State Warriors in six games. To Griffin, this team is very ready.

“That’s something you don’t really see a lot, as well, on teams that I’ve been on,” said the veteran, throwing a little shade on the other teams he’s played for. “From those aspects, this team is very ready. We still have work to do like everybody else, but I’ve been impressed by where they’re at as a team.”

This team knows they have what it takes to get there again. Perhaps Griffin’s experience can propel Boston to the same feats this season and maybe beyond.

The post Blake Griffin Compares ‘Intensity’ of Boston to ‘Lob City’ Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

“So, I just wanted to go relax. Long season, clearly,” Tatum said in an interview with Andscape. “Enjoy some time with my son and the family. Get away from it. The Finals were so fresh in my mind.

And every time we walked out the room, somebody saw me and said, ‘Oh, man, we wish you would’ve … ’ ‘Good luck next year.’ And that’s even said to this day. But it was just three or four days afterwards, so it was really fresh.”

Two seasons after being eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals by the Miami Heat in 2020, the Celtics came back this past season to win a pivotal Game 7 in Miami to clinch their first NBA Finals berth since 2010.

“It was just a learning experience, learning a lesson,” he added. “Maybe do some things differently next time if you get to that point. Obviously, it’s tough to learn a lesson that way, but it is what it is …It just fuels you. Motivates you to get back to that point.”

While Tatum has using the moment as “fuel,” his all-around game is enough to catch the attention of even his own competitors. Four-time NBA champion and Warriors forward Draymond Green recently called JT the ‘Young GOAT.’

“Resiliency allows teams to show their true characters,” said Green on The Draymond Green Show. “We’ll get to see the true character of the Boston Celtics led by none other than the young GOAT, young next greatest Jayson Tatum.”

The post Jayson Tatum Reveals How He’s Processed NBA Finals Loss Against Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

While the Celtics have seasoned veterans in Marcus Smart and Al Horford – Smart is the Celtics’ longest-tenured player, having played eight seasons in Green, and Horford has now been in the League for 15 years – Tatum is “the guy”. Tatum averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in the 2022 playoffs, leading the Celtics to their first NBA finals since 2010.

“I might not be the loudest guy, especially in front of the camera,” Tatum said. “But for the guys in that locker room, when we’re in practice or on the plane or on the court, my presence is felt in my voice. We all put a lot into this game, so we all have the right to give input to each other. That’s all I try to do when I see something, try to help guys out.”

The Celtics battled past the Nets, Bucks, and Heat, before falling short to the Warriors. Horford said Tatum “took a huge step” as a leader during their Finals run.

“I feel like that confidence is kind of going to carry over this year,” Horford said. “And we’re going to continue to see more of that from him.”

Riding off of his leadership throughout the 2022 playoffs and having gained a deeper understanding of the mountain it takes the win a championship, the superstar has made his leadership presence and voice known during this year’s training camp.

“He does a lot of talking, pulling guys aside, seeing how we can get the best look and whatever it might be,” Derrick White said. “So [you] definitely see that maturity and the growth that he’s doing.”

“He wants to win. It’s always good to follow guys that want to win.”

Led by Tatum and interim head coach Joe Mazulla, the Celtics begin another trophy-hunt season on Oct. 18 vs. the Sixers. 

The post Jayson Tatum Impressing Celtics Teammates With His Leadership Growth appeared first on SLAM.

Free agent Blake Griffin has agreed to a one-year, fully guaranteed deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 30, 2022

Griffin played 56 games last year in Brooklyn, averaging 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field. The six-time All-Star has bounced around the League since the Clippers traded him to the Detroit Pistons. Griffin has played for four teams from 2017-18: the Clippers, Pistons, Nets, and Celtics.

Last season was the first time the former Rookie of the Year came off the bench more often than he started, the first time he averaged fewer than 25 minutes per game, and the first time he averaged fewer than 11 points per game. Boston will use Griffin for his veteran leadership and playmaking ability at the four-spot, not only as a bouncy scorer but as an underrated passer out of the low and mid-post.

The post REPORT: Blake Griffin Joining Boston Celtics On One-Year Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Williams first suffered the injury in March, causing him to miss the rest of the regular-season as he recovered from knee surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his knee. Williams was cleared to play in April but missed multiple postseason games as he pushed himself to play deeper into Boston’s run to the Finals.

Regardless, Williams said he was “solid for sure” in his decision to return.

“Hell nah, I’m solid for sure,” Williams said when asked about coming back to play in the Finals. “I played in the Final — you win some, you lose some, but I don’t regret my decision at all. I was 24-years-old my dreams to play in the FInals, can’t regret that shit.”

Rob Williams on his decision to play in the 2022 NBA Finals:

“You win some, you lose some, but I don’t regret my decision at all” pic.twitter.com/oLMPiHoSq5

— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) September 26, 2022

When asked about the mental health side of returning from surgery a second time and about any future concerns about his knee, Williams admitted that it took a toll on him.

“Some reoccurring problems,” Williams said. “Obviously, it took a tool on me mentally. I wanted to be there, but I’d like to focus on this rehab now and just getting back on the court; that’s what I’m ready for.”

“Mentally, (Monday) one of my better days,” Williams continued. “Just realizing the trust that I have in this team with my rehab process, the process that I’ve been through with them a couple times, feeling good today. Seeing all the guys together and stuff, getting back, but you know it’s a battle, it is tough, but I’m here for it. Like I said, I’m ready to get back on the court.”

"Some reoccurring problems, obviously. It took a toll on me mentally."

Rob Williams discusses his recent knee injury, and getting back to playing pic.twitter.com/8pAZsty0KU

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) September 26, 2022

Williams and the Celtics will know the next steps of his rehab after the 4-6 recovery timeline is up.

The post Rob Williams: ‘I Don’t Regret My Decision’ to Play NBA Finals With Hurt Knee appeared first on SLAM.

Udoka will be away from the team while he serves his season-long suspension for “violations of team policies.”

With such a chaotic situation right before Media Day, of course, players were going to be asked their thoughts about it. When Jayson Tatum was asked when he found out about Udoka’s suspension, Tatum said he learned what had happened in real-time just like everybody else through Twitter. According to Brain Robb, Tatum also said that Udoka’s suspension was “a lot to process.”

Tatum said he hasn’t spoken to Udoka since the suspension was handed down, but he’s excited to get on the court for training camp and get back to playing basketball.

“We were all kind of caught off guard,” Tatum said

Tatum: "You read the statement, you watch the press conference, apparently there are a lot of things they can’t speak about. I’m kind of in the same boat. I don’t know. It’s hard for me to answer if things were handled in the right way or they weren’t … I just don’t know."

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) September 26, 2022

While a head coach controversy is not the way any team wants to start their season, it seems that Tatum as a whole is not letting this sidetrack his or the team’s goals for this season. In an interview per NBC Sports, Tatum spoke about what he learned from the Celtic’s 2022 NBA Finals run.

“It’s extremely tough to even get to that point; not many people have even gotten there,”. Tatum continues. “You think about (we) sweep the Nets, and go seven with Milwaukee that could’ve obviously gone the other way, then seven with the Heat if Jimmy Butler made that shot, we could not have been in the championship, then you know getting to that point and then accomplishing the goal, it’s hard to put in words, it’s tough.”

Tatum also told NBC Sports that he’s heading into year six with that “plan of things that you like you can do differently.”

“Approaching the off-season with a plan of things that you feel like you can do differently coming into next season so that you know you’re more than capable of going all the way.”

Heading into his uncertain year with the Celtics, it looks like Tatum is more ready and eager to take that next step individually as well as a team.

The post Jayson Tatum On Ime Udoka’s Suspension and What He Learned During Boston’s Finals Run appeared first on SLAM.

The Celtics have reportedly chosen Joe Mazzolla as their interim coach while Udoka serves his suspension. Boston also announced that they would decide Udoka’s “future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date.” When President Brad Stevens was asked if he thought about taking over coaching responsibilities, Stevens reiterated that Mazzolla was “the best choice to do that by a long shot.”

“Joe’s the best choice to do that by a long shot,” Stevens said. “As you go through the whole process, it all hits you, but we have the best people in place to do that, and Joe is the best person to do that in our organization.”

Brad Stevens, when asked if he thought about coaching the team: “Joe’s the best choice to do that by a long shot. As you go through the whole process it all hits you but we have the best people in place to do that and Joe is the best person to do that in our organization.”

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) September 23, 2022

The Celtics will begin the 2022-23 season next week with Training Camp and Media Day.

The post Brad Stevens On Replacing Ime Udoka With Interim Head Coach: ‘Joe’s the Best Choice’ appeared first on SLAM.

With that, Udoka has reportedly decided not to resign from his head coaching position, per NBA insider Chris Haynes.

Shams Charania of The Athletic has also reported that members in the Celtics organization “first became aware of the relationship in July.”

“At that time, team leadership was led to believe by both parties that the relationship was consensual. But sources said that the woman recently accused Udoka of making unwanted comments toward her—leading the team to launch a set of internal interviews.”

Prior to their decision to suspend Udoka, team owners and president Brad Stevens met for several hours on Thursday. Following the organization’s decision, Stevens and other members of the Celtics front office also met with players.

Udoka said in a statement, “I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down. I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”

Joe Mazzulla has now been named interim head coach during Udoka’s suspension. The Celtics open their season Oct. 18 with a home game against the Sixers.

The post Celtics: Decision on Ime Udoka’s Future After this Season Will Be ‘Made at a Later Date’ appeared first on SLAM.

Mazzulla joined the Celtics in 2019 and worked as an assistant coach on Brad Stevens’ staff. When Stevens became general manager and Udoka took over as head coach, Mazzulla was one of the few assistant coaches to stay in Boston. According to Udoka, the players gave him “glowing reviews”.

“I love Joe,” Jayson Tatum said per NBC Sports. “I think just being around him for the last, I think this is his third year, maybe second or third year, you can tell how passionate he is about the guys and his craft. And he’s gotten so much more knowledgeable, and more detailed, and more vocal, and more comfortable in his role as a coach. You’ve seen the growth from his first year, and he’s helped me out tremendously as a player and a person. So, can’t say enough good things about Joe, and everybody appreciates what he brings to this team, and I’m glad that we have him.”

In 2021, Mazzulla was the head coach of the Celtics Summer League team, and earlier this summer, Mazzulla was promoted to lead assistant coach when Will Hardy left to coach the Utah Jazz.

The Celtics open their season on Oct. 18 against the Sixers as defending Eastern Conference champs.

The post REPORT: Joe Mazzulla Likely to Become Boston’s Interim Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

pic.twitter.com/ySo5wGKrfX

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 23, 2022

Editor’s Note: According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Ime Udoka has decided not to resign from his head coach position with Boston and will wait for whatever ruling the franchise comes to instead.

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka will not be resigning from his position as he awaits sanction from the organization, league sources tell @NBAonTNT.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 22, 2022

The Boston Celtics are reportedly likely to suspend Coach Ime Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season due to his alleged role in a consensual relationship with a female staff member, according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is likely facing a suspension for the entire 2022-2023 season for his role in a consensual relationship with a female staff member, sources tell ESPN. A formal announcement is expected as soon as today.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 22, 2022

Boston will name assistant coach Joe Mazzulla as interim coach while Udoka serves his suspension per Woj. Udoka led Boston to a runner-up finish in the 2022 NBA Finals, falling in six games to the Golden State Warriors. Boston went from being a .500 team in January to finishing as the second-seed in the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to their top-ranked defense.

Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla is likely to become Boston’s interim coach for the season, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/GKEiMemnFN

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 22, 2022

After Boston announced its season-long suspension of Udoka, the embattled coach released the following statement where he apologized for putting the Celtics “in this difficult situation” and to the players, fans, and his family for “letting them down.”

NEW: Statement from Celtics coach Ime Udoka pic.twitter.com/MFutFx7c3l

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 23, 2022

The post REPORT: Boston Likely to Give Ime Udoka Season-Long Suspension appeared first on SLAM.

Boston Celtics center Robert Williams is undergoing arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and is expected to need 4-to-6 weeks for recovery, sources tell ESPN. Williams had meniscus surgery in March and played through the playoffs

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 20, 2022

Williams underwent knee surgery in March after suffering a regular-season-ending meniscus tear. He returned during the playoffs, missing seven games as Boston made a run to the NBA Finals, ultimately losing in six games to the Golden State Warriors and earning a runner-up finish.

Last season, Robert Williams III held opponents to 50.7% shooting at the rim per NBA Advanced Stats.

That ranked 4th among players to defend 200 shots, trailing Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Rudy Gobert. https://t.co/59T2uxwPfC

— Matt Williams (@StatsWilliams) September 20, 2022

Time Lord averaged 10.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game on 73.6 percent shooting from the field. During the playoffs, he averaged 7.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on 67.9 percent shooting.

The post REPORT: Robert Williams Set to Miss 4-6 Weeks After Knee Surgery This Week appeared first on SLAM.

While speaking with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Tatum revealed that he was playing with a “small” wrist fracture over the last two months of the season.

“It was small, but it was still like a non-displaced chip. So like, I chipped a bone, but it didn’t leave the surface,” Tatum said.

“But it had shown that the bone had grew over it, so it healed. But I was still in pain because I kept getting hit or falling on it. So I guess I played with somewhat of a fracture for like two months.” 

"I played with somewhat of a fracture for two months"

Jayson Tatum opens up about playing through an undisclosed injury during the playoffs in live interview with Taylor Rooks in B/R app pic.twitter.com/kt7xZCV36W

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 21, 2022

Tatum said he aggravated the injury during the playoffs against the Bucks when Giannis Antetokounmpo fouled him on a dunk attempt in Game 3.

“Then in the playoffs, there was a play against Milwaukee in Game 3. I dunked it, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) chased me down and fouled me, and I fell into the crowd,” the Celtics’ star continued. “That was the most painful it’s been since that day that I hurt it. I ended up getting a cortisone shot in my wrist that night, and you could see it. I’ve lost color in my hand because it kills the fat cells, and there’s not a lot of fat in my hand, so I’ve lost color right there. After each game, I would have to wear a brace to shootaround, and I would take it off before the cameras saw me.” 

Tatum averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game during the Celtics’ run to the Finals. When he got to the Finals, it seemed as though the wear and tear of his heavy minute load and wrist injury contributed to Tatum averaging 21.5 points per game on 36.7 percent shooting from the field while committing a Finals-record 23 turnovers.

The post Jayson Tatum Reveals He Played With a Wrist Facture ‘For Two Months’ appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: NBA’s 2022-23 Opening Night, Oct. 18 on TNT:

– 76ers at Celtics
– And as previously reported: Lakers at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

Per Charania, the upcoming season will begin on October 18, with the four inter-conference foes facing off against one another. The Celtics and 76ers will kick off the action on TNT, while the Warriors will host the Lakers on the same night they conduct their ring ceremony.

The Warriors and Lakers are facing off for the second year in a row after opening up the season against each other last season. The Warriors won three Out of the four times the Western Conference titans faced off last year. The Sixers and Celtics split their season series. The Heat eliminated the 76ers team finishing the season with an identical 51-31 record. The C’s advanced to the Finals but fell to the Warriors in six games.

The Warriors and Celtics will have their Finals rematch on December 10.

Golden State-Boston NBA Finals rematch dates for the 2022-23 season, per sources:

Dec. 10 in Golden State
Jan. 19 in Boston

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

The Christmas Day matchups will be highlighted by a second-round playoff rematch between the Grizzles and Warriors and a playoff rematch between the Bucks and Celtics. The Grizzlies and Warriors have been jaw-jacking since the Warriors won the Finals, and Draymond Green and Ja Morant made it clear on Twitter that they wanted this matchup on Christmas.

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

The 22-23 season should be fun with the healthy return of stars like Kawhi Leonard, the heightened expectations for the Lakers, and the title defense of the Warriors. Not to mention how the Bucks and Celtics will respond after tough losses in the playoffs.

The post REPORT: Opening Night Schedule for 2022-23 Season Leaked appeared first on SLAM.

Russell is iconic not only because of his winning as a player and coach (back-to-back titles in ’68 and 69) but because of all he endured as one of the few Black players in the NBA at the time. The Celtics may have been one of the most progressive teams after drafting Russell and other Black players like Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, K.C. Jones and Al Butle, but that contingent of players, especially Russell, had to deal with the racism and bigotry that was prevalent not just in Boston but across the states in general.

The battles he fought on and off the court could’ve made the 11-time champ bitter. Instead, Russell has become the elder statesman of a League that has embraced many legendary and unique players like Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.

