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Celtics Notes: Game 6, White, Defense, Brogdon

May 29th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Ahead of Monday night’s Game 7 to determine the Eastern Conference champion, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe takes a look back at the remarkable final three seconds of Saturday’s game that saved the Celtics‘ season.

The sequence began when Al Horford was whistled for a two-shot foul on Jimmy Butler with 2.1 seconds remaining, but both of those things were eventually changed after a challenge by Boston coach Joe Mazzulla. A review of the play showed that Butler had both feet behind the line and had started his shot when the contact occurred, which resulted in three free throws instead of two.

Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s head of referee development, told Washburn that the replay center would have checked to see if three shots should be awarded whether Mazzulla had appealed the play or not. He also explained the decision to reset the clock to 3.0 seconds, which left enough time for Derrick White‘s game-winning tip-in.

“When you challenge a foul, we go to the first illegal act,” McCutchen said. “Mind you it’s not the camera angle that’s floating around on Twitter. We have nine different camera angles. We (show) the camera angle and the official says, ‘Right there. That’s where I had the foul.’ And we go from there.”

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The fact that White was on the court for the critical play was significant, according to Brian Robb of MassLive, who argues that Mazzulla went away from him too often at crunch time during the season. With Malcolm Brogdon unavailable due to a right forearm strain, Mazzulla opted to give White 42 minutes Saturday night rather than extending his rotation. White delivered 11 points, four rebounds and six assists, along with some stellar defense against Butler.
The Celtics turned around the series by making adjustments after falling behind 3-0, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. It took several games for Boston to figure out an effective double-team strategy on Butler, but Weiss believes the approach in Game 6 was ideal. Jayson Tatum was able to read Butler’s moves and provide help at the last second without leaving a clear lane to an open shooter, Weiss observes, adding that White has figured out when to go over or under on screens with Butler to help slow him down.
Brogdon is listed as questionable for Game 7, but a source told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he plans to play (Twitter link). He was able to take part in the Celtics’ shootaround Monday morning, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Celtics Notes: White, Brogdon, Officiating Report, Mid-Range Shots

May 28th, 2023 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Derrick White saved the Celtics’ season with a game-winning putback just before the buzzer in Miami on Saturday night, but he also made a number of underrated contributions earlier in the game, Baxter Holmes of ESPN notes.

White’s teammates shot 6-of-8 off his passes for 12 points and he held the Heat to 1-of-12 shooting when he contested a shot. That includes an 0-for-6 performance by Jimmy Butler when White was his primary defender in Game 6.

White has two years left on his four-year, $70MM contract.

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Guard Malcolm Brogdon is listed as questionable for Game 7, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Brogdon suffered a right forearm strain that limited him in Game 5 and forced him to miss Game 6.
The NBA officiating report stated the timing on allowing three seconds to remain after Butler was fouled by Al Horford was correct, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. The officials added 0.9 seconds to the clock after a review. The report says the only incorrect calls in the last two minutes were a missed foul by Gabe Vincent against Jayson Tatum and a lane violation on Miami’s Caleb Martin.
Mid-range shots played a key role in Game 6 as the Celtics made only 7-of-35 three-pointers and forced just five turnovers, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe observes. Based on the NBA.com shot chart, the Celtics connected on 12-of-19 shots inside the 3-point line and outside the restricted area, while the Heat were just 6-for-28 in that area.

Celtics Notes: White, Smart, Game 6, Horford

May 28th, 2023 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Derrick White didn’t need to wait for a review to know that his game-winning tip Saturday night left his hand before the buzzer, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. White became the latest hero in the Celtics‘ long playoff history, putting back Marcus Smart‘s miss a split second before time expired to extend this year’s wildest series to a seventh game.

After inbounding the ball with three seconds left, White crashed the boards in case of a missed shot. The Heat denied passes to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, leaving Smart to fire up a three-pointer that rattled in and out, setting the stage for White’s putback.

“That’s the only place it could have bounced to hurt us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I thought we had a lot of things covered on that play, and sometimes things just don’t break your way.”

The play saved the Celtics from what was shaping up to be an epic collapse with their season on the line. They led by nine points with three minutes to play before their offense stalled, allowing Miami to take the lead on three late free throws by Jimmy Butler.

White’s tip denied the Heat a spot in the NBA Finals, at least for now, and it kept alive the Celtics’ chances to become the first team in league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit.

“The group that we have is unique, the group that we have is special,” Brown said, “and sometimes you need a little bit of luck to bring it home.”

