Tatum out-duels Giannis, as Celtics force decider vs. Bucks

Boston forward Jayson Tatum poured in 46 points as the Celtics defeated the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks 108-95 on Friday to force a decisive game seven in their Eastern Conference playoff series.

With his team facing elimination, Tatum delivered, drilling seven of the Celtics' 17 three-pointers and helping them withstand a 44-point, 20-rebound performance from Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and knot the best-of-seven series at three games each.

Antetokoumpo posted the first 40-point, 20-rebound game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2001, but his third 40-point outburst in four games wasn't enough for the reigning champs to advance.

They'll have to battle for a place in the Eastern Conference finals in Boston on Sunday -- the same day that the team Milwaukee beat in last season's championship series, the Phoenix Suns, play the Dallas Mavericks in game seven of their Western Conference series.

Tatum reeled off 11 straight Boston points in the fourth quarter to help thwart a rally by the Bucks, who closed a 13-point deficit to four on Antetokounmpo's three-pointer early in the final period.

It looked briefly as if the Bucks might author another impressive comeback victory, after erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to win game five on Wednesday.

But Tatum and the rest of the Celtics wouldn't let that happen.

"I think we played with a little more toughness this game," Tatum said. "Our season was on the line. I knew that and we knew that. We had to give it all we've got."

Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, and point guard Marcus Smart added 21 points for the Celtics.

Jrue Holiday scored 17 for Milwaukee, who remain without three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton, who has missed nine games with a sprained left knee.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Celtics defense suffocate Pistons late en route to 5th straight win

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points Friday as the Boston Celtics rode a dominant 4th quarter to a 114-103 win over the visiting Detroit Pistons.

Tatum scored at least 30 points for a 5th straight game and added 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Jaylen Brown had 22 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, and Marcus Smart added 20 points for Boston, which has notched 5 straight wins.

Boston expanded its 92-90 lead with 7 straight points to begin the 4th. Al Horford capped the run with back-to-back buckets that forced a Detroit timeout with 9:44 left.

Tatum's step-back 3-pointer and a Payton Pritchard jumper at the 6:53 mark put the hosts ahead by double digits for the first time, 104-94.

Boston didn't allow a field goal in the 4th quarter until there were 30.2 seconds left in the frame. It held a 22-13 scoring edge in the period.

Cade Cunningham had a team-high 27 points for the Pistons, who have lost back-to-back games following a 6-2 stretch. Jerami Grant and Marvin Bagley III each scored 20 for Detroit.

The Celtics used a 10-3 run to take their first lead at 14-13. Tatum finished the stretch with a drive and dunk with 6:29 left in the 1st.

A quick response lifted Detroit to a 23-19 lead at the four-minute mark, but the edge closed to 34-32 by quarter's end. Cunningham had 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting and Grant hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening 12 minutes as the Pistons shot 50 percent from the field.

Boston shot 10 of 17 and held a 29-28 scoring advantage in the second quarter to cut the visitors' lead to 62-61. The teams stacked runs as Detroit scored seven straight to break a 43-43 tie and Boston immediately knotted the game at 50-50 thanks in part to a Derrick White 3-pointer.

From the 5:12 mark until halftime, neither side led by more than three. It was more of the same to start the second half.

A three-point play by Grant Williams gave Boston an 86-82 lead -- its largest of the third quarter -- with 2:35 left, but 3-pointers by Saddiq Bey and Cunningham flipped the score back in Detroit's favor. White's layup in the final minute reestablished a 92-90 lead for the Celtics heading into the final period.

-reuters

NBA: Robert Williams III free throws lift Celtics over Bulls

Robert Williams III scored six of his team's final 10 points, including the game-winning free throws with 9.7 seconds remaining as the host Boston Celtics rallied past the shorthanded Chicago Bulls for a 114-112 win on Saturday night.

Chicago went up 108-101 with just over four minutes to play before Boston used an 11-4 run to tie it at 112 after a pair of Williams free throws with 31 seconds to play.

DeMar DeRozan missed a stepback jumper with 9.7 seconds left and Nikola Vucevic committed a loose ball foul on the rebound. Williams made two more free throws to make it 114-112 and Vucevic missed a 3-pointer and DeRozan misfired on an 11-footer to end the game.

Jayson Tatum had a team-high 23 points and 12 rebounds and Jaylen Brown added 19 points to lead the Celtics. Dennis Schroder added 16 points with eight assists, Al Horford had 15 with eight rebounds and Williams totaled 14 points, 13 boards and six assists.

Boston bounced back from a 111-99 loss at Philadelphia on Friday with its sixth win in nine games.

Vucevic had a game-high 27 points, DeRozan had 23 with eight rebounds and seven assists as Ayo Dosunmu added career-highs of 21 points and 10 assists for the Bulls.

Coby White added 19 points for Chicago, which suffered its third straight defeat and fourth in its last five games.

Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine missed the game after suffering a left knee injury in Friday's loss to the Golden State Warriors. An MRI exam on Saturday reportedly revealed no structural damage to LaVine's knee.

Chicago guard Lonzo Ball was a game-time scratch with left knee soreness. The Bulls were also without Alex Caruso (foot), Derrick Jones (bone bruise in right knee), Javonte Green (right adductor strain), Tyler Cook (ankle) and Patrick Williams (wrist).

Celtics guard Marcus Smart missed his third straight game after entering the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocol prior to Friday's loss at Philadelphia.

Boston led 54-49 at halftime after being up as many as 12 points early in the second quarter.

-reuters

NBA: Marcus Smart's fourth-quarter surge helps Celtics beat Raptors

Marcus Smart scored eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and added eight rebounds and six assists as the visiting Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors 109-97 on Sunday night.

Al Horford added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who ended a two-game losing streak.

Jayson Tatum was held to eight points, but had 10 assists for the Celtics, who have won two of their three games with the Raptors.

Josh Richardson contributed 18 points for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown added 16 points, Grant Williams 15 and Enes Kanter had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Fred VanVleet had 27 points for the Raptors, who dropped to 2-7 in home games. Scottie Barnes added 21 points for Toronto and Pascal Siakam had 18, and Svi Mykhailiuk 12.

Boston had a four-point lead after the third quarter and scored the first four points of the fourth quarter before Toronto cut the lead to one. Boston responded with a 9-0 run capped by Smart's 3-pointer with 7:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Boston's lead reached 13 on Smart's 3-pointer with 6:21 to play. Richardson's driving layup with 2:31 to play restored the 13-point lead.

The Celtics led 27-26 after the first quarter.

The Celtics scored the first eight points of the second quarter, six by Richardson. Toronto cut the lead to one point on Siakam's dunk with 5:38 remaining in the first half. Horford's 3-pointer with 2:27 remaining completed a 7-0 run that gave Boston an eight-point lead. The Celtics led 54-51 at halftime.

VanVleet scored the first three points of the second half to tie the game. Toronto took a 71-70 lead on VanVleet's 3-pointer with 5:09 to play in the third quarter. The game was tied again when Horford made a seven-footer with 3:02 remaining. 

The Celtics scored the next five points, including Smart's 3-pointer. The lead reached six and Boston led 80-76 after three quarters. The score was tied six times in the quarter.

The Raptors were without OG Anunoby (hip pointer), Khem Birch (knee) and Gary Trent Jr.

The Celtics were without Robert Williams (illness) and Dennis Schroder (ankle).

-reuters

NBA: Celtics use huge second-half run to topple Jokic, Nuggets

Jayson Tatum had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points and eight rebounds and the visiting Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 105-87 on Sunday.

Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker scored 14 each and Robert Williams III scored 10 points for the Celtics, who went on a 31-3 run in the third and fourth quarters.

Nikola Jokic had 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, Michael Porter Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Facundo Campazzo scored 14 and Will Barton had 13 for Denver. The Nuggets had their eight-game winning streak snapped.

Denver led 79-65 with 2:17 left in the third quarter but the Celtics took control from that point.

Walker scored seven points, Brown had six to get Boston within a point early in the fourth quarter, and Langford hit two free throws to give the Celtics an 80-79 lead, their first of the game.

The Nuggets missed 10 straight shots and had five turnovers following Campazzo's 3-pointer that put them ahead by 14. The run ended with Monte Morris' jumper with 10-footer with 7:08 remaining.

Tatum then hit a jumper and a long 3-pointer to give Boston a 90-82 lead with 6:20 left.

Jokic got a rebound to get his 14th triple-double of the season and 55th of his career but he turned it over, leading to a dunk by Williams. The Celtics made two more field goals after misses by Jokic to push the lead to 96-82 with 4:41 left.

Porter's three-point play broke another Denver drought and was just the second Nuggets field goal since late in the third quarter.

The Nuggets scored just eight points over the final 14:17 of the game and missed 22 of their final 25 shots.

Denver led by 14 late in the first quarter and by 11 in the final minute of the second after two free throws by Porter. Smart hit a 3-pointer and Tatum a layup with less than a second left in the period to cut the Nuggets' lead to 51-45 at halftime.

-reuters

NBA: Jayson Tatum's career-high 53 carries Celtics to OT thriller

Jayson Tatum scored 35 of his career-high 53 points in the second half as the Boston Celtics erased a 17-point deficit to outlast the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 145-136 in overtime Friday night.

Tatum shot 16-of-25 from the field, had six 3-pointers and added 10 rebounds as the Celtics won for the fourth time in five games. Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and Marcus Smart 24 points and eight assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to lead the league-worst Timberwolves, who rallied from down 11 with 2:51 left in regulation to force overtime. 