When commissioner Adam Silver sat down with Howard Stern of Sports Illustrated to talk about his bond with Russell, he called the NBA legend “the founding father of the modern NBA.” and the Babe Ruth of the NBA who was able to talk and stand with his current contemporaries.

“He’s sort of the founding father of the modern NBA,” Silver says. “And with that, I think he became the League’s DNA for our players to feel comfortable speaking out on societal issues. I would say a lot of the courage of the modern-day players, there’s a direct through line to Bill, against the whole shut up-and-dribble crowd.”

Silver went on to talk about how much he loved hearing Russell’s story about his playing days, including his disdain for being asked to sign autographs. Silver also spoke about Russell’s fight for civil rights and the big man’s iconic 1961 protest.

Russell and his teammates, Jones, Sanders, and Butle, walked out of an exhibition game after they were refused service in a restaurant in Lexington, KY. Silver also admired Russell’s support for Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who hasn’t played in the NFL since protesting against police brutality during the 2016 season by kneeling during the national anthem.

“He recognized the value of the platform that was afforded him by being an MVP, NBA champion player,” Silver says. “And he was realistic about that — He ultimately decided; obviously, he could do more through the platform that playing offered him. But he tweeted that clearly in support of these players, saying that, ‘I have your back.’ And again, classic Bill, he wasn’t saying that means you shouldn’t be playing—because he kept playing—but it was just saying, ‘I understand. That’s something you all should be thinking about.'”

He also detailed how happy he was to see modern players come up and give their respect to Russell and their reactions as Russell told stories of his playing days with the Celtics.

In the coming days and years, Silver will also make sure to continue to draw inspiration from his friendship with Russell and hopes to one day pass that knowledge on to his two young daughters.

“For whatever my children want to do in their lives, it may have nothing to do with sports, or it may not be something which traditionally you think of as a competition where people get objectively ranked,” Silver says, “but I’d want to teach them that quality of truly being willing to give your all to what you’re passionate about. And that’s the unique quality that Bill had.”

The post Adam Silver on His Bond With Bill Russell: ‘He’s the Founding Father of the Modern NBA’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the disgruntled Brooklyn Nets star sees both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers as desired trade destinations. Begley went on to report that Durant would also want to play with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart if he were to land in Boston.

Despite Begley’s report, there is said to be no progress between Brooklyn and Boston on any sort of trade centered around Durant. Last week, Begley reported that there had been “pessimism” about a Durant trade being completed in the near future. As for Philly, no major reports have dropped, though Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle are all logical trade pieces in a Durant trade.

As the Durant saga—particularly with Boston—continues to run its course through the NBA offseason, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported that the Nets initially asked for Boston stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Durant trade talks, but the Celtics quickly shot the proposition down.

And while there are no tangible signs of progress involving a Durant trade to any team, the four-time scoring champ reportedly informed Nets owner Joe Tsai that Brooklyn would have to choose between Durant or keeping general manager Sean Marks and Coach Steve Nash. Tsai responded to the report with a tweet throwing his support behind the Nets’ front office and coaching staff.

Durant sent shockwaves around the League when he requested a trade on June 30, but it’s been over a month, and the 12-time All-Star still has yet to be dealt. Initial rumors indicated the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns were among Durant’s desired landing spots, and that list has reportedly since grown to include the Celtics and 76ers, according to Begley.

On paper, a fit with Boston makes sense, as Celtics coach Ime Udoka was an assistant under Steve Nash in Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season. Durant also played with Tatum on Team USA during the 2021 Olympics. Add in Durant’s desire to play with Smart, and KD seemingly has some chemistry building in Boston. But for now, it’s a matter of the Celtics offering enough to Brooklyn so a trade can go down.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post REPORT: Kevin Durant Views Celtics and 76ers as Desired Landing Spots appeared first on SLAM.

Russell was a five-time MVP, 12-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champ with the Celtics. On top of anchoring one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties and retiring as one of the greatest defensive players of all time, Russell was the first Black head coach in NBA history and an outspoken political activist. The NBA Hall of Famer, who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011, was at the march on Washington as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech and publicly supported the late-Muhammad Ali when the iconic boxer refused induction into the military draft in 1967.

Russell died “peacefully” with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, according to statement posted via Twitter.

“Bill’s wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. Perhaps you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded,” the family statement said. “And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6.”

Two years ago, the NBA legend contributed a powerful essay in SLAM’s special issue devoted to social justice, where he detailed his fight against racism throughout his life. Read here.

The entire basketball community from legends such as Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to current players including Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum and more took to social media to pay their respects to the late and great Bill Russell.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

Stephen Curry:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wardell Curry (@stephencurry30)

Boston Celtics:

Charlotte Hornets:

Shaquille O’Neal:

Charles Barkley:

Magic Johnson:

Paul Pierce:

Jayson Tatum:

Marcus Smart:

Dwyane Wade:

James Harden:

WNBA:

Photos via Getty Images.

The post NBA, WNBA Community Remembers Bill Russell on Social Media appeared first on SLAM.

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Celtics reportedly included Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece of a trade to acquire Durant. The Celtics have joined the Heat, Suns, and Raptors as the most well-known teams to have some interest in trading for KD, per Woj.

Multiple reports have stated that Brooklyn wants the farm in exchange for Durant, wanting several assets that include multiple unprotected first-round picks and All-Star quality players. Per Woj, there still hasn’t been any traction in trade talks for KD, and no team has met the significant price tag that Brooklyn has set for the 2014 MVP.

Although the Celtics consider Jayson Tatum off limits in any trade talks, Boston has built trades for the Durant that reportedly include Brown and up to three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps. Brown has two years left on the four-year extension he signed in 2019.

UPDATE: The Celtics’ offer was reportedly “rejected” as the Nets had asked Boston to include Brown, Marcus Smart, draft picks and possibly one more rotation player, per The Athletic.  

ESPN Sources: As Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant’s trade request approaches its fourth week, the Boston Celtics have emerged among teams engaged in talks on a possible deal. Story: https://t.co/eXpn6fRoYl

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2022

According to insider Shams Charania, after Phoenix matched restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton’s offer sheet from Indiana, the Suns are all but eliminated from acquiring Durant.

Sources: The Boston Celtics have offered a Jaylen Brown package to the Nets for Kevin Durant, which Brooklyn turned down and countered.

Full details on a potential Celtics-Nets mega-deal to be had, latest on Donovan Mitchell and more at the Inside Pass: https://t.co/Gkyfkhg5A1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 25, 2022

The Celtics also offered a package around Brown, Derrick White, and a draft for Durant, according to Charania. Brooklyn reportedly rejected the deal and requested that any Durant proposal include not only Brown and draft picks but reigning DPOY Marcus Smart and another rotational player. Boston is reportedly less enthusiastic about including Smart with other players and draft capital.

Durant averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 51.8 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from long distance.

The post REPORT: Boston Celtics Enter Kevin Durant Sweepstakes appeared first on SLAM.

Celtics forward Grant Williams used this to his advantage in Boston’s Game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks to advance to the ECF. Williams scored 27 points and hit seven threes to help Boston eliminate the then-defending champs.

Williams, per The Long Shot podcast, said his Game 7 performance against the Bucks because he watched Kelly Olynk’s Game 7 outing against the Wizards.

“Channel Kelly,” William said.

Williams also cited how Jaylen Brown shifted the energy in the Celtics locker room with the following saying: “Everything Easter.”

“We used to say Everything Easter. I don’t know where he came up with Everything Easter,” Williams said. “I don’t know what it means — next thing you know, we just kinda rode the wave — maybe (JB) went to a fortune teller, and they told him that.

From January ’22 to the end of the regular season, the Boston Celtics were the best team in the NBA, posting a 34-12 record since the year flipped to 2022, and were the best defensive team in the NBA. Boston would reach the NBA Finals, where they ultimately fell to the Golden State Warriors in six games. Williams would defiantly say that he still feels like Boston was a better team than Golden State.

“When I’ve reflected and looked back to those games,” Williams said per Chris Forsberg. “I still would say confidently — confidently — to this day; they weren’t the better team. I would say they were the more disciplined team. I would say that without a doubt.”

The Celtics will certainly look to return to the NBA Finals this coming season, especially with the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari in this offseason period. Look for the C’s to run the table again and dominate the Eastern Conference.

The post Grant Williams Opens Up About the Celtics’ Journey to the Finals appeared first on SLAM.

One of the main leaders on that team, Tony Parker, one-third of the Spurs Big Three that helped deliver four championships to San Antonio, believes that with Coach Ime Udoka leading from the sidelines, the Boston Celtics can make up for their heartbreaking Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors. It all starts with allowing 2022 to serve as a motivator to the ultimate goal of not only making it back to the Finals but winning it all.

“For the Celtics,” Parker said per The Athletic, “that’s what they have to do.”

“He was with us in those years,” Parker said. “So he can definitely take some stuff from what we had to go through. I played with him as teammates and had him as a coach. He’s been through everything with us, so he knows better than anybody how to bounce back from a tough NBA Finals loss.”

There are some big differences between those Spurs and these Celtics. For one, the core of the Celtics are all under 30, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown being 24 and 25-years-old respectively. The Spurs championship core were all well into their 30s execpt Kawhi Leonard, who won his first Finals MVP that season but was yet to become the lethal scorer he is today.

The main thing that the Celtics will have to do is continue to play like they did from the flip into 2022 until the end of the regular season, finishing the season fifth in assists per 100 posessions and forming the top-ranked defense in the Legue. Being able to lean into team play will allow the Celtics to not allow offensive lapses like they did during their run to the Finals and over the final four of the championship series against the Warriors.

Both Udoka and team president have stated that they want to see the Celtics play with “a little bit more movement,” on the court. Being able to replicate what the Spurs did during their 2014 title run will be difficult, espcially with two wings that are deadly in isolation, but in order Boston to hang their record 18th title, they might have to sacrifice those points in order to accomplish their ultimate goal.

“For me, the way we lost in 2013, it created what happened in 2014,” Parker said. “Maybe one of the best finals in NBA history. Maybe the best Spurs basketball that we played. In 2014, the way we played, the passing game, everything, we were maybe at the highest level of my whole career. It started with a tough loss in 2013.”

The post Tony Parker Thinks Boston Can Avenge Finals Loss Like Spurs Did in 2014 appeared first on SLAM.

Matt Ryan came up CLUTCH for the @celtics! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/qcKBfhg7Fi

— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 12, 2022

Not only did the former Chattanooga Mocs score a team-high 23 points, two rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 25 minutes of action, but he also knocked down the game-winning triple with half a second left on the game clock.

MATT RYAN CALLED GAME! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/QT12bSOZgL

— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 12, 2022

After hitting the clutch bucket, Thomas reflected on his journey to this point with reporters as they asked what it meant to hit the shot and see his hard work pay off like it has/

“It’s pretty emotional,” Ryan said holding back tears. “It’s been a crazy 11 months. I was home for a year and a half and then — I don’t know if you guys heard my story but I was driving Door Dash a year ago and to be here, to be part of the Boston Celtics it’s special. It’s special.”

: @ASherrodblakely asked Matt Ryan about how it feels to see his hard work starting to pay off.

He got choked up a bit while reflecting on the fact that a year ago he was driving for Door Dash and know he’s on a Celtics roster pic.twitter.com/GBRk9ya2rQ

— 𝕂𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕚 𝔸. 𝕃𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕤 (@KwaniALunis) July 12, 2022

Ryan and the Celtics return to action on Tuesday with a rematch of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors at 9 P.M. EST.

The post ‘Emotional’ Matt Ryan Reflects on NBA Journey After Hitting Game-Winner appeared first on SLAM.

Malcolm Brogdon on Woj Pod says Brad Stevens told his agent he wanted Brogdon to embrace 6th man role.

“I really want to get back to winning on a high level, I want to win a championship. So whatever I can sacrifice to get back to that championship level, I’m willing to do it.”

— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) July 11, 2022

According to Brogdon’s agent, Celtics president Brad Stevens told the 2017 ROY to “embrace” the 6th man role he will have to take as the first point guard off the bench behind the reigning DPOY and incumbent starter, Marcus Smart.

“I really want to get back to winning on a high level,” Brogdon said per the Woj Pod. “I want to win a championship. So whatever I can sacrifice to get back to that championship level, I’m willing to do it.”

Brogdon will be playing off the bench for the first time in his career. Last season, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and a career-low 31.2 percent from beyond the arc.

The post Malcolm Brogdon Ready to ‘Sacrifice’ to Win Title With Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

The Celtics are sending Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith and a 2023 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/etqmr9l0l7

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Brogden averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game last season.

Celtics are also including Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts and Juwan Morgan in the trade, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Brogdon will provide the Celtics with a sure-handed playmaker and shooter when he arrives in Beantown. The 2017 Rookie of the Year has never averaged more than 2.4 turnovers per game and only coughs the ball up 1.8 times per game for his career. Brogdon has also dished out 5.9 dimes per game over the last two seasons and passed a career-high 7.1 assists per game during the 2019-20 season.

Brogdon is also a solid scorer that can provide some spacing as a career 37.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc.

The former Virginia product will likely come off the bench behind Marcus Smart.

The post REPORT: Celtics Trade For Playmaking Point Guard Malcolm Brogdon appeared first on SLAM.

The 34-year-old Hardy becomes the youngest coach in the League after helping the Celtics and first-year head coach Ime Udoka advance to the NBA Finals this past season.

Hardy, like Udoka, comes from the Greg Popovich coaching tree and spent 10 years with the Spurs from 2011 to 2021. He climbed the ranks from video coordinator to assistant under Popovich and served as the head coach of the Spurs Summer League team from 2015 to 2018. Hardy was also a member of the most recent Team USA Olympic staff in Tokyo.

Hardy’s hire comes days after Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune reported that Hardy was the “leading candidate” to become Utah’s next head coach. According to Larsen, the Jazz was reportedly looking to hire a young assistant coach to replace Quin Snyder. The move is Jazz CEO Danny Ainge’s first significant front-office move since joining Utah earlier this year.

Rumors of Donovan Mitchell’s future with the team have circulated following Snyder’s resignation as head coach earlier this month, so Hardy’s arrival will highlight an intriguing summer in Salt Lake City.

The post Celtics Assistant Will Hardy ‘Finalizing Deal’ to Become Head Coach of Utah appeared first on SLAM.

Rather than getting back on the grind immediately, Stevens told Celtics star Jayson Tatum to take some time off from basketball.

“I just told him, ‘Go on vacation. Go get some rest.’ This guy gave us everything he had.”

Brad Stevens on his message to Jayson Tatum: “I just told him, ‘Go on vacation. Go get some rest.’ This guy gave us everything he had.”

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 21, 2022

Following a six-game slugfest with the eventual champion Warriors, it seems appropriate for the players to take some time off to reset. Tatum played 100 games this year which became apparent in the NBA Finals.

In six NBA Finals games, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 36.7 percent shooting from the field, 45.5 percent from three, and 65.6 percent from the free-throw line. Tatum also had historic turnover issues in the playoffs; the Duke alum coughed the ball up 100 times, the most ever in a single postseason run.

“This guy gave us everything he had,” Stevens said per CBS. “When you look at the minutes, the games played; I said it several times that he’s a superstar that doesn’t want to sit,” Stevens said of Tatum’s postseason output. “He wants to play all the time.”

Tatum and the Celtics will look to rebound next fall, and considering the youthful nature of this Boston team, expect them to be around for a good while longer.

The post Brad Stevens to Jayson Tatum: ‘Go On Vacation. Go Get Some Rest’ appeared first on SLAM.

“The future is bright,” Udoka said after Game 6. “And we’re just getting started.”

Ime Udoka: “The future is bright and we’re just getting started.”

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 17, 2022

The Boston Celtics proved to be one of the most, if not the most resilient teams in the NBA; after finishing the season with the second-best record in the East despite a .500 start through the first 50 games of the year, Boston flipped a switch during the second half of the season and won 26 of their final 32 games and finished the season with the best defense in the League.

Boston’s turnaround led to them going on a revenge tour through the Eastern Conference Finals, beating each team that eliminated them in the last three postseasons. It started with a sweep of the Nets, beat the Bucks in 7, and did the same to the Miami Heat.

“This is tough, getting to this point and not accomplishing what we wanted to,” a dejected Jayson Tatum said after finishing with 13 points on 6-18 shooting in 40 minutes per ESPN. “It hurts. You know, we all could have done things better. I feel like I could have done a lot of things better. But, you know, like we said, we competed, we tried all season, all playoffs.”