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Smart was determined to get his shot off quickly after his potential game-winning three in Game 4 against Philadelphia was disallowed because it came after the buzzer, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Smart told reporters that he rushed to release the shot last night to make sure that didn’t happen again.
A challenge used by coach Joe Mazzulla when Butler got fouled set the stage for White’s heroics. The clock was at 2.1 seconds when the whistle blew, but it was reset to 3.0 after a review of the play. The decision to change the time was made by the NBA’s review center, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
A trip to Topgolf may have turned around the Celtics’ fortunes in the series, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. After a lifeless performance in the Game 3 loss, Al Horford decided that the players needed a fun activity to reconnect with each other, so he suggested to Mazzulla that they all skip a planned film session and go golfing instead. “That moment, that small instance, that small moment really signifies everything that we’re seeing right now,” Brown said after Saturday’s win. “In that moment, we could have chose to be like, throw in the towel, and I think like that’s what everybody was expecting or seeing or feeling, that that was coming. But no, that’s not how we wanted to go out.”

And-Ones: Nurse, Carmelo, Luxury Tax, First-Round Picks

May 27th, 2023 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is considering his options after reportedly taking his name out of the Bucks’ coaching search, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Nurse had interviews this week with the Sixers and Suns, and sources tell Pompey that he’s reviewing the jobs to determine which would be the best fit. A source refused to confirm to Pompey that Philadelphia has made a formal offer.

Pompey points out that Nurse has a long-time working relationship with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, whom he worked with in Houston as head coach of the Rockets’ G League affiliate. Nurse built a reputation for developing talent during that time, winning two G League titles and sending 23 players to the NBA, Pompey adds.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Before announcing his retirement this week, Carmelo Anthony received interest from a “high-level” European team, Marc Stein writes in a Substack column. However, Anthony decided he didn’t want to play in another league after spending 19 years in the NBA.
Nine teams finished the season in tax territory, Eric Pincus notes in his updated luxury tax tracker on Sports Business Classroom. The Clippers had the highest team salary at $191,189,228 and will be assessed a $140,302,811 tax bill, per Pincus’ projections. The largest tax payment is $163,153,075 for the Warriors, who had $188,371,492 in salary. The Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Nuggets, Lakers, Bucks and Suns are the other taxpaying teams. The other 21 franchises will receive about $15MM each through the tax, Pincus tweets.
NBA fans are anticipating an active summer trade market, but it could be limited by teams that have reduced their options due to past moves, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger notes that nine teams already owe unprotected future first-round picks, and others have lightly protected first-rounders on the move. Some executives at the draft combine suggested to Hollinger that front offices may become less likely to give up multiple first-rounders in the future, even when star players become available. Hollinger identifies the Hawks, Nets, Mavericks, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves and Suns as teams that could be considered “stuck.”

Gabe Vincent To Play, Malcolm Brogdon Out For Game 6

May 27th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat guard Gabe Vincent, who missed Game 5 due to a sprained left ankle, has been cleared to play on Saturday, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Vincent will be back in the starting lineup, Jackson adds, and Miami has made another change, starting Caleb Martin in place of Kevin Love.

Vincent injured the ankle on an awkward landing after a jump shot late in Game 4. He sat out Thursday’s contest in Boston as the Celtics cruised to a 13-point win.

Vincent took over as the team’s starting point guard in February and has maintained that role throughout the playoffs. He has averaged 13.1 points and 4.1 assists in 15 postseason games while shooting 41.7% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. He poured in a career-high 29 points in Miami’s Game 3 victory.

The Celtics will try to stay alive without guard Malcolm Brogdon, who suffered a right forearm strain in the second half Thursday, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Brogdon tried to go through his normal pre-game routine tonight, but Boston’s medical staff determined that he’s not able to play.

Brogdon, who also has a partially torn tendon in his right elbow, has come off the bench in every Celtics playoff game so far, averaging 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 25.9 minutes per night.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Game 3 Reaction, Brogdon

May 27th, 2023 at 6:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jaylen Brown wore an ice pack on his left wrist during an interview with Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston (video link), but he said he doesn’t want to focus on injuries with the Celtics‘ season on the line.

Brown hasn’t commented on the status of his wrist, but it’s believed that he hurt it on a hard fall during the second-round series against Philadelphia. He has also dealt with a facial fracture and a tweaked knee this season, and the combination of all that damage may be affecting his play in the Eastern Conference Finals.

“At this point in the year, everybody got injuries,” Brown said. “I got injuries all over, compiled. But I’ll never let that be an excuse. You’ll never hear reports about me coming out, saying if anything is bothering me. You come out, you play basketball, you leave it all out there on the floor.”