D'Angelo Russell scored 26 with eight assists and Anthony Edwards had 24 points.

Boston led 122-111 before 3-pointers from Towns and Russell helped Minnesota get within three. 

The visitors knotted the score at 124 on another Russell trey that banked in with 9.7 seconds remaining, and Tatum missed a chance at a game-winner at the buzzer.

Brown and Kemba Walker drained back-to-back threes to put the Celtics up 132-127 in the extra period. 

Walker hit again from deep, and three free throws from Tatum had Boston ahead 138-132. Minnesota got no closer than five the rest of the way.

The Timberwolves began the third quarter on a 13-5 run for their largest lead of the game at 79-62. 

Trailing 87-74, the Celtics got within two following a 16-5 stretch, during which Tatum scored 13 straight points. The Celtics entered the fourth down 97-92.

Boston grabbed its first lead since 7:35 of the first when Walker hit a pair of free throws for a 101-100 margin with 8:21 to go. 

Payton Pritchard and Tatum followed with threes, and the Celtics stretched their advantage to seven.

The Timberwolves led 66-57 after a disastrous first half for the Celtics. Boston turned the ball over 12 times, and Minnesota took advantage, shooting 26-of-47 (55.3 percent) from the field.

The Timberwolves were up 26-22 with 2:09 remaining in the first before ending the quarter on a 13-3 run. 

The Celtics didn't get back within single digits until Tatum hit a 3-pointer with 7:58 left in the half to trim the margin to 49-40.

-reuters

NBA: Celtics hand Rockets 16th straight loss in blowout

Jaylen Brown scored 24 points, Jayson Tatum added 23 and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 134-107 victory over the host Houston Rockets on Sunday at Toyota Center.

The Celtics, who have won five of six games, overcame an early eight-point deficit courtesy of Tatum and Brown passing the baton offensively. 

Boston also helped matters by displaying superior ball security, coming alive after five early turnovers helped Houston to its 28-20 lead.

Tatum scored 12 points in the first quarter and ignited an 18-6 Boston run that closed the frame. The Celtics shot 61.9 percent in the period, including 5 of 8 on 3-pointers, to erase the deficit. Brown took control in the second with 16 points, including a 3 with 6:26 left that built the lead to 54-36.

The Rockets, meanwhile, opened the period missing 10 of 11 shots. The Celtics' lead ballooned to 66-53 by the intermission with Brown scoring 21 points before the break while the Boston bench contributed 25 points. The Celtics managed a 34-18 advantage on the glass and held the Rockets, who extended their losing skid to 16 games, to 7-of-25 3-point shooting in the first half.

Victor Oladipo had 26 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Rockets while Kenyon Martin Jr. added 21 points and four rebounds off the Houston bench. Kevin Porter Jr. cooled considerably after a hot start and finished with 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting plus seven assists.

With a loss on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks, the Rockets would match the franchise record of 17 consecutive losses set during their inaugural season in San Diego in 1967-68.

The Celtics' dominance extended beyond Brown and Tatum. Kemba Walker scored 11 points over the first two minutes of the third quarter to help Boston extend its lead to 79-57. Tristan Thompson grabbed 13 rebounds. Robert Williams totaled 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks off the bench as the Celtics' reserves scored 63 points.

-reuters

Celtics eye Walker for $141M

MANILA, Philippines — The Boston Celtics are expected to make All-Star guard Kemba Walker a four-year, $141 million contract offer when free agency opens Sunday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

Walker, who spent his first eight seasons in the league with the Charlotte Hornets, is expected to accept the offer, Wojnarowski reported, citing league sources.

Just two weeks ago, Walker said he would take less than the five-year, $221 million “supermax” contract only the Hornets could offer him to stay in Charlotte.

Wojnarowski reported Thursday, however, that Hornets owner Michael Jordan no longer is “determined to extend far enough financially to re-sign his franchise player.”

In Boston, Walker would replace Kyrie Irving, who is expected to sign elsewhere. The 29-year-old Connecticut product averaged 25.6 points and 5.9 assists while starting all 82 games for the Hornets last season.

• The Los Angeles Lakers reworked their trade for Anthony Davis to clear enough cap space to sign a free agent to a max deal, according to multiple reports.

The Lakers expanded their pending deal with the New Orleans Pelicans by adding the Washington Wizards, who will receive center Mo Wagner, guard Isaac Bonga and forward Jemerrio Jones, as well as a future second-round pick, from Los Angeles, according to ESPN. The Wizards will send the Pelicans $1.1 million, the Washington Post reported.

Davis also agreed to waive his $4 million trade bonus, giving the team $32 million for the free agency period, which begins Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. Contracts cannot be signed until July 6.

• LeBron James is set to give his No. 23 to Davis, according to Yahoo Sports.

The NBA has been told of the planned change, according to the report.