When they got to the Finals, the Celtics looked like a legitimate threat to win the title as Tatum razzled and dazzled his way into the superstar debate. Jaylen Brown proved that any thoughts Boston should break up the Tatum-Brown wing duo were premature, Marcus Smart won the DPOY, and Robert Williams and Al Horford proved to be the best frontcourt combo for a team that wants to switch 1-5.

JB’s game is smooth as silk.
(via @celtics) pic.twitter.com/Ie7A1egRsW

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Through the first three games of the Finals, the Celtics were neck and neck with the Warriors and grabbed a 2-1 lead. Boston could find a way to win no matter how big the deficit was. Then Game 4 happened, and Stephen Curry dropped perhaps the most consequential performance of his career with a 43-point outing in a 107-97 win. No problem, though. Boston was 7-0 after losses.

However, that streak was broken when Golden State won a Game 5 they had no business in winning, 104-94, as Andrew Wiggins made up for Curry being unable to keep up his torrid scoring pace with a 26-point, 13 rebound outing. Okay, no sweat, Boston is going back to TD Garden; no way they lose at home — right?

Wrong; despite Boston coming out of the cannon with a 14-2 run, Golden State took that punch and threw it right back with a 35-8 run, from which the Celtics never returned. They cut it to nine late in the third quarter, but their season-worst 22 turnovers were too much to overcome. After all, Boston is 0-8 when they turned the ball over at least 15 times.

“It’s going to hurt. It will hurt for a while. Probably that stuff never goes away. I’ve lost one before.” Udoka said, who was on the Spurs’ coaching staff when they lost to the Miami Heat in seven games in 2013.

“That was part of the message. Let it propel us forward, the experience. Growth and progress that we made this season. Obviously, getting to your ultimate goal and fall a few games short is going to hurt. There are a lot of guys in there [that are] very emotional right now.”

Watching pops getting buckets in the Finals >> pic.twitter.com/44tkCXR4SG

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Boston’s first Finals appearance since 2010, losing in such a devestating matter will haunt the Celtics, especially after blowing some prime opportunity to go up 3-1 in Game 4 and having the chance to go up 3-2 at home in Game 5. But now, this loss could prove to be the fire Tatum and Brown need to destroy the East and make it back to the Final.

With a healthy Brooklyn, Miami, and Milwaukee in the way, it won’t be an easy task, but like Udoka and his team said, the future is bright.

“The future is bright,”  Brown said. “I always look at adversity as opportunities to shape an individual. For whatever reason, it wasn’t our time. That means we still got a lot to learn. Personally, I still got a lot to learn.

“For me, it’s always about growth. Continuing to get better, continuing to find different ways to lead. That’s what it’s about. The future is bright. I’m excited to get back next year.”

The post Ime Udoka After Boston’s Game 6 Loss: ‘The Future is Bright’ appeared first on SLAM.

At the championship stage, there are no moral victories. For what it’s worth, nine-time champion (combined as a player and coach) Coach Steve Kerr praised the Celtics for their run to the Finals after starting the season at .500 through the first 50 games. Boston ended up winning 26 of their last 32 games and finished the regular season with the League’s best defense.

The Celtics then went through a successful revenge tour through the Eastern Conference playoffs, beating the Nets, Bucks, and Heats on their way to the Finals. Those three squads are the only other teams to beat Boston in the last three postseasons.

“I wanna say congrats to the Celtics on a great series,” Kerr said. “They were incredible. Their defensive athleticism, length, and toughness was really tough to overcome. They had us on the ropes in the series and had a tremendous season. Since I’ve been here, we lost in the Finals twice, and it’s devastating to get this far and to come up short. I got a lot of friends across that hall between Ime and Will Hardy, Damon Stoudamire, Aaron Miles, a bunch of really good friends. Guys, I’ve coached and in FIBA, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White — great group of guys.”

“I genuinely feel for them cause I know what it’s like to lose at this point. But they had an amazing run, and it’s a great series.”

Steve Kerr sends his respect to the @celtics after a tough series.#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/7dVZDJAz1S

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022

For the first time in their playoff run, Boston not only lost back-to-back games after winning their first seven games after a loss, but they lost three straight for the first since late December. Turnovers played a significant part in that December losing streak, committing at least 15 in those three consecutive l’s. On Thursday, Boston coughed the ball up a season-worse 22 times.

The Celtics were 0-8 in this postseason when they turned the ball over at least 15 times. Jaylen Brown led Boston in scoring with 34 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, followed by Al Horford’s 19 points and 14 rebounds outing and Jayson Tatum’s 13 points and seven dimes on 6-18 shooting from the field.

“Offensively, we were not good this series,” said Brown, who was Boston’s leading scorer for the series with an average of 23.5 points per game. “Give credit to the Warriors. They forced us into doing stuff that we didn’t want to do, and that resulted in turnovers, et cetera. At times, we just got to be better. That’s it.”

Tatum, in particular, struggled with ball security, becoming the first player in playoff history to commit 100 turnovers. He also committed 23 turnovers in the Finals. Tatum scored 21.5 points per game in the Finals, a drop from the 27 he averaged during the regular-season. Tatum’s struggles in the Finals could be attributed to the grueling road to the Finals.

The Celtics played back-to-back Game 7’s against the Bucks and Heat, two of the most physical teams in the League. There’s also the emotional wear and tear it takes to make it to the championship stage.

Regardless, Boston’s core of Tatum, Brown, and Smart is under contract next season, and their championship window will still be open despite the significant challenges the Bucks, Heat, and Brooklyn Nets will present in Boston’s hopeful return to the Finals.

The post Steve Kerrs Praises Boston Celtics Run to the Finals: ‘They Were Incredible’ appeared first on SLAM.

The main issue that plagued Boston was turnovers. In Game 6, Boston coughed the ball up 22 times, and Golden State took advantage of Boston’s mistakes by scoring 27 points off the turnovers. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart combined for 13 turnovers. The Celtics are winless in the playoffs when they turn the ball over at least 15 times.

“I think just our level of poise at times throughout this series and previous series, myself included, taking care of the ball, things like that. But it’s easy to look back and see all the things you could have done better. We tried. I know that for a fact.” Tatum said.

According to Statmuse, Tatum committed a postseason record of 100 turnovers.

Jayson Tatum is the first player in NBA history with 100 turnovers in a single postseason. pic.twitter.com/Jd7PKvYHCJ

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2022

Tatum finished the season-ending loss with 13 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on 31.7 percent from the field with 23 overall turnovers in the Finals.

In 18 games, the 24-year-old averaged 27 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Tatum’s memorable playoff run ended with him becoming the youngest player in playoff history to post 600 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in a single postseason.

Led by Tatum, the Celtics went on a revenge tour through the East, beating the Nets, Bucks, and Heat as he won the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy and led the Celtics to their first Finals appearance since 2010.

“It’s hard getting to this point, and it’s even harder getting over the hump and winning it,” Tatum said about the lessons he learned from the playoff run.

Tatum had a crazy playoff run:

— 1st in points
— 1st in assists
— ECF MVP
— Youngest ever with 600/100/100
— Beat KD, Giannis, Jimmy
— Dropped 46 down 3-2 at Bucks
— Dropped 13 assists in Finals debut
— Won 2 Game 7s

Head high. pic.twitter.com/Sc5w4gSoHK

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2022

This was the first Finals run of Tatum’s young career, and hopefully, it won’t be the last. Tatum and Brown have proven to be a dangerous duo at the wing. The core of Boston’s group is under contract next season, Tatum, Brown, and Smart made history as the first trio to finish a Finals game with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Michael Cooper did it in 1984.

Boston’s most glaring issue heading into next season will be finding a dynamic point guard or developing Smart to the point that he can make Tatum and Brown’s jobs easier as all-around wings.

“They won and we lost. We did it to ourselves. For sure, we had opportunities to go up and win,” Brown said per The Boston Herald. “I guess we’ve shown our immaturity at times, and it stings. Still a young group. Still got a lot to learn. Nothing to hang our head about. Tough day for Boston. Tough day for the Celtics. Yeah, I don’t know what to say.”

The post Boston Celtics Unable to Overcome Turnover Issues appeared first on SLAM.

Not only have the Warriors won their fourth title since 2015, but Curry won the 2022 NBA Finals MVP for the first time in his storied career. Curry finished Game 6 with 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, along with two steals and one block on 12-21 shooting from the field, knocking down 6-11 three-pointers to break his uncharacteristic streak of 10 straight missed triples.

4x Champ
2x MVP
8x All-Star
8x All-NBA
2x Scoring Champ
No. 1 All-Time 3’s Made
2022 NBA Finals MVP

The Chef’s resume is ridiculously extensive.

: @sammironko pic.twitter.com/QkjX7BGNl9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Curry entered Thursday night with the second-most career playoff points before winning his first Finals MVP, trailing only Bryant (4,381) and Chamberlain (3,430).

“It means we won; it means we took advantage of the opportunity to get back here,” Curry said during a postgame interview with Lisa Salters of ESPN. “We hear all the chatter; at the end it’s about what we do on the floor. Ain’t gotta talk about just gotta go do it, and that’s what this is about.”

It’s about damn time. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/LAiEBVoowa

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

The Warriors’ run to the ’22 title led by Curry highlights a record-breaking season for the two-time MVP. Curry started the season grabbing the all-time record for made threes; he created the 3k club for made three, won an All-Star MVP, and got to play with Splash Brother Klay Thompson for the first time in over 900 days. Curry also became the first Warrior to pass 3000 playoff points.

When you look back, the Warriors’ season was a roller coaster as they finished the season ranked third in the Western Conference season despite a foot injury that knocked Curry out for the final weeks of the regular season.

Back on top. Your 2022 NBA World Champions.

: @MarcusA11en pic.twitter.com/HJ04P2P3X3

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Now with the season mercifully over, Curry can sit back on his reclaimed throne.

“I’m so proud of our group,” Curry said. “I thank God every day that I get to play this game at the highest level with some amazing people.”

“You know this is what it’s all about — playing for a championship and what we’ve been through the last three years, beginning of the season, no one thought we’d be here except everybody on this court right now. It’s amazing. It’s very surreal, though, very surreal.”

Blood, sweat and tears.

: @sammironko pic.twitter.com/rv4PhdFfxe

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Game 6 was a game of runs; Boston raced out to a 12-2 run after making four of their first six shots, including two three-pointers from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But the Warriors went on a game-altering 21-0 run in the first half to bust the game wide and give themselves a 21-point cushion after a Thompson three-pointer.

Tatum stopped the bleeding and stopped the bleeding with a layup, but the Warriors had already thrown the first haymaker of the night. Oh yeah, and Chef Curry finally hit a three after missing his first attempt from the field.

Damn Stephen… (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/jGdIka9ZMk

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Boston was able to pick up some major runs in the second half, cutting the deficit to within nine points after unleashing a 12-2 run, highlighted by a nasty and-1 over Thompson and Jordan Poole. However, Boston was never able to get any closer than that.

No moment was more significant than the 29-footer Curry buried to give Golden State a 22-point lead with 6:15 left in the third quarter. To top it off, Curry pointed right to his right ring finger like Aaron Donald did throughout the Los Angeles Rams run to the Super Bowl in February.

The Chef wants #4. pic.twitter.com/tO7H1adzcB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

Curry couldn’t have gone the night without hitting his clutch silencer, putting the Celtics to sleep and sending his teammates, particularly Poole, into a frenzy as the Warriors grabbed a 96-81 lead with a little over three minutes to go in the game.

GOODNIGHT. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/dkNo4Pv8lf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 17, 2022

“We were so far away from it,” Curry said when asked why this title means so much. “We were here for five straight years and got three of them; then we hit rock bottom with injuries, then the long road of work ahead and just trying to fill in the right pieces and right guys. You could never take this for granted cause you never know when you’ll be back here. To get back here and get it done means the world.”

In six games against the Celtics, Curry averaged 31.2 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He shot 48 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc. Curry’s Final MVP performance has put him in some exclusive company. Curry joins Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players to win an MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and a scoring title per ESPN.

The post Stephen Curry Claims First-Ever NBA Finals MVP appeared first on SLAM.

Silver has already missed Game 5 due to the same issue.

If the Golden State Warriors win Game 6 tonight, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will present the championship trophy in Adam Silver’s absence, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/W45jf0SKTs

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2022

Should the Warriors win Thursday’s Game 6, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will present Golden State with Larry O’Brien Trophy and the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP, according to Woj.

Silver has been the NBA’s commissioner since February 2014. This is the ninth championship series the league has held during his tenure, including the 2020 season that took place in the Orlando Bubble.

The post Adam Silver Set to Miss Game 6 Due to Health and Safety Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

After blowing consecutive games to grab control of the NBA Finals, the Celtics are in some familiar territory after going down 3-2 against a championship team.

“Everything has been a learning experience,” Jaylen Brown said during his media availability. “We wear everything that we learned this year as a badge of honor that we kind of wear. We don’t let it hang over our heads. We bounce back. We’ve been able to respond well all year.”

Boston was able to do it against the Bucks, winning in Game 7. They blew a Game 6 against Miami but outlasted the Heat and won Game 7 to advance to their first Finals since 2010. The Celtics have their backs up against the wall once again but seem to have the confidence that they can take Thursday’s Game 6 in TD Garden and force a winner-take-all Game 7 back in San Francisco.

With one more home game left for Brown and the Celtics, the 2021 All-Star told reporters the Celtics addressed everything that needed to be said and that Boston has the win-or-go-home mindset to take Game 6. Most importantly, Boston doesn’t want to see Golden State win their fourth title on the TD Garden parquet floor.

“We have all the motivation in the world,” Brown said.

“It’s been addressed today. We already had that mindset. We know what’s at stake,” said Brown. He added: “Come out on our home floor and leave it all out there.”

Jaylen Brown said the team met today and the importance of Game 6 was emphasized. "We have all the motivation in the world," he said. #Celtics #Warriors #NBAFinals2022

— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) June 15, 2022

“We’re looking forward to the challenge,” Brown said per YahooSports. ” We got to embrace it. Ain’t no other way around it. Last game on our home floor to kind of embody our whole season. We’re looking to give it everything we got. We are not scared. We do not fear the Golden State Warriors. We want to come out and play the best version of basketball that we can.”

“We know it’s a good team over there. We know they’ve done it before. But we have all the belief in ourselves. We’re going to come out and leave it all out there. That’s the whole intent.”

Brown has scored 21.4 points per game in the Finals, scoring a personal-high 27 in Boston’s Game 3 win over Golden State.

The post Jaylen Brown On Team Meeting: ‘We Have All the Motivation in the World’ appeared first on SLAM.

Instead of allowing Curry’s slow night to deter him and his Warriors teammates, Maple Jordan showed up and showed out, finishing the Warrior’ 104-94 win over the Celtics with 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

“Attacking the rim,” Wiggins said after being asked what felt good about his offense in a postgame TV interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salter. “I felt like I got a lot going on early and got in that mindset to stay aggressive and stay attacking.”

Wiggs is so damn smooth.
(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/T9unmLqnet

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

The Warriors, now up 3-2 in the Finals, are a game away from winning their fourth title since 2015, extending their home record to 11-1 and giving Boston their first back-to-back postseason losses.

It was Wiggins, and Draymond Green (seven rebounds and six assists) who set the tone of Game 5, playing with a burst of energy as Green was making plays on both sides of the game, scoring all eight of his points in the first half, throwing down a two-handed dunk for safety after faking a handoff to Klay Thompson (21 points and three rebounds)to give Golden State a 12-4 lead nearly five minutes into the game.

Draymond said see ya. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/5nhY04ZIIr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

Wiggins scored 16 points in the first half, helping the Warriors grab an 11-point lead heading into the second quarter. Boston could cut that lead to six as Curry sat, but once he re-entered the game with seven minutes to go, Golden State’s offense opened up, and the Warriors led 51-39 at halftime.

Once halftime came and went, Boston woke up and smothered the Warriors’ offense as they jumped out to a 19-4 run to grab their first lead of an Al Horford (nine points and nine rebounds) triple. However, that dominant Celtics run was answered by Thompson and Jordan Poole (14 points), who hit a pair of threes apiece, including a buzzer-beater that stole the momentum while giving Golden State a one-point lead at the end of three quarters.

Thompson, Poole, and Wiggins continued to push that momentum forward with a 10-0 run to start the final frame. By the time Curry returned with 7:44 left on the clock, the Warriors had held an eight-point lead that Boston would never cut into.