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Pre-game nerves may be an issue for many players tonight with so much at stake, but it’s a constant condition for Jayson Tatum, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Tatum admits that he’s always edgy heading into tip-off, regardless of the setting or the opponent. “I get nervous before every game,” he said. “Not like scared but a healthy level of anxiousness. First game of the season against Philly to now, I get nerves before every game.”
The Celtics appear to have been galvanized by the reaction to their embarrassing loss in Game 3, according to Tara Sullivan of The Boston Globe. That 26-point defeat on Sunday led several national media members to proclaim that the team quit and resulted in speculation that coach Joe Mazzulla might be dismissed after the series. “That locker room after Game 3 was the lowest you could be, and I think everyone just relaxed, honestly,” Tatum said. After two wins, Celtics players now believe the pressure has shifted to the Heat, who face the specter of being the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead, Sullivan adds.
Malcolm Brogdon, who’s listed as questionable for Game 6 with a right forearm strain, will go through pre-game warm-ups to see if he is able to play, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “He’s gonna warm up, do his shooting time and see how he feels from there,” Mazzulla told reporters.

Celtics/Heat Notes: Game 6, Brogdon, Vincent, Lowry, White

May 27th, 2023 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

Even if the Celtics don’t end up completing their comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals, they can put the Heat in an unprecedented position by winning Game 6 on Saturday, writes Law Murray of The Athletic.

As Murray details, of the 150 NBA teams to fall behind by a 3-0 margin in a best-of-seven playoff series, only three forced a Game 7, and all three of those clubs had to play Game 7 on the road. If the Celtics can win Game 6 tonight in Miami, they’ll head back to Boston for Game 7 and become the first team in league history to attempt to win a series at home after losing the first three games.

The Heat have shown an ability to win playoff games away from home, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic, noting that Jimmy Butler scored 47 points to lead Miami to a victory in Boston in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. Still, Butler and the Heat face significant pressure to finish off the series on Saturday to avoid having to go back on the road to win a Game 7.

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Despite losses in Games 4 and 5, Butler remains optimistic about the Heat’s ability to finish off the Celtics and earn a spot in the NBA Finals, as Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “Because the last two games are not who we are,” Butler said after Thursday’s loss when asked why he’s still so confident. “It just happened to be that way. We stopped playing defense halfway because we didn’t make shots that we want to make. But that’s easily correctable. You just have to come out and play harder from the jump. Like I always say, it’s going to be all smiles, and we are going to keep it very, very, very consistent, knowing that we are going to win next game.”
Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, who left Game 5 in the second half due to what was referred to at the time as right forearm soreness, is listed as questionable to play in Game 6 with a forearm strain. The banged-up veteran is already reportedly playing through a partially torn tendon in his right elbow.
Like Brogdon, Heat point guard Gabe Vincent is considered questionable to play on Saturday, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Vincent missed Game 5 due to a left ankle sprain, forcing Kyle Lowry to reenter the starting lineup for the first time in this postseason. Lowry was effective in the first two rounds but has struggled against the Celtics, averaging just 4.3 points and 4.0 assists per game on 29.2% shooting in the last four games.
Celtics guard Derrick White helped lift Boston to a Game 5 win with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting (including 6-of-8 three-pointers). Jared Weiss of The Athletic takes a look at how White’s career night was rooted in a message from his father, and passes along several quotes from White’s teammates that reflect their appreciation for him.

2023 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 27th, 2023 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

Two of the biggest winners on draft lottery night last week were the Hornets and Pacers. Charlotte moved up two spots from the pre-lottery standings to claim the No. 2 overall pick. The Pacers, meanwhile, stayed put in the lottery, but because San Antonio leapfrogged Houston in the first round, Indiana moved up 18 spots from No. 50 to No. 32 in the second round due to a convoluted set of trade criteria.

The Hornets and Pacers have something else in common: Charlotte and Indiana are the only teams that control more than three picks in the 2023 NBA draft. In fact, the two clubs own five selections apiece, accounting for 10 of the 58 total picks in this year’s event.

Nine additional teams each have three 2023 picks, joining the Hornets and Pacers to control nearly two-thirds of the draft — those 11 teams hold 37 of this year’s 58 picks, leaving the other 19 clubs to divvy up the remaining 21 selections.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, three teams don’t own any 2023 draft picks. The Bulls, Knicks, and Sixers will sit out this year’s event unless they acquire a pick via trade.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2023 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 58 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

Charlotte Hornets (5): 2, 27, 34, 39, 41
Indiana Pacers (5): 7, 26, 29, 32, 55
San Antonio Spurs (3): 1, 33, 44
Portland Trail Blazers (3): 3, 23, 43
Orlando Magic (3): 6, 11, 36
Washington Wizards (3): 8, 42, 57
Utah Jazz (3): 9, 16, 28
Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 12, 37, 50
Brooklyn Nets (3): 21, 22, 51
Sacramento Kings (3): 24, 38, 54
Memphis Grizzlies (3): 25, 45, 56

Teams with two picks:

Houston Rockets: 4, 20
Detroit Pistons: 5, 31
Atlanta Hawks: 15, 46
Los Angeles Lakers: 17, 47
Los Angeles Clippers: 30, 48

Teams with one pick:

Dallas Mavericks: 10
Toronto Raptors: 13
New Orleans Pelicans: 14
Miami Heat: 18
Golden State Warriors: 19
Boston Celtics: 35
Denver Nuggets: 40
Cleveland Cavaliers: 49
Phoenix Suns: 52
Minnesota Timberwolves: 53
Milwaukee Bucks: 58

Teams with no picks:

Chicago Bulls
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers

Poll: Will Celtics Complete Eastern Finals Comeback?