Davis wore No. 23 during his seven years in New Orleans, and James wore it during his 11 seasons in Cleveland and last year with the Lakers. James chose No. 6 when he joined the Miami Heat in 2010 and played there four seasons. What number James will pick with the Lakers is up in the air.

• The New York Knicks still have hopes of signing Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard but are preparing for the possibility they don’t land the one they seemingly covet the most: Durant.

The New York Times’ Marc Stein reported the Knicks could offer a one-year contract to Durant’s Golden State Warriors teammate, 6-foot-11 center DeMarcus Cousins, if they can’t lure Durant to Madison Square Garden.

Cousins, who will turn 29 before the season starts, was a four-time All-Star with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans. He suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon playing for the Pelicans against the Houston Rockets on Jan. 26, 2018, and returned to the NBA a year later.

• The Celtics will hire former WNBA and Olympic champion Kara Lawson as an assistant coach, ESPN reported.

Lawson, 38, has been a TV analyst for ESPN and the Washington Wizards.

source: philstar.com

76ers' Embiid fined for attack on referees

NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association slapped Joel Embiid with a $25,000 fine on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) after the Philadelphia 76er player openly criticized the referees following a loss to the Boston Celtics.

Embiid was wrapping up a post-game news conference with reporters after a 112-109 defeat on Tuesday night when he leaned into the microphone, yelled a profanity and said the referees "suck."

The league responded by fining Embiid for "public criticism of the officiating which included use of inappropriate language".


Embiid's outburst was apparently the result of not getting a foul call in his favor in the final minute of the Celtics' game.

He finished the game with 23 points and 14 rebounds after shooting just nine-of-22 from the field.

Embiid's discipline is just the latest in a series of recent fines for criticism of NBA referees.

Detroit's Blake Griffin and Cleveland's JR Smith were both fined $15,000 each last month for "verbal abuse of officials" while Rudy Gobert of Utah was fined $15,000 in December for criticizing the referees.

source: philstar.com

Harden torches Celtics with 45 points in Houston win

HOUSTON — James Harden thinks he should be in the MVP discussion again this season and showed why on Thursday night (Friday Manila time).

Harden had 45 points and six assists, Clint Capela added 24 points and 18 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets beat the Boston Celtics, 127-113, for their eighth win in nine games.

"Of course, I should be in that conversation," Harden, the reigning MVP, said. "I received a lot of hate, but it won't stop me from going out there and killing it every single night and being the dog that I am. You can name a few other people that can be in that conversation, but realistically, it's coming back."


Harden, who was playing on a bruised left calf, had 17 points in the first quarter and finished 11 of 26 from the field, including 9 of 18 on 3-pointers.

"You take those shots, you're confident in those shots and those shots will go in," Harden said. "Sometimes they might not go in, but mostly, they'll go in. I just have to keep going, keep working."

Eric Gordon scored 20 points for Houston, which shot 48 percent while improving to a season-high four games above .500. Houston finished 18 of 45 on 3-pointers.

"He has a mastery of the game and a control and an ease of which he plays," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said of Harden. "It's fun to watch."

Harden has scored at least 30 points in eight straight games, the longest such streak since Russell Westbrook had eight straight 30-point games in November 2016. Harden has scored at least 35 points in six straight games, the longest streak since Carmelo Anthony had six straight in April 2013.

"I think what James is doing is really special because he's really carrying us right now," Gerald Green said. "Not only is he scoring, he's leading us."

Kyrie Irving had 23 points and 11 assists, Marcus Morris added 19 points before being ejected midway through the fourth quarter, and Jaylen Brown had 18 points off the bench for Boston, which shot 47 percent but was outrebounded 54-38.

"The first 18 minutes and then the last 24 minutes, the glass killed us," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "I thought the restricted area generally on both sides of the floor, our finishing and our lack of rebounding were separators."

The Rockets used a 14-4 run to end the third and start the fourth to open up a 103-90 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers by Green with 9 minutes remaining. Boston got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

"We just weren't covering up for one another consistently enough," Irving said. "That's really what it comes down to."

Houston opened up a 41-24 advantage a minute into the second on 3-pointer by Danuel House Jr. Trailing 50-33, Boston used a 22-7 run to end the half, aided by three technical fouls against the Rockets in barely a minute, to cut the lead to 57-55 on Marcus Smart's 3-pointer. Irving had seven in the run.

Tip-ins

Celtics: Aron Baynes (broken finger) missed his fourth straight game. ... Robert Williams missed the game with a sore left leg. .. Al Horford had 15 points, and Smart scored 11.

Rockets: James Ennis missed his eighth straight game with a strained right hamstring, but D'Antoni said he was "close" to returning. ... Green and Austin Rivers each scored 10 points.

Technical fouls

Within a 61-second span of the second quarter, Chris Paul, who is out with a left hamstring strain but was sitting on Houston's bench, D'Antoni and Capela were all called for technical fouls. Capela's, which was the last with 2:28 remaining, was called for hanging on the rim following a dunk.