“I’m just trying to do every little thing to win,” Wiggins said. “That’s it. Whether I gotta score, rebound, defend, anything I’m asked to do on the court or to help, I’m going to do.”

Quick Poole Party at the end of the third. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/tKBEI87s8l

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

The former No. 1 overall pick scored 10 points in the fourth on 5-6 shooting. His consistent effort defensively and in the rebounding effort meant everything on a night Curry only scored 16 points and eight dimes on 7-22 shooting.

Wiggs be soaring. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/4IP5Zvqgej

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

This time, the Warriors’ secondary players delivered when Curry rested to start the fourth quarter. Thompson, Poole, and Wiggins contributed heavily to Golden State’s 10-0 run to start the quarter. His poster on Derrick White cemented his big-time performance with a little over two minutes left in the game.

“We’re here, we’re hungry, and we want this. The team that wants it the most can get it, and we want it.”

HOW’S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

Golden State looks to close the series out on Thursday at the TD Garden. Should the Warriors lose, Game 7 will be in San Francisco.

“I’m excited. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, something I’ve worked hard for; this whole team worked hard for. So I’m excited; I can’t wait.”

The post Andrew Wiggins After Game 5: ‘We’re Hungry and We Want This’ appeared first on SLAM.

Stephen Curry finished Game 4 with 43 points and 10 rebounds, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to stamp the Warriors’ comeback from five points down. Curry has scored at least 30 in the last three games and has led the series in scoring with 137 total points. Curry is scoring 31.3 points per game in the Finals.

” A lot of our pride in our group,” Curry said after ESPN’s Lisa Salters asked him how he felt about the win. ” A lotta talk over the last 48 hours about how we can get back in the series and win in this building, finally figured out the fourth quarter, get some stops, and execute on the other, but it’s crazy because I still feel like we can play just a little bit better but to win on the road and get home-court advantage back — big for this group.”

Talk yo shit Stephen.

43 PTS
10 REB
7-14 3PM

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/qN5MoiLcS8

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 11, 2022

Curry and Jayson Tatum (23 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists) dueled bucket for bucket in the first quarter, with both All-Stars scoring 12 in the first. However, the Celtics were able to leave the opening frame with a 28-27 advantage, with Boston pushing its lead to 54-49 by halftime.

Simply spectacular, Chef. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/uIJgxgrWaG

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 11, 2022

Going into the second half of Game 4, the Warriors outscored the Celtics by 49 in the third quarter, while the Celtics outscored the Warriors by 40+ in the fourth. This time around, the third quarter trend for Golden State continued after the Warriors won the third by four points as Curry dropped 14 in the third and grabbed a 79-78 going into the final frame.

KYP – Gary Payton II. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/IRqChzFSq9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 11, 2022

Golden State reversed its fourth-quarter fortunes and outscored the Celtics by a 28-19 margin.

The Boston Celtics led by as many as five in the final frame at one point but Behind Curry’s 10 points, Golden State was able to win as they outscored Boston 17-3 over the final 5:15 of the game, including a decisive 10-0 run that turned a four-point deficit into a 100-95 Golden State lead after Curry knocked down the last of his seven three-pointers.

“Been here six times, got a lot of experience in terms of staying composed and confident in what you can do, the endurance in being able to fight through the foot (injury) and just play my game for (40) minutes I’m out there,” Curry said. “I’m just thankful for everybody on our team cause they brought a lot of toughness tonight and physicality to get off to a better start which allowed us to stay in the game and then go win it at the end.”

With the stroke of a flamethrower. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/Y0igtfZYeq

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 11, 2022

With the Finals tied at 2-2 heading back to San Francisco, the Finals turn into a best-of-three series. If it comes down to it, Golden State holds home-court advantage for a do-or-die Game 7.

The post Stephen Curry Drops 43 to Tie Finals Up At 2 Games Apiece appeared first on SLAM.

At this point in the season, with everything on the line, that’s what basketball and team sports are really all about. Who has the mental toughness, health, and confidence to drag their teammates across the finish line to win a championship?

The Warriors’ Kevon Looney says these Finals against Celtics nearing rivarly mode of old Cavs series. Whoa whoa whoa…could that be true? ⁦@TheAthleticNBA⁩ https://t.co/yO6GP7nGYd

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) June 10, 2022

In Kevon Looney’s opinion, the intensity of this Finals series between Boston and Golden State is what births excellent rivalries.

“That’s what makes it fun, makes it special,” Looney said Thursday per The Athletic. “That is what builds rivalries.”

To hear Looney, who has played all seven of his season with the Warriors, compare the Warriors-Celtics series to some of Golden State’s previous battles, like their battles with Cleveland, is fascinating.

The Cavs and Warriors played against each other in four consecutive Finals series and three straight times on Christmas days. Playing that often on the big stage is sure to garner some bitterness and helps build tension that could match the legendary Lakers-Celtics matchup or the mutual hatred Chicago and the Bad Boy Pistons have for each other.

“It’s right up there,” Looney said. “I’ve been here for a long time with the Warriors. We’ve played Houston a lot of times that got chippy. Playing Cleveland every year in the finals, it was real intense.”

The intensity and physicality of the Finals thus far seem to stem from the antics of Draymond Green. The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year has already drawn a tech after mixing it up with Grant Williams in Game 2. In some eyes, he was dangerously close to getting another after a dust-up later with Jaylen Brown in the first half of the same game.

Green embraced being the bully that game and his reputation as the hard-charging do-everything enforcer of the Warriors precedes him. However, Boston responded in Game 3 and bullied the bully. Boston punched Golden State often and early, dominating the inside as they put Green and Stephen Curry in foul trouble, preventing them from keeping or even establishing their rhythm early.

To top it all off, when Green fouled out after pushing Marcus Smart off Curry, who looked to have tweaked his regular-season ending sprained foot during a late scramble for a loose ball, the Celtics faithful rained down thunderous “F— you, Draymond” chants on the emotional leader of the Warriors.

Boston fan or not, though, Green is doing everything NBA fans are used to seeing him do in the Finals. The reactions from both sides are interesting to see; Green’s wife taking issue isn’t surprising, especially when you have your kids with you. But Klay Thompson calling out Boston for being “classy” is even more interesting.

After playing at least a decade in the NBA, Green and Thompson came up together in the League and have surely heard worse. At this point, Finals vets like Green and Thompson know that playing at the championship stage draws a little something more out of not just your opponent but their fans too.

“Not the worst things I’ve heard,” Williams said.

“Some of those chants, you just accept,” Williams said. “Some people respond to them well; some embrace them. Others, they shy away from them — Especially if you’re on the road, like, you’re going to get that no matter where you go. You walk down the street; you’re going to get something like that.

“For me, it’s like, you got to accept it.”

This year’s Finals do indeed have an edge to them. When it comes to team x and team y having a grudge with one another, it’s more likely you see the upstart Grizzlies and veteran Warriors developing a rivalry than Golden State and Boston. Memphis and Golden State have faced off in the playoffs in consecutive years, with both sides playing increasingly physical with each other.

Warriors fans and players have a grudge against Dillon Brooks; Memphis will remember Curry’s “Whoop that Trick” retort and Green’s hard fouls too.

The closest thing that the Warriors-Celtics series has to that is whatever is brewing between Green and Williams. The two have had to be separated a few times this series for getting tangled up and talking at each other. The intensity between the two seems to be fueled by Williams’ comments saying he used to admire Green while playing college ball at Tennessee.

During Game 2, Green could be heard telling Williams, “You’re not me; you want to be me.”

“When a guy comes and starts … when you say that and then you start talking junk to me, then yes, I’m going to say something about that,” Green said. “I didn’t say anything about that in Game 1 because he wasn’t talking to me. I’m not going to go watch his press conference where he gives me props, where he appreciates my game, and then go throw it in his face.

“Once he starts going at me, and it got chippy, and he’s yap, yap, yap — all right, bro, you can’t say that and then come and say this.”

With Friday’s Game 4 approaching, according to Looney, Draymond Green hasn’t allowed his teammates to be friendly with the Celtics.

“He makes sure that there ain’t no friends on the court,” Looney said. “Ain’t no helping nobody up, none of that extra stuff. We follow his lead in that regard. It’s been like that since I’ve been here.”

Down 2-1, they can’t afford to be friendly with their opponents, it’s do-or-die time, and the Warriors can’t afford to lose with the series shifting back to San Francisco for Game 5. Green will have to respond and play with an intensity similar to Game 2 and set the tone early in Game 4. Warriors fans have to hope that Curry stays off his left foot and treats it around the clock and that Thompson can record a second consecutive notable performance as the Robin to Curry’s Batman.

The post Kevon Looney On Scrappy NBA Finals: ‘That Is What Builds Rivalries’ appeared first on SLAM.

“Just try to remember it’s just basketball at the end of the day,” Tatum said during his media availability, “Try to prepare the same and not get too excited. Just go out there, be relaxed and play your game but still enjoy this. It’s no guarantee that you go to the Finals every year, and it’s a big deal.”

"It's still basketball at the end of the day."@jaytatum0 on how he handles the pressure of the #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/Uf15Ts1Zl3

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 9, 2022

That’s some sage wisdom coming from a young player that’s experienced a good deal of playoff success early in his career. But even Tatum had to know that that level of success wasn’t common so early in his career, especially being a lottery pick like he was. Tatum and Boston went on two runs to the Conference Finals run before they reached the Finals this year.

Tatum and Boston’s journey to get to the championship stage began with a revenge tour throughout the Eastern Conference, eliminating the only teams that have beaten them in the last three postseasons. Boston ended up sweeping the Nets and beating the Bucks and Heat in seven games.

The Finals run almost seemed ordained after Al Horford revealed how he texted Tatum that he was excited to see Boston play on the biggest stage in the basketball world.

Tatum’s Finals debut didn’t go the way he expected, to put it bluntly, scoring 12 points and 13 assists on 3-17 shooting from the field. Despite having difficulty finding the bottom of the net in Game 1, Tatum was able to play a pivotal role as a playmaker, providing the hockey assist for Horford’s and-1 layup to cement Boston’s Game 1.

YEA AL pic.twitter.com/6kPA4z8aab

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 3, 2022

In Game 2, Tatum bounced back and posted 28 points, six rebounds, and three assists in a 107-88 loss to Golden State but turned the ball over four times.

Tatum finished Game 3 with 26 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. The five-time All-Star took over Boston’s offense in the second half, scoring 15 points to hold off Golden State after they reeled off another signature third-quarter run to close Boston’s lead to 93-89 going into the fourth quarter.

JT to the rim with ease. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/mevdmRwNaP

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 9, 2022

In the final frame, Tatum sparked a 9-2 run to close the door on the Warriors’ comeback bid. The Celtics are now up 2-1, heading into Game 4 at TD Garden.

If Tatum and Jaylen Brown (27 points, nine rebounds, five assists in Game 3) continue to ascend and meet the challenge Golden State brings, they could possibly cement their status as Celtics legends as they lead Boston to their first title since 2008.

Jayson to Jaylen (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/eZ6lBAdzlr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 9, 2022

Tatum and Brown are also the first Boston teammates to knock down at least 50 three-pointers in a single postseason. The All-Stars accomplished the feat after Brown hit the first of his four triples in the first half.

In previous playoff runs, Ray Allen made at least 50 threes when Boston made a run to the Finals during his tenure in Beantown. However, his closest teammate, Paul Pierce, maxed out at 40 during Boston’s 2008 and 2010 run to the Finals. Larry Bird only made 80 three-pointers in the postseason for his whole career.

Boston is up 2-1 in the Finals after Wednesday’s Game 3 and has a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead on Friday. Celtics and Warriors fans will wait with bated breath for an injury update on Stephen Curry’s foot injury he suffered in the fourth quarter.

The post Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart Join Elite Company With Game 3 Outing appeared first on SLAM.

Jaylen Brown (27 points, nine rebounds, five assists) and Jayson Tatum (26 points, six rebounds, nine assists) combined to score 53 points for the night. Brown scored 22 points in the first half to kick off the festivities, while Tatum took over Boston’s scoring duties and dropped 15 points in the second half.

Jayson to Jaylen (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/eZ6lBAdzlr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 9, 2022

Boston grabbed their 2-1 lead over Golden State by throwing the first punch and bullying the bully. Namely, Boston took Draymond Green (two points, four boards, three dimes) out of the game and forced him to foul out in 35 minutes.

The Celtics outplayed the Boston on the inside, outscoring the Warriors in the paint, 52-26. As a team, the Celtics outrebounded the Warriors 47-31, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, which turned into 22 second-chance points.

“Game 2, they brought the heat to us,” said Marcus Smart (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists). “For us, that left a bad taste in our mouth because what we hang our hat on is effort on the defensive end and being a physical team. It definitely woke us up a little bit.”

For the series, the Warriors have outscored the Celtics by 43 points in the third frame. A seven-point swing highlighted their third quarter after Stephen Curry (31 points, four rebounds, two assists, including 15 in the third) knocked down a three-pointer as he was fouled by Al Horford (11 points, eight rebounds, six assists).

Horford’s foul was ruled flagrant because he didn’t give Curry any room to land. After Curry sank the subsequent free throw, Otto Porter Jr. (six points and four rebounds) hit a three-pointer to complete the seven-point sequence.

ANNDDD ONNEEEEE! (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/bSZhs14X5v

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 9, 2022

Curry hit another three just a minute later to give Golden State its first lead since 17 seconds into the first quarter. Boston did just enough at the end of the third and clung to a 93-89 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“It’s all about how you respond. We didn’t hold our head down or anything. We called a timeout, figured it out, and made winning plays.”

The Celtics kept their composure and responded to Golden State’s dominant run with a 9-2 run to open the final frame that extended their lead to 11 points. The Warriors were unable to cut the deficit to any closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Tatum scored eight points, followed by Smart’s eight before Coach Ime Udoka pulled Bostons started with two minutes left in the game.

“We talked about it quite a bit, our group being resilient and being able to fight through a lot of things and at times when it’s most needed being able to lock down on defense,” Udoka said. “We did in the fourth quarter,”

Takes some finesse. (via @espn) pic.twitter.com/xvmFzaPbYq

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 9, 2022

Now in control of their destiny with a 2-1 lead heading into Friday’s Game 4, Boston can feel good knowing that out of the 39 previous times teams who have split the first two games of the finals, whoever won Game 3 went on to win the series 82% of the time. Also, Boston is now 7-0 after losing and has yet to lose back-to-back games in the postseason.

However, neither has Golden State. In fact, Golden State has won at least one road in every playoff series since the first round of the 2013 playoffs. The Warriors will have to extend that streak to win their fourth title since 2015. After Boston bullied the bully that is Golden State, the question is who will take on that bully role on Friday.

The post Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum Lead Boston to Game 3 Win appeared first on SLAM.

Klay Thompson is 10-of-33 shooting in these Finals. Is he just missing shots or are the Celtics defending him well? https://t.co/8Z8VWqmOif

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 7, 2022

Through two games, Thompson has scored 26 points on 10-33 shooting from the field and 4-15 from three-point range. During Tuesday’s media availability, Thompson said he plans on watching his “Game 6 Klay” highlights to help him break out of this slump. When Brown was asked why the Celtics have been able to guard Thompson at such a high level he elected to say Boston isn’t “doing a good enough job on Klay Thompson.”

“He’s just missing shots,” Brown said per The Athletic. “That player, he can get it going at any moment. We’re aware of that. We trying to prepare ourselves to make sure that doesn’t happen. But we’ve got to do a better job, to be honest.”

When asked about Thompson’s shooting struggles, Coach Steve Kerr said he thought Thompson was “pressing” as the game progressed, causing Thompson’s “mini-slump, or whatever you want to call it,” to worsen. Throughout his career, Thompson has hunted for points when his shot isn’t falling early, resulting in Thompson’s shot quality to go down.

“I probably seemed a little rushed,” Thompson admitted. “I wasn’t underneath my shot. This is nothing I’m immune to. I’ve been through shooting slumps before. The best part is, it’s how you respond. Come Game 3; I’ll probably not do much differently rather than just play with great pace and pump great shots. When I tend to do that, I tend to have a big night.”

When Thompson is on, he’s ON. He eviscerated the Thunder in Game 6 of the 2016 WCF. He hit a clutch dagger to eliminate the Rockets in 2019. He knocked down two big triples in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals in Toronto to shift the series back to Oakland, but suffered a torn ACL the next time out in Toronto’s title-clinching win in Game 6.