May 26th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

An oft-repeated statistic made the rounds in the NBA world last weekend when the Lakers and Celtics fell behind by a 3-0 margin in their respective conference finals — NBA teams who lost the first three games of a best-of-seven series had a record of 0-149.

The Lakers became the 150th consecutive team to lose a series after dropping the first three games, and it looked heading into Game 4 in Miami on Tuesday like the Celtics would become the 151st, having shown few signs in their first three games against the Heat that they were capable of a history-making comeback.

But a big third quarter and an excellent night from Jayson Tatum, who had a game-high 33 points, fueled a road victory for the Celtics in Game 4. Back in Boston for Game 5 on Thursday, the C’s took a big lead early in the game with a 14-0 first quarter run and never surrendered that lead, forcing a Game 6 in Miami on Saturday.

The Heat still have the upper hand in the series, with a 3-2 lead and a home game on tap, but suddenly the idea of a Celtics comeback doesn’t seem outlandish. Miami’s roster is as banged up as it’s been at any point in the postseason, with Gabe Vincent (ankle) joining Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo on the inactive list for Game 5, leaving the club with little depth in its backcourt.

Heat star Jimmy Butler, who averaged 31.1 PPG on 51.8% shooting in his first 12 playoff contests this spring, has come down to earth a little in his last three games vs. Boston, with those averages dipping to 19.7 PPG and 43.2% shooting (including just 1-of-7 on three-pointers).

According to BetOnline.ag, the Heat are still the betting favorites to make the NBA Finals, but their odds are down to -145 (the Celtics are +125 underdog). And Boston is considered the better bet to win Game 6, having been listed as 2.5-point favorites.

Over the course of NBA history, teams in Boston’s position are 0-for-150, but if ever that streak is going to be broken, it could be in circumstances like these ones. Miami was a play-in team that has exceeded all expectations but is dealing with a handful of injuries and having its depth tested. The Celtics were a dominant regular season team, posting the NBA’s best net rating (+6.7) and second-best record (57-25).

We want to know what you think. Will the Celtics actually complete this improbable comeback or will their efforts hit a wall in Game 6 or 7?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your predictions for the rest of the Eastern Conference Finals!

Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, Nets, Niang, Celtics

May 25th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie was a recent guest on ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas’ podcast Gil’s Arena, and told Arenas that he was very much looking forward to his future in Brooklyn.

“I’m super excited,” Dinwiddie said (hat tip to Nets Daily for the transcript). “I’ve been with the Nets six years out of my nine, roughly. I’ve been there for many different forms of the Nets, from when we were kind of the young upstarts — [D’Angelo Russell] and stuff. Then we had the max guys — [Kevin Durant] and Kyrie [Irving]… but now kind of like a more mature, kind of a ready-to-win core that probably needs a guy but probably within that range.”

Dinwiddie is owed $18.9MM through the 2023/24 season. The vet will hit unrestricted free agency that summer if he doesn’t ink a veteran extension with Brooklyn next season.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Nets generated an $18.1MM traded player exception from their Durant trade with the Suns. ProfessorB of Nets Daily unpacks how Brooklyn could use its TPE going forward, identifying several intriguing players whose salaries would fit into that exception.
Sixers forward Georges Niang wrote his final “diary entry” of the 2022/23 season, as logged by Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, about his impending free agency and the end of Philadelphia’s playoff run. “Obviously, you want to go to a place where you’re appreciated — and I’ve always felt appreciated in Philadelphia,” Niang wrote. “Other than that, I don’t know anything else. The teams that I played on before, where I was appreciated, those teams are totally different now. I’m thankful that the place that I have most recently played appreciates me for who I am and what I stand for and what I can bring to the table. But free agency, stuff happens so quickly. Someone said it best to me: It’s almost like musical chairs. You don’t want to be the one that doesn’t have a chair to sit in.”
Conversations the day before the Celtics’ Game 4 win in their ongoing Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Heat helped galvanize Boston, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “Just coming together, talking it out,” All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown in explaining the content of the team’s pregame chats. “And like a lot of times when you get to this point down 3-0, you see locker rooms and teams start to go in the other direction… We wanted to make sure that we looked each other in the eye and came out today and put our best foot forward, and I’m proud of our group for doing that because you see teams with their back against the wall and you see they just collapse.”