Morris was called for a technical foul with 9 minutes left in the third after taking the ball to the other end of the court after being called for a foul. Morris was called for his second technical foul with 4:38 left in the fourth after arguing an offensive foul. Smart was called for a technical foul with 24 seconds remaining.

source: philstar.com

Big Five? Talent-rich Celtics embracing lofty expectations

CANTON, Mass. — Last summer, new Boston Celtics arrivals Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward beamed just imagining what it would be like to share the court together.

Those dreams lasted all of five minutes before Hayward was lost for the season to a gruesome leg injury on the opening night of the season.

The Celtics somehow survived it and had set themselves up to make a run at the Eastern Conference title when Irving was lost for the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs following a pair of knee surgeries.

But four months after a season with so much potential was tossed into the "what might have been" basket and following an offseason conference shake-up that saw LeBron James head west to Los Angeles, Boston again finds itself in the spotlight heading into training camp.

Irving and Hayward are back and healthy. And they are flanked by a loaded roster of veterans and talented young players who are hungry for another shot at the franchise's 18th championship.

Irving said last season taught him not to take anything for granted.

"I missed it so much and for it to be taken away the way it did, with the timing and everything, it just wasn't ideal," Irving said. "It was hurtful, honestly, because it was an uncontrollable thing. To go through it was a learning experience, but it only helped my evolution as a person."

Hayward, who is playing without restrictions following a more than 10-month rehab process, played 5-on-5 earlier this month for the first time since his injury.

He said going through the preseason will help him feel 100 percent healthy.

"When you don't play basketball for a year, those things happen. I have to find my rhythm, find my groove a little bit," Hayward said.

Though he feels like a newcomer to this team in some ways, he said he doesn't feel any pressure.

"I don't think I necessarily have anything to prove," he said. "But internally I want to be the best version of myself."

If there was one positive thing that resulted from the absence of Irving and Hayward late last season, it was the emergence of second-year Jaylen Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum.

Thrust into starting roles late in the season, both emerged as members of the NBA's next generation of All-Star-caliber players.

Brown proved the athleticism and defensive ability he showed in his first season were no fluke. And at age 19, Tatum played fearlessly in the postseason, averaging 18.5 points per game.

What was once thought to be Boston's new Big Three of Irving, Hayward and Al Horford has quickly been recast as a Big Five.

It's left coach Brad Stevens with the enviable but delicate challenge of getting the projecting starting five of Irving, Hayward, Horford, Brown and Tatum to jell while also integrating a talented bench that includes Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes and Daniel Theis.

Rozier made the most of starter minutes when Irving was sidelined, and Smart and Morris were defensive cogs on a team that pushed the Cavaliers to seven games in the conference finals.

"We have a long way to go. That being said, we clearly have a lot of good players," Stevens said.

Morris said the first task for this group will be leaving their egos in the locker room.

"A blind person can see that we have a lot of talent," Morris said. "So obviously we all know that there is some type of sacrifice that we have to take for the betterment of this team."

Figuring out how to use the talent they have will be the fun part, Tatum said.

"Everybody's gonna have a different role, just with the loaded roster that we have," he said. "Whatever it takes to win. That's what we care about. Winning takes care of everything."

source: philstar.com

Celtics’ Heyward: Rehab was ‘most difficult thing I’ve done’

BOSTON — The Celtics were in sunny Los Angeles, it was another sub-zero winter day back in Boston, and Gordon Hayward was stuck in rehab, shooting baskets from a chair and picking up marbles with his toes to work his surgically repaired ankle back into shape.

“The hardest part of the whole process has been the mental challenge,” Hayward said Thursday (Friday in Manila), reporting that he is 100 percent healthy and preparing to be on the court for the Oct. 16 opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. “I think you find the fight within yourself.”

The Celtics’ top free-agent acquisition of the 2017 summer, Hayward was injured in the first quarter of the first game of the season when he landed awkwardly on his left leg, breaking his tibia and dislocating his ankle. He may have been able to return before the end of the season, but then he needed more surgery in May.

Other players did their best to keep up his spirits: One time, Aron Baynes brought back some Krispy Kreme doughnuts from a road trip and drove them over to Hayward’s house.

“There’s so many days where I wake up and it’s like, ’Man, here we go again,’” he said. “It was the most difficult thing I’ve done.”

Speaking at the new practice facility named for Red Auerbach, Hayward said he celebrated each bit of progress — the walking boot coming off, or shooting baskets standing up, instead of sitting in a chair. Within the past two weeks, he has been able to play five-on-five basketball.

“With each step I get some joy,” said Hayward, who then slipped into his Celtics uniform and took part in a photoshoot.

Now, he said, he is ready to get back in the green for real.