Those microwave performances have made Thompson an League legend. But when you shine so bright with games like that, you’re also prone to tough shooting nights. Thompson shot 5-15 and 6-16 from the field during Games 3 and 4 losses in 2019. With a legacy like that, Thompson is well aware that scoring eruptions are the key to the Warriors winning their fourth title since 2015. Golden State knows it too.

If Thompson, Kerr, and the Warriors can take any solace, the Finals tape mostly agrees with Browns’ sentiment. Boston can improve on taking away Thompson’s clean catch-and-shot opportunities. In order to win Wednesday’s Game 3, Boston will look to make a better effort to limit Thompson’s open looks and continue to hope that Thompson misses early and often.

The post Jaylen Brown Sounds Off On Klay Thompson’s Shooting Slump appeared first on SLAM.

Woj reported that Williams’ left knee bruise would impact him for the remainder of the Finals until he can rest it.

Per Woj, Williams will likely continue to be listed as questionable for the rest of the series. Williams suffered the injury after a scary fall late in the third quarter of Game 2. The Texas A&M product has already missed seven playoff contests due to reoccurring knee issues. Time Lord went under the knife for a torn meniscus he suffered late in March. He came back to play limited minutes in Game 3 against Brooklyn.

The post Robert Williams III Available After Scary Fall in Game 2 appeared first on SLAM.

Tatum is locked in tonight. Already 4 3PT by the 2nd quarter.

(via @NBAUK) pic.twitter.com/VCEFEyG0yV

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 6, 2022

Tatum has nearly concluded the superstar debate in his fifth year in the League. This past regular season, Tatum earned his third All-Star appearance and was earned his first All-NBA First-Team selection after averaging career-high numbers nearly across the board. The Celtics won 26 of their last 32 games and finished the season with the top defense, beating the Nets, Bucks, and Heat to reach the Finals.

For the 2021-22 campaign, Tatum put up 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game on 45.3 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent shooting from deep. JT scored 30+ points 24 times, 40+ three times, and has scored 50 or more twice, including a season-high 54 against the Nets in March. For the playoffs, he’s scored 30+ six times and had a 49/9/4 outing in a Game 6 win over the Bucks in the conference semifinals.

Heading into Game 3 of his first NBA Finals appearance tied at 1-1, Tatum flipped a question about him “as a superstar player” And asked reporters where the debate even came from.

“A lot of people want to debate,” Tatum said. “I guess you just commented about the superstar, whatever that means, right? I’ve seen there’s a huge debate: Is he a superstar, or is he not? I want to know where that came from. Did I tweet that? Did I ever say I’m a superstar, I’m on the verge? That never came from me.

“It’s been a big deal this last year and a half or two years. I see it all the time. There’s always been a question in the back of my head; I wonder who spoke on my behalf or said that or why that was such a big deal.”

Jayson Tatum said he wasn’t sure where the “Is he a superstar?” debate came from around him, but that’s focused on winning a title vs being a superstar: “If you win a championship, they can debate a lot of things, but they can’t debate whether or not you’re a champion.”

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 7, 2022

Tatum will have a chance to answer that debate clearly when the Celtics host the Warriors for Wednesday’s game 3. The Celtics are 5-4 in TD Garden but are certified road warriors with an 8-3 record in away games. Whoever wins will be in the driver’s seat and be two wins away from winning an NBA title.

The post Jayson Tatum On ‘Is He a Superstar’ Debate and Winning First Title appeared first on SLAM.

Boston turned the ball over 18 times on Sunday, with Marcus Smart (5), Jayson Tatum (4), and Jaylen Brown combining for 11 of those turnovers. The Golden State Warriors made the most of those extra possessions and scored 33 points off Boston’s turnovers.

“Turnovers are a big part of the game, especially when you see how many times we turned it over and how many points they scored off that,” Tatum said during Boston’s media availability ahead of Game 3. “You just think if you could limit those turnovers, you could limit a lot of those points. Basically, don’t turn the ball over; give ourselves a better chance to win.”

“It’s not rocket science. So it’s just a matter of doing that more often than not.”

We’re placing an emphasis on limiting turnovers as we prepare to bounce back in Game 3. pic.twitter.com/cmFLDdOCKl

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 7, 2022

When asked about Boston’s game plan for Wednesday’s Game 3 in Boston, Brown suggested that changing the spacing will be a point of emphasis.

“I felt like I got a lot of good looks,” Brown said. “Some didn’t go down, but I felt like I got a lot of good looks. We looked at the tape, got some points of emphasis for the next game: spacing, setting screens, etc., just to clear a little more space out, but I felt like I got some pretty good shots. It didn’t go in, but I’ll be ready for Game 3.”

Jaylen Brown said the Celtics turnover problems have a common thread: Spacing. Suggested changing the spacing is an emphasis for Game 3.

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) June 7, 2022

The NBA Finals have shifted to Boston for Games 3 and 4, with Game 3 scheduled for Wednesday. The Celtics are 5-4 in TD Garden and 8-3 while on the road.

The post Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Sound Off on Bostons Turnover Problems appeared first on SLAM.

The technical came after Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart were whistled for back-to-back fouls on Stephen Curry in the same possession. The fouls put the Warriors into the bonus with more than half of the quarter remaining.

Udoka says he received the technical “on purpose” to gain the referees’ attention and make sure his disapproval of how the game was officiated was known.

“I just let them know how I felt, throughout the game, in a demonstrative way, on purpose to get a technical,” Udoka said following Boston’s 19-point loss.

Al Horford wasn’t surprised to see Udoka get T’d up in the third quarter.

“I could see that coming a mile away. That whole first half was definitely different,” Horford said after the game. “We knew it was going to be different. We just kind of wanted to stay the course. It is what it is. On to Game 3.”

The Celtics went on a 6-0 run following Udoka’s technical but couldn’t hold on to that momentum, as the Warriors went on a 19-2 run to close the quarter. Golden State went on to win Game 2, 107-88. The series now heads to TD Garden, where the Celtics will look to use their home-court advantage in Games 3 and 4.

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In the Warriors’ 107-88 win over the Celtics, Green finished with nine points, five rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. But it wasn’t just his counting stats that contributed to Golden States Game 2 win. No, it was his ability to get under the collective skin of Boston.

The former Michigan State Spartan spent most of Game 2 jaw-jacking with the Celtics, flexin’ on them after tough buckets, and played with a level of intensity Golden State missed in Game 1.

Green’s motor and tenacity set the tone for the Warriors. He forced a jump ball with Al Horford during the game’s first possession. Moments later, Green drew a technical foul after drawing a foul on Grant Williams, staying in his face, and pushing him around after the call was made.

“We need that energy,” he said per The New York Times. “For me to sit back and say, ‘Oh, I’m going to push it to this edge and try to pull back,’ that don’t work. I’ve got to be me.”

Green continued to play the physical two-way, bone-crushing screen-setting and playmaking style that’s earned him plenty of admiration and ire across the League. Day-Day was close to crossing the line and drawing a second tech in the second quarter. Green contested a Jaylen Brown three-pointer hard, bowling Brown over.

Brown took exception to Green’s legs being on top of him and got up quickly as the two All-Stars got into a pushing match. The minor incident ultimately didn’t draw a second tech, which would’ve resulted in Green being ejected early in Game 2.

Stephen Curry (29 points, six rebounds, four assists on 5-12 shooting from deep) said it was clear to him after “about five minutes” after Golden State’s Game 1 loss that Green would play Sunday’s Game 2 with another level of intensity.

“He knew what he needed to do,” Curry said. “I think we talk about how some of that stuff doesn’t always show up in the stat sheet in terms of points, rebounds, assists. But you feel him in his presence, and the other team feels his presence and his intensity, and that’s contagious for all of us.”

The Warriors held the Celtics to 37.5, shooting from the field as a team. Green held Brown to 5-17 shooting as his primary defender. As the director of the Warriors’ defense, Green has gained a lot of leeway from his teammates and coaches as the Warriors won titles and lost some. He’s earned an improved ability to toe the line and play hard and press forward or pull the fire back during pivotal moments.

“I think we’re in a great mental space,” Green said. “Nobody panicked. Everybody stayed the course. And we ultimately knew if we go out and play our game, we put ourselves right back in position to take control of the series.”

The NBA Finals shift to Boston this week, starting with Wednesday’s Game 3.

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For Boston to stay tight with the Warriors despite an off-night from Jayson Tatum (12 points on 3-17 shooting from the field, 1-5 from three-point range) bodes well for the Celtics. Tatum didn’t let his below-average scoring night deter him; the former Duke Blue Devil took over playmaking duties for Boston, matching Bob Cousey with a career-high and a Finals record-tying 13 assists in his Finals debut.

Tatum’s 13 dimes place him over Michael Jordan, Isaiah Thomas, and John Stockton, the previous single-game record-holders with 12.

“Ecstatic, right? Forty points in the fourth quarter? JB played big. Al, Payton (Pritchard), D-White. Those guys made big shots — timely shots as well. And we won, right?” Tatum said per The Athletic despite his off-night shooting. “I had a bad shooting night. I just tried to impact the game in other ways. We’re in the championship. We’re in the finals. All I was worried about was trying to get a win, and we did. That’s all that matters at this point.

“So I don’t expect to shoot that bad again. But if it means we keep winning, I’ll take it.”

Boston entered the fourth quarter down 12 points but was confident going into the final frame of Game 1. Jaylen Brown (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Al Horford (26 points on a Finals-debut record 6-8 shooting from three) awarded that confidence by scoring 21 combined points. Horford powered the Celtics’ decisive 17-0 run with 14 points, knocking down back-to-back triples to take the lead.

At the same time, the Celtics held the Warriors scoreless for nearly five minutes, allowing Stephen Curry (34 points, five boards, five assists) to contribute four points and two dimes on 2-6 shooting from the field.

“The message at the start of the fourth was: We’ve been here before. We know what it takes to overcome a deficit like that,” Tatum said. “Obviously, that’s a great team. It’s not going to be easy. But just knowing we’ve been in that situation before, and we’ve gotten (ourselves) out of it. We had a lot of time left, right? It wasn’t time to hang your head or be done; it was time to figure it out.”

“We know what it takes to overcome a deficit like that.”@jaytatum0 on Boston’s huge 4th quarter comeback in Game 1. pic.twitter.com/ljSshFv91H

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 3, 2022

Brown and Horford’s excellence in the fourth quarter allowed Tatum not to feel like he had to force the issue. Instead, Tatum could focus on swinging the ball when it came his way, contest shots on defense, and sprint to the corners to create optimum spacing when Brown or Derrick White (21 points on 5-8 shooting from distance) pushed the tempo. It was Tatum who dimed Horford for his second straight triple that gave Boston a six-point lead late in the fourth.

According to Tatum’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, he’s been hammering the importance of Tatum learning to be a game manager since last summer.

“I think the biggest thing is the advice that Michael Jordan gave Kobe Bryant: At the end of the day, the only thing that people are going to judge you on is if you get the job done or not,” Hanlen said. “In past years, (Tatum’s) focus has been on scoring and being able to carry the load on the offensive end through scoring. Whereas now, it’s more so just reading what the defense is giving him, making the right play, not forcing shots, not taking ‘my turn’ shots, and really just getting everybody involved.”

Tatum’s acceptance of that development allowed him to simply keep playing fast with his teammates instead of trying to slow the game down after Golden State tied the game at 103 with a Curry finger-roll. Instead, Tatum initiated the sequence intended for a White corner three that eventually ended with Horford hitting his first back-breaking triple to retake the lead they wouldn’t look back on.

To top it off, Tatum finished a plus-27 in the fourth despite not scoring. His passes created 38 points in Game 1 per Synergy. Only one of his 13 dimes was a shot inside the arc.

“All year leading up to this, we’ve been kind of grooming and preparing Jayson for these moments where teams are going to key in on you so much that they try to take you out of the game,” Smart said. “For us, it’s just to make sure he stays confident and knows that even though they’re doing a good job on you, you still who you are, and we got your back. That’s what we are here for, to help you when times like that, to help you get going.”

The Boston Celtics’ usual formula for winning has usually allowed Tatum and Brown to lead them across the finish line. This time around, Tatum played second-fiddle to Brown and the Celtics’ collection of role players.

When the Celtics capped off their comeback win with a Horford and-1, Tatum baited the Warriors into blitzing him. Tatum subsequently got off the ball and gave Smart enough room to put the game away with the dime to Horford, which ultimately gave them a 120-105 lead with less than a minute to go.

YEA AL pic.twitter.com/6kPA4z8aab

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 3, 2022

Boston can take a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to TD Garden after Sunday’s Game 2.

The post Jayson Tatum Sounds Off On Boston’s 4th Quarter Comeback appeared first on SLAM.

Stephen Curry deserves a lot of credit for the Warriors leading for much of the game after scoring 34 points, five rebounds, and five assists. His 21 points in the first quarter were the most scored in a quarter in the NBA Finals since Michael Jordan had 22 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns in 1993. 

Curry’s six three-pointers also set a Finals record for most triples in a single quarter; the previous record was five made triples in a quarter. He shared the record with Ray Allen and Kenny Smith.

However, despite the spectacular exploits of the only unanimous MVP in NBA history, the Boston Celtics were never too far behind through the first three-quarters of Game 1. Yes, they were down by 15 at one point in the third quarter, but the Celtics were routinely able to cut any deficit down, tying the game up five times and exchanging leads up to nine.

Boston bided its time until the final frame, knocking down their first seven three-point attempts to outscore the Warriors 40-16. The onslaught was led by Jaylen Brown (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Al Horford (26 points, six boards, and a Finals-debut record six threes), who scored a combined 21 points to help Boston retake the lead late in the fourth quarter.

Horford scored 14 points during Boston’s decisive 17-0 run to take Game 1, giving Boston a lead it wouldn’t give up after scoring eight straight points, including back-to-back three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Boston also kept Golden State scoreless for nearly five minutes as they scored 17 unanswered, only ceding two meaningless field goals to Klay Thompson and Nemanja Bjelica over the final 69 seconds of the game.

“They gotta good defense,” Draymond Green (four points, 11 rebounds, five dimes), “We knew that coming in. There was no surprises; we know what they wanna get to on the defensive side and how they like to play; they know what we’re tryna get to. So, yeah, no surprises, they are who we thought they were, and now we’ll watch the clips, watch the film and figure out what we need to do to attack it.”

“They are who we thought they were.”

Draymond Green addressed the media after Game 1 of the #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/PtWlkoMNr3

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 3, 2022

Green elaborated a bit more on his thoughts a moment later during his press conference. In his eyes, the Warriors were dominant for as much as “the first 41, 42 minutes” of the game. However, Golden State trailed in the first half at one point, and their most dominant stretch came in the third quarter when they built a 15-point lead and outscored the Celtics by 14 points.

Green also pointed out that Boston hit 21 three-pointers in Game 1, the bulk of which came from Horford, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White, who hit a combined 15 long-range bombs. Green directly downplayed the hot shooting of Smart and White, saying:

“They hit 21 threes, and Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Derrick White combined for 15,” Green said. “Those guys are good shooters, but they combined for what, 15 out of eight, Smart seven, eight, 15-23. Is my math right? Eight, seven, and eight. Eight, seven, and eight. Yea, that’s 23, right? 15-for-23 from those guys. Eh. We’ll be fine.”

To counterpoint, Horford went from hitting 33.6 percent of his regular-season three-point attempts to improving that mark to 46.3 percent in the playoffs. White was shooting 20.8 percent from deep before catching fire over the last three games, managing to hit 11 out of his previous 18 three-point attempts, good enough for a 61.1 percent clip over his last three outings. Smart is hitting threes at a 34.5 percent clip also.

“They stayed within striking distance, and they made shots late,” Green said. “We’ll be fine. We’ll figure out the ways we can stop them from getting those threes and take them away. I don’t think it was a rhythm thing. We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes, so we’ll be fine.”

Draymond Green: “We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes. So, we’ll be fine.” pic.twitter.com/5eXa49pIFp

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) June 3, 2022

Regardless, the championship core of the Warriors and Coach Steve Kerr will have some time in between now and Game 2 to readjust and formulate a new game plan. The Warriors will look to tie the series up and retake home-court advantage with a win Game 2 win on Sunday before the series shifts to TD Garden in Boston.

The post Draymond Green Not Dwelling Much On Late Game 1 Loss to Boston appeared first on SLAM.