“I expect to be out there,” he said. “I would say I’m basically 100 percent. There are certain things that I think are going to take time. Even if I was 100 percent healthy, I’m not 100 percent basketball-wise, just because I haven’t played in a year. I’m trying to figure those things out.”

Despite losing both Hayward and, later, point guard Kyrie Irving, the Celtics earned the No. 2 seed in the East last season and took Cleveland to seven games in the conference finals.

“Watching the guys last year just gave me a lot of confidence in our team and what I think we have the ability to do,” he said. “I’ve been playing with some of them these last two weeks, and we have a lot of talent on this team. ... It’s going to be a fun year.”

source: philstar.com

Celtics re-sign Smart to 4-year, $52 million deal

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics re-signed guard Marcus Smart on Thursday (Friday in Manila), bringing him back for four more years after he found the market for a restricted free agent defensive specialist wasn’t as lucrative as he’d hoped.

A person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press that Smart will be paid $52 million (P2.7B) over the next four years. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team did not disclose the terms of the contract.

The Celtics scheduled an availability with Smart after announcing the deal, then canceled it an hour later, saying he had flu-like symptoms and was being treated at a hospital with IV fluids.

Smart averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game this season. He returned from thumb surgery late in the first round of the playoffs and provided the defensive presence that was instrumental in the Celtics taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals.

LeBron James called Smart’s creativity on the court “uncanny” during their matchup and coach Brad Stevens said Smart was “as tough as tough as they come,” making hustle plays on offense being disruptive on defense.

He also has been a locker-room favorite among his teammates for the past four seasons, bringing a needed edge and in-your-face style on the court.

Those intangibles aside, Smart entered the summer in limbo with Boston remaining mostly quiet as free agency began. The Celtics quickly agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal with veteran big man Aron Baynes. The slow movement on Smart left open the possibility they might let him test the market and then decide whether to match any offers.

General manager Danny Ainge said immediately after the season that fears of a luxury tax bill wouldn’t factor into the team’s decision of whether to bring back players. But as the roster currently stands, Boston will be on the hook to be taxed next season.

Finances will continue to be an issue with Gordon Hayward signed to a four-year, $128 million deal, Kyrie Irving set to become a free agent after next season and several salary-friendly rookie contracts set to expire over the next few seasons.
Still, for now, the core of the team that won 55 games and was the surprise of the East even with Hayward sidelined last season is intact to try to make another run.

source: philstar.com

LeBron, back in Boston, for another Cavs farewell

BOSTON- LeBron James and the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers won’t get any sympathy from the Celtics when they return to Boston for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Already laboring to reach his eighth straight NBA Finals with a supporting crew made mostly of cast-offs and throw-ins, James lost the only other All-Star on the roster on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) when Kevin Love was declared out for the series finale with a concussion.

Now, in what could be his final game in a Cleveland uniform — again — James will have to do it largely on his own.

In Boston, where the Celtics are perfect so far this postseason.

And in a series where the road team hasn’t really even come close.

“There’s something different about LeBron, period,” Cleveland forward Larry Nance Jr. said after James scored 46 with 11 rebounds and nine assists on Friday night (Saturday in Manila) to send the series to a decisive seventh game. “I think (coach Tyronn Lue) said it best: ‘We’re going into a Game 7 with the baddest dude on the planet on our team.’ I like our chances.”

James is having what could be the best postseason of his career, averaging 33.9 points and just under nine assists and rebounds, with seven 40-point games, two buzzer beaters, and a sweep of top-seeded Toronto. But he’s played in every game this season — Sunday (Monday in Manila) will be his 100th — and it showed in the Game 5 loss to the Celtics.

He admitted to fatigue afterward and then played all but two minutes in Game 6 despite a sore knee from a collision with Nance.

Still, the four-time MVP carried his team even after Love banged heads with Boston’s Jayson Tatum in the first half and left the game.


“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “Every time we watch. Every time you’re standing out there. Every time you watch him on film. Best player in the game.”

James will probably have to do it again in Game 7 to reach the NBA Finals for the eighth straight year, something accomplished only by Bill Russell and some of his Celtics teammates in the 1960s.

Lue said he wasn’t concerned about James’ leg. Or about the team’s history in the TD Garden, where the Cavaliers lost the first three games by an average of 17 points.

“We throw it all out,” Lue said on Saturday. “It’s one game left to go to the NBA Finals.”

The Celtics have had their own injury problems, starting in the first quarter of the season opener — at Cleveland — when top free agent Gordon Hayward went out for the year with a broken leg. Five-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, acquired from the Cavaliers in an offseason roster overhaul, needed knee surgery and was lost in March.

But they caught a break when Tatum was cleared to play on Saturday. Stevens said the team doctors checked on him “and he’s great.”

“So nothing there as far as to be concerned about,” Stevens said.

Well, there’s one thing to be concerned about.

“We know LeBron is different than a lot of other guys, but we’ve got to get the job done,” Celtics guard Terry Rozier said. “That’s no excuse, so we’re looking forward to it.”

For James, it’s an opportunity to extend the season for his hometown team and put off another summer of questions about his future. Eight years ago, he came to Boston for the conference semifinals and had a triple-double — 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists — but shot 8 for 21 with nine turnovers and the Celtics eliminated the Cavs from the playoffs.

As he left the court, James stripped off his Cleveland jersey; then came “The Decision” and the move to Miami.

James is again able to become a free agent this season, with the Lakers, 76ers and Rockets among the most-mentioned destinations. Having led Cleveland to the city’s first major sports title in half a century in 2016, there is less pulling at him to stay home this time.

But another title would ease the pain even more. And with the injury bug hitting the Western Conference finalists — Chris Paul was the latest ruled out for a game — the East champion might not be as big an underdog as expected.

James will be ready.

“You’ve got to be poised. You’ve got to be able to handle a punch or two,” he said. “We know it’s challenging. They’re 10-0 on their home floor, and they’ve been very successful against us, obviously, at home. But if you love challenges, then this is a great opportunity.”

source: philstar.com

LeBron dumps 44 points as Cavs level series with Celtics

CLEVELAND- LeBron James scored 44 points, surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop a postseason list and helped the Cleveland Cavaliers even the Eastern Conference finals at 2-2 on Monday night (Tuesday Manila time) with a 111-102 victory over the Boston Celtics who are looking forward to getting home.

Pushed by a raucous crowd that wasn't so confident a few days ago, the Cavs held off Boston's comeback in the fourth quarter and squared a series that is now a best-of-three.

Cleveland is trying to become the 20th team — out of 300 — to overcome a 2-0 deficit and James, who has already orchestrated two such rallies, is a step closer to a third.

But to do it again the Cavs will have to win in Boston, where the Celtics are 9-0 this postseason.

Game Five is Wednesday night at TD Center (Thursday Manila time).

Kyle Korver added 14 points with several hustle plays, and Tristan Thompson had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland.

Jaylen Brown scored 25 and Boston had all five scorers in double figures, but the Celtics fell behind by 19 in the first half and didn't have enough to catch Cleveland.

And, of course, they didn't have James, who moved past Jabbar (2,356) for the most field goals in playoff history. James also recorded his 25th career postseason game with at least 40 points — his sixth in this postseason.

The Celtics hung around in the second half and pulled within 100-93 on Marcus Smart's basket with 4:29 left. But Thompson got free for a dunk, and after a miss by Boston, James recovered after making his seventh turnover by making a steal and layup.

Moments later, James drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to finally put away the young Celtics, who will now feel the immense pressure of trying to hold off the three-time champion.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens considered changing his starting lineup, but decided to stick with the same first five — Brown, Jayson  Tautum, Marcus Morris, Al Horford and Terry Rozier — as the first three games.

Boston's starters held their own, but none of them was able to match James when it mattered most.

The Celtics couldn't afford another slow start and that's exactly what happened.

Boston got some open looks in the first quarter, but the Celtics shot just 27 percent (7 of 26) and both Tatum and Brown missed dunks. Also, Morris picked up three fouls and his teammates all seemed tentative as the Cavs pushed their lead to 15 at halftime.

Blowout city

Like most fans, Lue has been stunned — but not necessarily disappointed — by the number of lopsided wins in the playoffs, especially in the semifinals.

The first six games between Boston-Cleveland and Houston-Golden State were decided by an average of 24 points. The Warriors won Game Three on Sunday night (Monday Manila time) by 41, the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

"It does surprise me," he said. "All four teams are really good. But the home court has shown it's been a factor."

source: philstar.com

Dwyane Wade fined $25,000 for throat-slash gesture

Chicago guard Dwyane Wade apologized Friday for making a throat-slashing gesture after hitting a game-clinching basket, but that didn’t prevent the NBA from fining him $25,000.

Wade made the gesture with his right hand after sinking a three-pointer with 26.3 seconds remaining in the Bulls’ season-opening win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

“I wanna apologize to my young fans on my gesture at the end of last nights game,” Wade wrote on Twitter. “I was caught up in the emotions of my first game at home.”

Wade scored 22 points with six rebounds and five assists in his debut with the Bulls, who beat the Celtics 105-99.

“To be able to make a shot like that and help us get this win, it’s like the perfect storm,” Wade said after the game.

“When I released it, I’m not going to say I knew it was going in, because anything could happen, but I felt very good about the shot, and there was just a lot of emotion running through me. I had an out-of-body experience after that.”

Despite his contrition the episode was a costly one, with NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe announcing that Wade “has been fined $25,000 for making an inappropriate gesture”.

That matched the $25,000 that Kevin Durant was docked in April 2013 for a throat-slash gesture when he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Wade, 34, inked a two-year deal worth some $47 million with the Bulls in an off-season move that stunned the Miami Heat, who thought they would hang onto their free agent star.