It’s almost as if Horford knew this was going to happen. In a way, you could sorta say he did. When the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Horford back to Boston last summer, one of the first things he did was text Jayson Tatum to let him know he saw the Celtics’ potential and was looking forward to playing in the Finals.

“It’s one of these things that I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Horford said, “I know it’s different, but I played in a similar stage in college. Those type of games, I just felt comfortable out here, and I wanted to project that to the group.”

“I wanted to make sure that our guys came out here, play free, understand that this is just a game, and just go out there and have fun.”

"I've been waiting for this moment."

Al Horford talked to @SHAQ about his performance in the Game 1 win for the @celtics. pic.twitter.com/0NlDaRkX0M

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 3, 2022

Horford played a pivotal role in Boston’s 120-108 come-from-behind win over the Warriors. The five-time All-Star finished Game 1 with a team-high 26 points, six rebounds, and three assists on a Finals-debut record 6-8 shooting from beyond the arc.

The former Florida Gator choose the fourth quarter to shine the brightest in Boston’s win. Horford scored 11 points in the final frame, including back-to-back triples and a mid-range jumper, to give the Celtics a lead they would never give up. Horford’s key three-pointers powered a decisive 17-0 run that allowed Boston to outscore the Warriors 40-16 in the fourth.

“It was the way that we were moving the ball on offense,” Horford said per NBCSports. “Just being in those positions, I felt like the guys kept finding me time after time. Derrick White hit some tough shots there too. Get some looks, knock ’em down, that’s that.”

A 4Q surge helped us take Game 1, as we closed out with a 120-108 finish against the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/BoxdYNVfVF

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 3, 2022

Boston didn’t allow a single Warrior field goal for nearly five minutes during that game-altering run. The Celtics’ shocking win to steal home-court advantage came on a night when Horford and Jaylen Brown (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists)had to carry the scoring load due to Tatum’s jumper being off on Thursday.

Even as Golden State built a lead as large as 15 through the first three-quarters, Boston was right there, bidding their time until they could strike. When they did, Golden State had no answers for Horford or Brown, who scored a combined 21 points when it mattered the most in Game 1.

“The group that started the fourth quarter, I think, did a great job setting the tone,” Horford said. “Jaylen attacking, Rob got a lob dunk, and that just kinda got us going, and from that point on, we felt like we’re gonna stay solid continue to fight, and that’s what we did.”

Horford’s confident prediction has come true nearly one year after that fateful trade. Boston is indeed back in the Finals after a grueling revenge tour through the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics beat the Nets, Bucks, and Heat on their way to their first Finals trip since 2010. After Thursday’s Game 1 win, Horford has the Celtics in the driver’s seat, up 1-0 on the Warriors.

The Celtics and Warriors will play again on Sunday in Chase Center, with Boston looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead as the series shifts to TD Garden.

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But Boston never stopped coming back at them. The team with no previous Finals experience outlasted the three-time champs with their defensive tenacity and a substantial fourth-quarter performance from Jaylen Brown (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Al Horford (26 points and six rebounds).

Al Horford was in his BAG in his #NBAFinals debut pic.twitter.com/v9kMeeuRY8

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 3, 2022

Brown and Horford combined to score 21 points in the fourth; Brown started the festivities off, leading Boston to a 12-2 run, cutting the Warriors’ lead to 94-92 after he knocked down a three-pointer with 8:22 left in the game. Horford then took over just a few moments later, hitting back-to-back triples to give Boston a lead they would never surrender.

“JB is special,” Derrick White (21 points in 32 minutes) said. “Some of the shots he makes, the moves he makes, it’s just hard to guard, and it’s fun to watch. I’m glad I’m on his team. He’s one of the best players in the League for a reason, and he’s always making plays for us.

Al hitting some big shots right now. You love to see it.

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 3, 2022

Horford’s game-altering buckets were a part of a game-sealing 17-0 Boston run. The Celtics held the Warriors to zero field goals for nearly five minutes, holding Stephen Curry (35 points, five rebounds, five assists) to just four points in the final frame. Boston ultimately outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the fourth, assisting on 12 of their 15 field goals.

“The group that started the fourth quarter, I think, did a great job setting the tone,” Horford said. “Jaylen attacking, Rob got a lob dunk, and that just kinda got us going, and from that point on, we felt like we’re gonna stay solid continue to fight, and that’s what we did.”

Game 2 between the Warriors and the Celtics will be back in Chase Center on Sunday, with the Warriors looking to tie the Finals up at 1-1 before the series shifts to Boston.

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Boston enters the Finals after beating the Nets, Bucks, and Heat, who each beat the Celtics during the last three postseasons. The Celtics were able to make this run despite a slow start to the season. Boston went .500 over the first 50 games of the season but won after 26 of their last 32 games, finishing the season with the best defensive rating in the League.

The Warriors beat the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Mavericks during their run to the Finals. They finished the regular-season with a 53-29 record, good for third in the West. They’ve had a season of triumph with Stephen Curry breaking the all-time record for made three-pointers and creating the 3k club and the happy return of Klay Thompson following 942 days away from the hardwood.

They also had to deal with injuries to Curry and Green that almost knocked them off the top of the West, but the emergence of Jordan Poole and some timely big games from Thompson helped them stave off any trouble.

The regular-season series between the Warriors and Celtics ended in a 1-1 tie, with both teams winning their home games; Boston won the last matchup 110-88, but the Warriors were missing Andrew Wiggins, and Curry suffered a foot sprain that night that sidelined him until Game 1 of the first-round after colliding with Marcus Smart as the two fought for a loose ball.

Here, we take a look at these two powerhouse squads:

Can Golden State Solve Boston’s Defense?

Boston has the top-ranked defense remaining in the Finals and is designed to stop the chaotic motion offense of the Warriors. The Celtics’ ability to wear teams out physically and their switching makes them the best defense in the League.

On the other side, the Dubs are the top-ranked offense in the playoffs, scoring 116.1 points per game—up to four points from what they scored during the regular season. Will Golden State rely on their typical offensive actions against a defense that’s been excellent at stopping superstar scorers like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Giannis Antetokounmpo? We’ll have to find out and see.

Tatum Exploiting Mismatches

While Boston is equipped with a squad full of bucket-getters, one standout has been Jayson Tatum, who has hunted mismatches against the Warriors—whether it’s shooting over defenders or whipping the ball around so that Boston can attack Golden State when have a 4-on-3 advantage. As JT continues to step up as a playmaker, Boston has continued to thrive.

Coach Steve Kerr’s solution may be to mix different coverages against him, likely doubling, switching, and mixing in some zone looks like the Warriors used against Luka Doncic. Another question is if Derrick White, Smart, and Brown can continue to show out and knock down shots, including the ones Tatum helps create for them.

X-FACTOR

An x-factor for Golden State has been two-way play of Andrew Wiggins. As a member of the Warriors, Wiggins has emerged as an All-Star after thriving as a third option scorer. His shot creation, defensive versatility, and offensive rebound makes him indispensable players. Will Wiggins make the most of his opportunities against a physical defense that thrives at reducing ball movement and forcing some iso play?

Robert Williams is another x-factor for the C’s. The Time Lord’s shot-blocking at the rim and perimeter has been invaluable when he was healthy. On the offensive end, Williams is a primetime lob threat.

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Al Horford was one of the many new faces on the team this year who remained confident in the group even at the lowest point of the season. His first rodeo with Boston started in 2016 and ended in 2019 when the team went to the Eastern Conference Finals under then-coach Brad Stevens in his first two seasons.

Horford played with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams in that first stint. When the five-time All-Star returned last summer, he could feel the team’s potential before the season even began.

“I texted Jayson (Tatum) and told him that I was looking forward to being in the position this coming season,” said Horford. “And I really believed that. When I shared that with him, I looked at our group, I saw the potential there. I already played with these guys, I know what they’re about, and I just knew that if we got it together that we were gonna have an opportunity, we were gonna have a chance.”

It took them a bit longer than other teams, but Boston found their stride and peaked at the absolute best time. Adding Horford helped improve Boston in some areas they struggled with last season, like rebounding and overall defense. In 2021, Boston ranked 15th overall in the NBA in total team rebounds, 22nd in defensive rebounds, and 14th in defensive rating.

Bringing back Horford changed the dynamic for 2022 when Boston ranked second in defensive rating, improved to being the fourth-best rebounding team in the NBA, and elevated back to one of the best offenses in the NBA.

Horford also brought strong leadership to a team that doesn’t have any other players north of 29-years-old, something they lacked last year. With Horford back on the team, the team’s maturity has shined throughout their playoff run.

Horford has been critical for Boston averaging 11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the 2022 playoffs. Though his box score numbers do not indicate his impact and value to this Boston team, advanced numbers suggest Horford has the most win shares in these playoffs while simultaneously being +4 in defensive box score plus/minus, both tops on the Celtics.

The NBA Finals begin on Thursday, with the Warriors hosting the Celtics for Game 1.

The post Al Horford Reveals He Texted Jayson Tatum That Celtics Would Get to the Finals appeared first on SLAM.

Going into the title round of the playoffs, it’s unlikely either would miss a playoff game unless physically unable. Smart is still dealing with a sprained ankle he suffered in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals and a sprained foot he suffered during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks. He missed four games in the Celtics playoff run, including Games 1 and 4 against the Heat.

Smart, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has averaged 15.5 points, 6.2 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in the playoffs.

“The ankle was a pretty serious injury,” Smart said. “I’m thankful to be able to play, let alone still walk.”

Williams has been battling knee issues since late March. Williams has missed seven games of the playoffs due to knee issues, including the first two games of the playoffs and four straight during Boston’s second-round series win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Williams’ length and athletic range next to Al Horford allow Boston to play two switchable bigs who can defend the rim.

“It’s manageable,” Williams said Wednesday. “Kind of been getting in a routine the past couple games, what I have to go through to have myself ready to play — Obviously, the couple days between these series helped, too.”

The two played in Sunday’s Game 7 win against the Miami Heat. Smart finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Williams finished with two points and three rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

According to Coach Ime Udoka, both players felt better from where they were as of Sunday’s Game 7 in Miami.

The post Boston Announces Marcus Smart and Robert Williams Are Questionable For Game 1 appeared first on SLAM.

The controversial call came nearly a minute into the third frame. Strus knocked down a corner three-ball to cut Boston’s lead to 56-54. After the Celtics went on a run, League officials at the NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, elected to overturn the ball because Strus’ heel was out of bounds on the ball. The call left Spoelstra “in shock” as Miami’s points were taken off the board.

“I was in shock,” Spoelstra said. “I was asking [assistant coach] [Chris Quinn] about that. The fact that it happened three to four, five minutes in-game time, that does change the context of how you’re playing. We were starting to gain some momentum. You feel like it’s a seven-, eight-point game, and you look up, and it’s a 13-point game, and there’s no other explanation for it other than it’s gone back to the league offices. You feel like if it happens like that, it should happen immediately, and you can adjust accordingly.”

Although the call was a major source of frustration, Spoelstra repeatedly reiterated that the overturned play wasn’t the reason Miami lost.

“Look, that’s not the reason we lost,” he said. “We still had plenty of opportunities. We just couldn’t get control of the game. A lot of that was Boston. We didn’t stop grinding, and we gave ourselves a shot at it at the end. We just couldn’t make enough plays during the course of the game. It felt like most of the game we were grinding from an eight-to-10-point deficit.”

However, because of the nature of the game and how high-profile the controversial the call was, Spoelstra knows it will be discussed at future League meetings.

“I’m sure they will look at that, and we’ll probably be the case study for it,” Spoelstra said. “I’m OK if it happens the way it used to. They would look at it at the next foul or break and look at it and notice it, but it was probably 10 minutes of real-time — somebody check on that.

“I’m not crying or whining. Come on; we got beat. This was two competitive teams going at it. We had a crack at it at the end. Even as uneven as the game seemed, we had a crack at it. Our guys are never going to, like, not think we have a chance at it.”

After Strus’ three was waved off, Miami still had a chance to win in the waning seconds after cutting a seven-point deficit to two with just over a minute to go. Butler’s potential game-winner was shot, and Boston iced their 100-96 win with two free throws from Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart.

In the aftermath, Spoelstra had no issue with the best player on the Heat taking the possible game-winner, calling it a clean look and “better than anything we could have designed.”

Butler played all 48 minutes of the win-or-go-home Game 7 tilt, finishing with 35 points and nine rebounds.

“My thought process was go for the win,” Butler said. “Which I did. Missed a shot. But I’m taking that shot. My teammates liked the shot that I took. So I’m living with it.”

As tough as it is for Miami, their season is finished. Boston and the Golden State Warriors take center stage for Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Warriors will host Game 1 of the series at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

The post Erik Spoelstra in ‘Shock’ After Overturned Max Strus Three-Pointer appeared first on SLAM.

But Ime Udoka did that in his first go-around as the big dog of the Celtics, leading Boston from a .500 start in the first 50 games of the season to a 26-6 finish over the final 32 games of the season. The Celtics also finished the regular season with the best defense in the League and remained the best among active teams in the playoffs.

It hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbow for Udoka. Despite serving as an assistant under Gregg Popovich, Brett Brown, and Steve Nash, the 44-year-old took several interviews but was told no by several teams — like Detroit, Indiana, and Cleveland —before Boston took a chance on him.

“I can go down the list. That was tough because I believe I was ready. But I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of an organization that’s pushing for winning and championships. You can be in a lot of different situations. There are only 30 teams, and I get that, but to not be in a rebuild and being in an expectation pressure-filled situation, I wouldn’t trade that in any day.” Udoka told Yahoo Sports.

When Udoka took on the Boston job following Brad Stevens’ abrupt resignation after eight seasons for a front-office gig, he did so while facing one central question. Could Boston afford to ask a first-year head coach to lead the Celtics where Stevens couldn’t?

“The one thing I would say is the disappointment of coming in second a few years really hurt,” Udoka said after the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday. “But if you told me I’d have to wait for Boston and get [bypassed] by some of the ones that I got beat out on, it’s a no-brainer for me. I’m happy to be in Boston.”

In just one year, Udoka proved that he could. He’s proven himself to be a defensive mastermind, excellent communicator, and one of the brightest faces in the coaching profession. Udoka is tops amongst the record-high 15 black head coaches in the NBA right now, the most at any point in League history.

“I mean, the proof is in the pudding,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown told Yahoo Sports. “Look around the League. Now you’re starting to see what we can do in the coaching ranks. Before, the talk was that certain people of color were not qualified to do their jobs or whatever the excuse was. Man, you give these guys an opportunity, and look what they did with it. First-year head coach Ime Udoka took us to the Finals. Look at Monty Williams in Phoenix; look at Dallas with Jason Kidd. You look at all these coaches around the League, and I’m happy to see that they’re finally getting an opportunity. Black coaches and people of color are deserving, and they’re capable of getting the job done just like anybody else.”

While Udoka will get plenty of credit for guiding the Celtics to a massive turnaround in the second-half of the season and directing a top-ranked defense, he also deserves flowers for empowering Jayson Tatum and Brown despite talk around Beantown that Brad Stevens should break up the Brown-Tatum connection. Something Brown acknowledges was hard to ignore.

The NBA Finals begin Thursday, with the Warriors hosting Game 1 in San Francisco. The Warriors have a combined 123 games of experience compared to the 0 the Celtics have played. This is also their sixth Finals appearance in six years. With that insight, it makes sense that Udoka, Brown, and the Celtics have embraced being underdogs in the title series.

“We’ve been who we’ve been all year, and our defense travels well and carried us through the playoffs,” Udoka told Yahoo Sports. “We’ve played Golden State well this year. We blasted them at their place, had a tough loss at our place early in the season. And so it’s a new series. We know who we are and the things we do well, so we’re confident in that.”

“The Warriors are a tough team to play against,” Brown told Yahoo Sports. “They’re smart, experienced, and they’ve got a lot of firepower. I’m excited and looking forward to the challenge.”

The post Rookie Coach Ime Udoka ‘Proud’ of Leading Celtics to Finals appeared first on SLAM.

The Celtics’ Eastern Conference Finals series win was largely thanks to their efforts of inaugural Larry Bird winner, Jayson Tatum. Tatum finally helped the Celtics get over the ECF hump after three tries since Boston drafted him third overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Celtics have made four conference finals appearances since 2017.