The move brings him back to his hometown of Chicago, and he has spoken about wanting to combat violence in the city.

Wade played 13 seasons in Miami, scoring more than 20,000 points and earning 12 all-star team selections.

source: interaksyon.com

Paul George, Roy Hibbert lead Pacers to rout of Celtics

INDIANAPOLIS – Paul George scored 24 points and Roy Hibbert added 15 points and 12 rebounds Sunday to power the Indiana Pacers to a 106-79 NBA rout of the Boston Celtics.

Indiana’s Lance Stephenson achieved his third triple double of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

No other NBA player has more than one game with double digits in three statistical categories this season.

The Pacers, with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 22-5, also has 12 points off the bench from Danny Granger, who made his season debut Friday against Houston due to patellar tendinosis that limited him to only five games last season.

The Celtics, who fell to 12-17, lost their third game in a row despite 13 points from Avery Bradley and 11 each from Jeff Green and Courtney Lee.

The Pacers broke open a deadlocked game with a 19-3 run midway into the second quarter for a 42-26 edge. Granger hit two 3-pointers in the spurt and the Celtics never came so close again.

source: interaksyon.com

Celtics beat Heat on Jeff Green’s buzzer-beating fadeaway three-pointer

MIAMI — It didn’t have all the same players involved, but the Heat-Celtics rivalry proved it can still make for quite a game.

Forward Jeff Green hit a buzzer-beating, fall-away 3-pointer over LeBron James as the Boston Celtics stunned the Miami Heat 111-110 on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena.

“I was in the first row because I faded back so far,” Green said. “I ended up on some lady’s lap, but I saw it when it went through.”

While James said before the game that the matchup was no longer a rivalry without former Celtics coach Doc Rivers and forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, Boston won its third in a row after starting the season 0-4.

Green, who scored 43 points in a loss to Miami last season, seems to have a knack for stepping up to the challenge when facing the Heat.

“They are the best team. They won back-to-back championships,” Green said. “You got to get up playing these guys.”

Green led the Celtics with 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field.

James hit two free throws with three seconds left to turn the Heat’s two-point lead into a two-possession game that appeared to ice the game against the young, scrappy Celtics.

But forward Gerald Wallace scored on a layup to cut the lead to 110-108 with 1.6 seconds left. Wallace fouled Dwyane Wade, who missed one free throw and then intentionally missed the second.

“Just 0.6 left, I was trying to hit the rim, but it didn’t go as planned,” Wade said.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “That clearly did not work.”

Rookie Celtics coach Brad Stevens benefited from an NBA rule that would not have worked in his favor last season at Butler — the opportunity to advance the ball to midcourt on a late timeout.

“In college basketball, that game would be over because you have to go the length of the court in .6 seconds; that is almost impossible,” he said. “In this, you have a chance to catch it facing the basket and shoot with .4 seconds or more.”

Wallace made the cross-court inbounds pass and rookie center Kelly Olynyk set the pick that freed Green.

Guards Avery Bradley and Jordan Crawford scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, and forward Jared Sullinger pitched in 12 for Boston.

James played through a sore back and finished two rebounds short of a triple-double with 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. James scored 11 in the fourth quarter as the Heat constantly went to him late.

Forward/center Chris Bosh scored 20 points and Wade had 18.

Green ranked his buzzer-beater as the No. 2 moment in his career, with No. 1 being the driving layup he made as time expired against the Cleveland Cavaliers last March because his heart surgeon was able to witness it.

Miami was outrebounded 39-31 and beaten off the dribble and surrendered driving lanes to the basket and open shots.

“This game has always had … an energy and a karma about it, and we did too many things where we did not deserve to win that game,” Spoelstra said.

Forward Michael Beasley found ways to score against Celtics forward Kris Humphries early. The Heat forward had the Miami crowd frenzied in the second quarter when he scored all 10 of his points in just his second game since his return this season to the organization that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2008.

Beasley was one of three Heat players — along with James and Bosh — to score in double figures in the first half. He did not play in the second half.

“In the second half, I really just didn’t feel that we had to force a 10-man rotation,” Spoelstra said.

Like Beasley, point guard Mario Chalmers and center Chris Andersen each added 10 points.

Crawford scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the Celtics up 60-59 at halftime.

NOTES: Despite being bedridden all day with soreness in his lower back, James started in his normal role. “I got out (of) bed twice today,” James said. … The Celtics came to Miami to play on the second night of a back-to-back after winning 91-89 in Orlando on Friday. … Miami PG Mario Chalmers was fined $15,000 by the NBA for his hit on Blake Griffin in Thursday’s 102-97 win against the Clippers … Olynyk got his first career start after Brazilian C Vitor Faverani started the Celtics’ first six games.

source: interaksyon.com