Jayson Tatum hoists the Larry Bird Trophy awarded to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP #PhantomCam #BleedGreen pic.twitter.com/vRMUNs1sqm

— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2022

The former Duke Blue Devil finished Game 7 with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in 47 outstanding minutes. He averaged 24.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game for the series, never ceasing to make the most critical plays when Beantown needed him to make them. Tatum put together the sublime Game 7 performance while wearing a No. 24 armband in honor of mentor Kobe Bryant.

“It’s a great honor,” Tatum said. “This is my third time, and to get over the hump with this group, it means everything. So i couldn’t be prouder of these guys — the road that we took to get here, not a lot of people believed in us. We took the toughest route, and it worked out.”

Jayson Tatum discusses winning the First-Ever Larry Bird Trophy awarded to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and getting to the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV. pic.twitter.com/CrM0vfBjMj

— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2022

The 2022 NBA Finals begin on June 2, with Golden State hosting Game 1 taking place in Chase Center. It will be the Warriors’ sixth appearance since 2015 and the 10th they’ve made in franchise history. The Celtics have made the NBA Finals 20 times in their history, winning 17. Their most recent title run came under the leadership of Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.

The Celtics’ improbable road to the Finals comes after Boston finished the regular season with the best defense in the League and won 26 of their last 32 games after going .500 in the first 50 games of the season. Boston (51-31) earned the No.2 seed in the playoffs, eliminating the Nets in a four-game sweep, finishing the defending champion Bucks in seven, and beating the Heat in seven games.

The post Jayson Tatum Crowned First Larry Bird Trophy Winner appeared first on SLAM.

Wednesday’s Game 5 was perhaps their best chance to head back to Boston with a 3-2 lead. The Heat was up by five coming out of the halftime break, but Boston outscored Miami 56-38, with their suffocating defense forcing the Heat to miss their first nine shots of the third quarter. The Celtics grabbed a lead they wouldn’t surrender with an 8-0 run, taking a 69-58 lead into the final frame.

From there, Boston blew the game wide open, creating a 23-point cushion in the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown (25 points) took over in the fourth, knocking down a trio of three-pointers, slamming the door shut on any Miami comeback when he drove down the late and threw down this hammer in the half-court.

“As disappointing and as frustrating as this game can be,” Spoelstra said per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “We get on to Boston and just come together.”

JB RELAX (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/GPksWm5fuG

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 26, 2022

Now, the Heat have one more night to keep their season going, and should they win Friday’s Game 6, they host a win-or-go-home Game 7 in FTX Arena.

Miami’s consecutive losses have been flustering, starting with an uncharacteristic blowout loss 102-82 Game 4 loss in Boston after getting outclassed in the first quarter 18-1. In Game 5, Boston’s decisive 24-2 run in the third quarter put any notion of Miami taking a 3-2 lead into Boston to bed.

Miami’s problems are punctuated by the sudden ineffectiveness of their veteran leaders, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry.

Both have been a step slow in the ECF due to respective knee and hamstring injuries, especially Butler, who hasn’t played with his typical relentlessness. Lowry is 5-23 from the field in the conference finals, going 0-6 from the field and 0-5 from long-distance. Butler finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists, but he’s only attempted six free throws in the past three games after shooting 26 in Games 1 and 2.

To top it off, Sixth Man of the Year winner Tyler Herro has missed the last two games due to a groin injury. Miami’s numerous injuries make it challenging to thrive against a physical defense that ranks No. 1 amongst the final four teams in the playoffs.

“We’re not making any excuses for any kind of health or anything like that,” Spoelstra said. “We’re just going to figure it out and get on up there to Boston and enjoy that competition.”

BAM ON CLEAN UP DUTY!!! (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/oF9dSGWtPS

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 26, 2022

Now from this point on, it’s about surviving, taking it one game at a time

Lowry has held himself accountable, telling reporters that he has to play better while he’s out there.

The message is similar is from Butler. The six-time All-Star said that his bothersome knee is okay, but he needs to play better while on the court and help find ways to win. Bam Adebayo also said it’s time to adapt, not accepting the excuse that the Heat is injured when every team is dealing with the same bumps and bruises this late into the season.

“We’re still alive,” Spoelstra said. “We have an opportunity to play in front of a great crowd and an opportunity to make a memory that you’ll remember for a long time. That’s all we’re thinking about right now.

“And we have the kind of warriors that are going to tape up, brace up, do whatever we’ve got to do to get ready for the next one, and just embrace and enjoy that competition.”

Boston has a chance to close the ECF out on Friday when they host Miami for Game 6.

The post Miami Hopes to ‘Make a Memory’ in Wednesday’s Game 6 Against Boston appeared first on SLAM.

After Wednesday’s Game 5 93-80 win over Miami to give Boston a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, any notion of separating Tatum and Brown can be put to rest. The 1-2 punch combined for 47 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Brown provided the scoring punch with a game-high 25 points on 10-19 shooting from the field, 5-9 from beyond the arc, while Tatum took over playmaking and rebounding duties, making sure to make an impact in other ways since his shot wasn’t falling at its usual clip.

“We just got to come out and play basketball,” Brown told reporters of his partnership with Tatum after Wednesday’s 93-80 victory. “We feel like there’s not a lot of people who can play basketball with us two. When he gets going, when I get going, we know that we’re going to put ourselves in a good spot to win.”

Coming out of a tough first half down 42-37 after turning the ball over 10 times and allowing 16 second-chance points, Boston came out of the break with a different mindset. Led by a tough conversation amongst the Boston core of Tatum, Brown, and Marcus Smart, Boston knew that in order to turn Game 5 around in their favor was winning hustle plays, toughness, and taking care of the ball.

“Basically just talked about how much does it mean to us,” Tatum said about Boston’s ugly first half, per The Athletic. “We know all the plays and things like that, but saw the 50/50 balls and hustle plays and things like that are about toughness and effort. That’s what we talked about, us playing better, taking care of the ball, just competing. Because we know what’s on the line.”

From there, it was a tale of two halves. Boston raced out to an 8-0 lead to grab a lead they wouldn’t surrender, forcing Miami to miss their first nine shots of the second half while holding a nine-point lead heading into the final frame. As for the play of Tatum and Browm, the duo combined to score 15 points on 6-10 shooting, committing just one turnover during the decisive third quarter.

When reporters asked Coach Ime Udoka what changed for Brown after he coughed the ball up four times in the first half, Udoka offered a simple explanation. Brown stopped turning the ball over. Brown ended up scoring 19 points in the second half, throwing down the powerful hammer in the half-court to give Boston a suffocating 18-point cushion.

“This is a great opportunity,” Brown said per NBCSports. “Leave everything on the floor. You don’t want any feelings of regret. We’ve got an opportunity to do something with this group that’s special, so let’s not take that for granted. Let’s come out Friday on our home floor and play the best version of basketball we played all season.

“It’s a big game for us. At the same time, just breathe, relax. Sometimes we can be a little bit too tense because we know how important these moments are. But just come out and play our game, and we’ll be fine.”

JB RELAX (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/GPksWm5fuG

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 26, 2022

The Celtics will look to close the ECF out and punch their ticket to the NBA Finals when the series shifts back to Beantown for Friday’s Game 6 in TD Garden.

The post Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum Shine In Game 5 Win Over Miami Heat appeared first on SLAM.

Tatum was awarded an All-Star nod in the 2021 All-Star Game but was snubbed from an All-NBA selection despite putting up similar, if not better, numbers than when he was voted to the 2020 All-NBA Third-Team.

During the 2020-2021 COVID-19 shortened season, Tatum scored 30+ points 16 separate times, 40+ twice, 50+ twice, and scored a career-high 60 points against the Spurs in early April. Not getting voted as a top 15 player in the League by basketball writers left Tatum feeling “kind of disrespected.”

“Do I think I was one of the best 15 players last year? A thousand percent.”

Jayson Tatum said he “kind of felt disrespected” when he didn’t make an all-NBA team last season.

“Do I think I was one of the best 15 players last year? A thousand percent.”

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 25, 2022

This last season, Tatum was vindicated with his third straight All-Star game selection and was voted to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career after leading the League for the first time in his career. He also finished the 2021-22 season, averaging 26.9 points, 8.0 boards, and 4.3 dimes per game on 45.3 percent shooting from the field, including 35.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc, in 76 appearances.

Tatum scored 30+ points 24 times and scored 40+ points three times and 50+ twice, including a season-high 54 against the Nets in March. Tatum has led the Celtics to a 49-27 season, good for second in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Jayson Tatum fading away is art.
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/HEDU60m8yY

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

The Celtics and Miami Heat are currently in a dogfight in the Eastern Conference Finals, tied 2-2 as the series shifts back to Miami for Wednesday’s Game 5 in FTX Arena.

The post Jayson Tatum ‘Felt Disrespected’ After 2021 All-NBA Snub appeared first on SLAM.

2021-22 All-NBA teams:

First: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum

Second: Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan

Third: Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2022

Although Jokic is the reigning MVP, he wasn’t the leading vote-getter for All-NBA First Team, Antetokounmpo was. The Greek Freak received all 100 votes for one of the forward spots on the First-Team. Jokic and Joel Embiid, who finished as runner-up for the ’21 and ’22 MVP, split votes as the First-Team center. Embiid ended up being named as the center for the Second-Team.

Antekounmpo was not only the lone unanimous All-NBA selection this season, but he also became the first player over the last 50 years to be a unanimous selection to the All-NBA First Time in four consecutive seasons, according to ESPN Stats and Information research.

Doncic became the fourth player in NBA history to earn his third First-Team selection before turning 24-years-old, joining Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, and Max Zazlofsky. Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Doncic were joined by Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker. According to the NBA, this is the first time since 1954-55 that the First-Team comprises players at least 27-years-old or younger.

Booker and Tatum earned the First-Team nod for the first time in their career. This is the first overall All-NBA selection for Booker and Tatum’s second nod. Tatum is the first Celtic to make All-NBA First-Team since Kevin Garnett did it in 2008. He’s also the youngest Celtic to earn an All-NBA First-Team selection since Larry Bird in 1980.

The Second-Team is rounded out by Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan, and Durant. Chris Paul, Trae Young, LeBron James, Pascal Siakam, and Karl-Anthony Towns filled out the Third-Team. James picked up his record 18th All-NBA nod, placing him ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan for most All-NBA picks, and became the first player in League history to make the All-NBA in his 19th+ season.

Paul is the first guard since Bryant to make an All-NBA team in his 17th+ season.

The post Nikola Jokic Headlines 2021-2022 All-NBA Teams appeared first on SLAM.

The Heat scored just 11 points in the first quarter and immediately found themselves down 18 at the end of one. Miami then went on to only reach 33 points at the end of the second quarter and was down by 24 points at halftime.

Heat star Jimmy Butler scored just six points on 3-for-14 shooting as Miami’s starters scored a combined 18 points in an underwhelming performance.

“This is part of the playoffs; there are these extreme highs and lows,” Coach Erik Spoelstra said, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “We’ve proven that we can find solutions offensively in a lot of different ways.”

The Heat is struggling with multiple injuries, as Butler (knee inflammation), point guard Kyle Lowry (hamstring), and power forward P.J. Tucker (knee contusion) are all playing through nagging injuries. Tyler Herro, the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year winner, is also hobbled and missed Game 4 with a groin injury.

“We are not making any excuse,” Spoelstra said. “We can do it in the mud. We can win it ugly. We can win it when the floodgates come open, hitting threes. We can do it with Jimmy taking over a game. We can do it when he’s facilitating. We have the mental fortitude and the collective toughness to be able to embrace what we have. It’s just a very competitive, good series.”

“No excuse for how I played tonight. It don’t got nothing to do with my knee,” Butler said. “I’ve just got to be better. I will be better. I’m not too worried about it.”

On the other side, Boston star Jayson Tatum scored 31 points on 8-of-16 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. Big men Al Horford and Robert Williams III combined for 22 rebounds and six blocked shots.

Both teams will look to take a 3-2 advantage as the series heads back to Miami for an 8:30 tip-off at FTX Arena Wednesday night.

The post Erik Spoelstra On Game 4 Performance: ‘We Are Not Making Any Excuse’ appeared first on SLAM.

White grabbed his hamstring after Udoka sat him down in the fourth quarter. White played a game-high 41 minutes Monday night and finished Game 4 with 13 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished six assists starting in place of the injured Marcus Smart.

In the post-game press conference, Udoka said that White “had a little cramping, but he’s fine.” Boston’s head coach went on to say that White’s contribution was crucial for the injured Celtics, who put on a dominant display in a 102-82 victory over Miami to tie the series at two apiece.

“Understanding the urgency with Marcus being out and the position he’s put in,” Udoka said. “Obviously, starting the game, [White’s] going to have the ball in his hands a lot more. [I| wanted him to be confident, aggressive, and he picked his spots well early on. They guarded him a certain way; we told him look for his shot but also get downhill and facilitate, and he does that extremely well.

“Just happened that he got the right looks, took the shots that were there, and then started finding other guys. And so, we wanted to be aggressive at all times. Talked about his jump shot may not be falling, but he does so many other things for the team, and he did that tonight.”

White’s provided Boston with depth and defensive versatility since he was traded from the Spurs in February. After feeling adhesive when he first joined the Celtics, White says the players and coaches have helped him become a pivotal cog in Boston’s playoff run.

“The team’s done a great job of just being like, be you. Smart said to me this morning, Rob [Williams] said it. I’ve just gotta do that. That makes it a lot easier.”

The Celtics will hope to take a 3-2 series lead when they travel to Miami to take on the Heat Wednesday night at FTX Arena.

The post Ime Udoka Provides Derrick White Injury Update After Game 4 Win appeared first on SLAM.

Buckets in Boston.

31 PTS
8 REB
5 AST
2 STL
8-16 FGM pic.twitter.com/WD9VOT2ipM

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

Boston never looked back after racing out to a quick 8-0 run to begin Game 3. They eventually grabbed a 20-point lead in the first quarter, preventing Miami from scoring a field goal until the 3:22 mark, the longest drought in playoff history. The Celtics’ defense also held the Heat to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including 38.9 percent from deep. Miami ultimately missed 15 of its first 16 shots.

“I think just starting off better,” Tatum said when asked about Boston’s stifling defensive effort. “Obviously, last game, we were down 20 in the first quarter; they were just a little too comfortable. They’re a really good team; they got great players. With great players, you can’t just make it easy. You gotta make it tough, stay connected and communicate.”

Jayson Tatum fading away is art.
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/HEDU60m8yY

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

Boston also held Miami’s starters to just 18 points on 7-36 combined shooting from the field., Bam Adebayo led Miami’s starting five with nine points and six rebounds. Victor Oladipo led all Heat scorers with 23 points, four rebounds, and six assists.

Meanwhile, Tatum had a redeem game after being held to 10 points in Saturday’s Game 3 loss. Tattum scored 12 points in the opening frame, including this crafty reverse layup nearly four minutes into the game.

“We just came back and redeemed ourselves,” Tatum said. “We knew this was a game that we really needed to protect home court. Just following the last game, we were just ready to play; everybody was just ready to get back out here and play better.

Ain't no lay too tuff for Tatum.
(via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/7Wl2eQlFPf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

As Tatum rose to the occasion, so did the rest of his teammates, who kept up the defensive pressure and smothered Miami, and prevented the Heat from getting comfortable at any point. Robert Williams (12 points, nine rebounds, two blocks) and Al Horford (five points, 13 rebounds, three assists, four blocks) recorded six combined blocks, with Tatum contributing two of his own.

“Al is our leader,” Tatum said about the veteran out of Florida. “I’ve been fortunate to have AL as a teammate for three years. He’s been great for me and my development, just the ultimate professional. It’s no surprise how he takes care of himself and the way he performs in big games.”

“Nah.” – Al Horford probably. pic.twitter.com/OwtfIKpu3U

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

Game 4 was never close on Monday, and now Boston and Miami will be wrestling for control when the ECF series shifts back to Miami for Game 4. From this point on, the seven-game series is now a best-of-three series.

The post Jayson Tatum Leads Boston to 102-82 Win Over Miami, Tie ECF Series At 2-2 appeared first on SLAM.

#MIAvsBOS INJURY UPDATE: Tyler Herro (groin) has been ruled out of tonight’s Game 4 vs the Celtics.

Jimmy Butler (knee), Kyle Lowry (hamstring), Max Strus (hamstring), Gabe Vincent (hamstring) & P.J. Tucker (knee) will all warm up with the intent to play.

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 23, 2022

The injury preventing Herro from playing is a groin injury. The Heat also announced that Jimmy Butler (knee), Kyle Lowry (hamstring), Max Strus (hamstring), and P.J. Tucker (knee) would warm up and likely play, barring any setback.

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has averaged 12.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game during the Eastern Conference Finals. He finished the season averaging 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 dimes per game.

The post Miami Heat Announce Tyler Herro Will Miss Monday’s Game 4 appeared first on SLAM.

Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo scored 14 each, and Tyler Herro followed up with 11 points of his own. The loss drops Miami to 7-1 at FTX Arena during the 2022 playoffs.

“This only counts as one,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s what the experienced players in the locker room and staff understand. We don’t like it. They played extremely well. You have two really good teams, and we just have to figure some things out.”

The Miami Heat will have to have a short memory before Game 3 after this blowout loss. Everything that could’ve gone wrong did after Miami raced out to a 10-point in the opening minutes of the first quarter. That was about the only bright spot of the night before Boston went on a 17-0 fueled by five made triples in six possessions. The superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to score 51 points, including 33 in the first half.

Boston eventually outscored Miami by 39 points in the next 18 minutes and headed into the locker room with a 70-45 lead at halftime. After the break, Butler did everything he could to bring Miami back into the game, cutting the lead to 17 after scoring 16 points in the third quarter.

However, Boston responded with a 12-2 run to shut the door on any comeback bid, restoring a 27-deficit while heading into the final frame with a 96-71 lead that was never threatened. Had Miami not gone on a late run, Game 2 of the 2022 Miami-Boston ECF series would’ve set a Miami record for the biggest loss in their franchise history. Miami avoided that historic achievement, but Boston broke their franchise record for the biggest road playoff game lead at halftime (25).

“It has to hurt,” Butler said. “They tried to embarrass us. They did embarrass us. — Overall, we just have to be better.”

The next time Miami and Boston meet will be Saturday’s Game 3 in TD Garden. Whoever wins Game 3 will leave with a 2-1 series and home-court advantage.

The post Erik Spoelstra On Miami’s Game 2 Loss: ‘This Only Counts As One’ appeared first on SLAM.

“Wake up,” Udoka told his team.

And boy, did they wake up. The Celtics tied the series up at 1-1 with a 127-102 win in FTX Arena, stealing home-court advantage as the series shifts to Boston for Games 3 and 4. Jayson Tatum (27 points, five rebounds, and five assists) and Jaylen Brown (24 points and eight rebounds,)rebounded from their disastrous Game 1 performances and combined to score 51 points.

The return of Marcus Smart (24 points, nine rebounds, 14 dimes) and Al Horford (10 points, three rebounds, three assists) also helped Boston roll past Miami on Thursday. Boston knocked down 20 three-pointers also, with Smart hitting 5-12 and Tatum and Brown combining to hit eight triples.

“I got to get my rest, got to get my health back, got to watch and see some things and come out and execute in this game,” Smart said.

MARCUS SMART DROPPED EM! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/4rChRnG6mL

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 20, 2022

The Celtics used a 17-0 run late in the first quarter, fueled by five triples in six possessions, to take control of Game 2. The momentum-shifting run helped Boston outscore Miami 60-21 over the next 18 minutes, which turned into a 70-45 halftime lead. Brown led the surge with 11 points in the opening frame, Boston shot 9-11 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, and Tatum added fuel to the fire by scoring 17 points in the second quarter.

20+ in the 1st half. Tatum came out HOT! (via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/FRkgqt5Giy

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 20, 2022

The 25-point halftime lead was the largest lead the Celtics have had in a road playoff game, topping the previous record of 22 against the Chicago Bulls in 2009. Miami cut the deficit to 17 off Jimmy Butler’s 16 points in the third quarter, but Boston went on a 12-2 run to close the door on any comeback bid. By the time the final frame began, Boston was 96-71.

“Guys have pride and looked at a golden opportunity that we kind of lost (in Game 1) and thought we could do much better,” Udoka said. “And we did that tonight.”

The Celtics are 4-0 following a loss this postseason. The ECF shifts to Boston on Saturday with both Eastern Conference foes looking to leave Game 3 with a 2-1 lead.

The post Celtics ‘Wake Up’ and Win Game 2 of ECF 127-102 appeared first on SLAM.

Boston led by 13 points going into halftime; however, a 22-2 run sparked a comeback for Miami, led by 27 second-half points from Butler. He finished the game 17-18 from the free-throw line, the second-most by a player against the Celtics this playoff behind Kevin Durant.

Jaylen Brown told ESPN that Butler was too comfortable in Game 1 and that they would have to play him better the rest of the series.

“He’s very comfortable right now, and we’ve got to do a better job of breaking that rhythm that he’s in. That’s it. We’ve got to take the challenge.”

The Duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 53 points, but their dismal second-half effort hurt the guys in green badly as they finished the game with 16 total turnovers. Tatum only scored eight points in the second half.

Celtics Coach Ime Udoka told reporters that the Heat didn’t do anything different to throw them off the slow second half was a huge momentum shifter in the game.

“It wasn’t anything different that they did. They just came out and imposed their will,” Udoka said. “We semi-bounced back in the fourth and started to play well again and match their physicality, but 39-14 on 2-for-15 is tough to overcome.”

The Celtics look to even the series tonight for Game 2 and head back to the TD Garden with a 1-1 tie.

The post Jaylen Brown on Stopping Jimmy Butler Game 2: ‘We Gotta Break the Rhythm He’s In’ appeared first on SLAM.

The disappointing, shocking third quarter led to Marcus Smart laying into his teammates. Smart missed Game 1 due to a right mid-foot sprain he suffered during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy used the break going into the fourth quarter to ignite the fire within his teammates, reportedly pounding his chest and challenging his teammates to give more.

“Just have heart,” Smart said, according to Payton Pritchard.

“He was just telling us to compete, get after it,” Pritchard added. “We were kind of playing soft there for a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Boston has suffered similar losses due to disastrous quarters. The Celtics lost the ECF to the Heat in the Orlando Bubble because they weren’t physical enough, poised enough, or together enough to work through what Miami was putting the Celtics through. The 25-point deficit Miami created ranks as the second-worst quarter in Celtics playoff history.

According to Coach Ime Udoka, Boston spoke about how Miami would look to ramp up their physicality to impose their will after the break. Despite knowing that Boston still failed to meet the moment and matched Miami’s intensity. One play illustrates just how much more intense and powerful Miami was in Game 1.

On the first possession of the second half, Jimmy Butler (41 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals, three blocks) caught the ball in the paint, spun through four Celtics defenders, and drew a foul. The next time the Heat touched the ball, P.J. Tucker missed a corner 3-pointer, but Bam Adebayo (10 points, four boards, four blocks) crashed the glass hard enough to force Grant Williams to foul him.

Had Williams not fouled Adebayon, the play could’ve resulted in a Butler bucket after he beat Jaylen Brown to a rebound anyway.

“Got out-toughed, out-physicaled,” Udoka said. “They looked like they came out in the second half and wanted to up their physicality and aggression on both ends, and they did that. I don’t think we obviously responded well on either end of the floor. We had eight of our 16 turnovers in that quarter, played in the crowd on offense, and got sped up. And then defensively, offensive rebounds, getting muscled around in the post. Some poor fouls got them to the free-throw line. (The game) flipped very quickly, and (we) just lost our composure.”

The destructive third-quarter outing was punctuated by the Celtics not scoring a field goal for the first seven minutes of the second half. Not to mention Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for all eight of Boston’s third-quarter turnovers. In fact, Boston finished the third frame with as many turnovers (eight) as buckets (two).

The moment is here now for Boston to learn from the failures of the 2020 ECF and Game 1 of the 2022 ECF. Boston lost in six games two seasons ago despite outscoring Miami by one point. However, they lost because they didn’t respond when it mattered the most, allowing the Heat to go on big runs during the fourth quarter.

“Throughout the course of the playoffs, we’ve done a great job of responding to runs after calling timeout, things like that,” Tatum said. “But for whatever reason, we didn’t today. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll take the blame for that. I’ve got to lead better. I’ve got to play better, especially in those moments.”

Maybe Boston’s Game 1 was due to coming off an emotionally challenging seven-game series against the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics had just one day off between ending their second-round series and beginning the Eastern Conference Finals. Missing Smart and Al Horford (virus protocols) certainly didn’t help either. Regardless, Boston can’t afford to repeat the same mistakes of 2020.

The revenge tour Boston has been on since the 2022 playoffs began has gone well so far; in order for that to happen, the Celtics will have to respond to the Heat’s intensity and physicality and play with a next-man-up mentality until Smart and Horford return., Tatum and Brown need to cut down on turnovers and to respond better to the rough play of the Heat when the two stars have the ball in their hands.

The post Marcus Smart Calls on Boston to ‘Just Have Heart’ appeared first on SLAM.

Butler’s 41-point effort is his fifth of the postseason. He is the second player in franchise history to record five 40+ point efforts.

Jimmy Buckets enacted an all around MasterClass.

41 PTS
9 REB
5 AST
4 STL
3 BLK
63% FGM

: @MiamiHEAT pic.twitter.com/2R7iyMoMTQ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 18, 2022

Coming out of the break, Boston was up by eight; just three minutes into the third quarter, Miami took a lead they would never surrender after Butler knocked down a put-back layup. The lead-changing layup was a part of a game-changing 22-2 run punctuated by back-to-back-back steals from Max Strus and Butler to take a 10-point.

That double-digit lead eventually grew to 20 points after Tyler Herro hit three free throws a 1:15 into the fourth quarter after getting fouled on a three-point attempt.

“Keep the game easy,” Butler said about what was said in the locker room during halftime. “Simple. We gotta learn how to capitalize off of their mistakes, and we gotta get back. I think that’s what changed in the second half.”

Masterful in the midrange.
(via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/Q57Dh8Pgtx

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 18, 2022

Butler was the catalyst for Miami imposing their will in the second half. The Marquette alum scored 27 points in the second half, along with three assists, three steals, and four rebounds (two on the offensive glass).

When Boston tried to capitalize on a 10-0 run that cut Miami’s lead to nine points with 7:35 seconds left on the clock, Miami continued to impose their will, silencing Boston each time they made it a single-digit game with triples from P.J. Tucker and Strus.

Their job on Jayson Tatum illustrated Miami’s second-half effort. Miami held the Duke alum to eight points after Tatum scored 21 in the first half, tied for a career-high in the first half. The defensive intensity on Tatum was highlighted by Butler blocking Tatum on a three-pointer from the left corner pocket. Miami also forced the St. Louis native to turn the ball over seven times.

“Contesting every shot,’ Butler said about Miami’s key to defending Tatum in the second half. “Try not to foul; he’s crafty as hell and just putting multiple bodies in front of him.”

Jimmy Butler is everywhere.
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/d8eKSNt2CK

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 18, 2022

Boston will look to tie the Eastern Conference Finals when they face Miami on Thursday’s Game 6.

The post Miami Heat ‘Keep the Game Easy’ in Game 1 Win Over Boston appeared first on SLAM.

Boston is coming in hot after blowing out the Bucks in Sunday’s Game 7 thanks to the hot scoring of Jayson Tatum, who has emerged as a top superstar as he averaged 28.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists per game in 41.2 minutes per game. The man who will likely be taking on the challenge of guarding Tatum will be Jimmy Butler, who has reclaimed his spot as a top superstar, averaging 28.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.

“Either team that we were to end up facing, whether it be Milwaukee or Boston, is a really, really, really good team,” Butler said per ESPN. “It is Boston. We’re looking forward to it. I guess you got to beat the best to be the best.”

Slowing down Tatum, who’s scored 30+ in four games and scored 46 points in Game 6 of the Boston-Milwaukee series, will be pivotal to Miami advancing to their NBA Finals since 2020.

Meanwhile, Butler has scored at least 40 points twice and dropped 30+ points three times.

Locking in on the two featured weapons of their respective weapons will be pivotal for the success of both Eastern Conference titans.

“He’s one of the best in the game right now,” Butler said. “As much attention as he draws on the offensive end — and then I think what’s really impressive is the way that he’s picked up his defensive intensity. You got to tip your hat to that and respect him; I think those are the guys that you want to go up against.”

The post Jimmy Butler Looking Forward to Matchup With Jayson Tatum appeared first on SLAM.

“Pat’s [Riley] probably is going to enjoy this,” Spoelstra said on Monday. “This is like a throwback series. If both teams are really on top of their games, this should be a series where neither team is scoring 130 points. Both teams hang their hats on rock-solid team defense, and making multiple efforts, and being disciplined to schemes. So it will be a lot of plays and things in the margins. That’s what you expect. Really, we were the two best teams in the East most of the season, and it’s fitting that we’re moving into the conference finals.”

The ECF series will feature the two best teams in the conference, with the Heat saying they see a lot of similarities between themselves and the Celtics, especially on the defensive side of things. The main thing that helps Heat remain confident in themselves is that they found a way to win games in different ways throughout the year.

With different guys out of the lineup due to injury or COVID-19 being able to win a game no matter, the circumstance bodes well for a team looking to get back to the Finals for the first time since 2020.

Going into Tuesday’s Game 1, Spoelstra and Jimmy Butler echoed a similar sentiment of the Heat loving competition and looking forward to the challenge of playing Boston.

Both Spoelstra and Butler echoed a similar sentiment with Game 1 looming on Tuesday night.

“Our guys love competition and love being challenged,” Spoelstra said. “They love taking on big challenges. That’s what we’re facing. Boston has played as well as anyone in the entire league once they got to 2022. It’s not by accident. They’re playing very strong basketball. They do it on both ends.

“I say throwback; I really want to clarify. It’s not going to be like football. We don’t need the extra officiating, or we don’t need anyone thinking they need to clean it up. It’s not going to be like that. It’s just that you have two really committed defensive teams that should lend itself if both teams are playing at a high level; it shouldn’t be 150-point games.”

The post Erik Spoelstra Anticipates ‘Throwback’ Heat-Celtics ECF Finals appeared first on SLAM.

During his availability, Ime Udoka said Marcus Smart is questionable for Game 1 with a midfoot sprain he suffered during Game 7, & that Robert Williams won’t have any restrictions in Game 1. Udoka said before Game 7 Williams was available but he didn’t want to shift his rotation.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 16, 2022

Udoka said Smart suffered a midfoot sprain during their Game 7 win over the 2021 NBA champ Milwaukee Bucks. Smart has averaged 15.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. He finished Game 7 with 11 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists.

Udoka also said Robert Williams wouldn’t have any restrictions in the Eastern Conference. Williams didn’t play in Game 7 despite being available to get some minutes.

The post Celtics Announce Marcus Smart Is Questionable for Game 1 Against Heat appeared first on SLAM.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first player ever with 200 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in a single series pic.twitter.com/nuLx85wUkH

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 15, 2022

The Greek Freak shot just 3-11 in the second half, including going 1-6 in the fourth quarter. Antetokounmpo fired 27 or more shots in seven games throughout his career, with five of those coming in this second-round series against the Celtics. The two-time MVP had to carry that burden to help the Bucks win due to Khris Middleton being out after suffering a knee injury during the first round of the playoffs.

“Shots that I usually make wasn’t going in. That’s basketball. That’s sports,” Antetokounmpo said. “Sometimes, you win. Sometimes you lose. There’s a winner. There’s a loser. You’ve just got to live with it.”

If Giannis starts hitting these, it's over.

(via @NBAU) pic.twitter.com/S4gsJ6ltps

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 15, 2022

Antetokounmpo finished the seven-game series with a 237/103/50 stat line, averaging 33.9 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. The Greek Freak finished the playoffs averaging 31.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 12 playoff games this year, becoming the first player to average 31/14/6 during an entire playoff run. He became the first player in NBA history to finish single series with 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists.

Jrue Holiday finished the night with 21 points and eight dimes, followed by 15 points and 10 rebounds from Brook Lopez.

“Legs heavy. Body heavy. Mind heavy. Everything was heavy,” Antetkounmpo said after being asked if his legs felt heavy after the first quarter. ” I was just trying to be aggressive. At the end of the day, it’s Game 7, and I’m not gonna hold the ball and not look at the rim. I’d rather miss a bunch of shots and keep playing and keep coming and keep being aggressive. Keep looking for my teammates, keep making the right plays, then go into passive mode.”

The Eastern Conference Finals will start on Tuesday and will be contested between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. Both 2021 NBA Finals contestants were eliminated on Sunday after the Mavericks blew the Suns out, 123-90.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo After Game 7 Loss: ‘Everything Was Heavy’ appeared first on SLAM.