Celtics take 1-0 NBA Finals lead on Mavericks

Per Boston.com:

In just of matter of minutes, Kristaps Porzingis quelled any questions and concerns about how effective he could be in his first game back from a calf injury.

The Celtics’ star big made plays on both ends of the court in the first quarter of Game 1, scoring 11 points to go with two blocks in the opening frame of Thursday’s 107-89 win. He wound up finishing with 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting to go with six rebounds and two blocks in just 21 minutes of action.

Even though Porzingis was quite effective on Thursday, even he had some questions on just how good he could be after missing the last 10 games due to a soleus strain in his calf. Porzingis hesitated Tuesday when asked if he was 100 percent, admitting Thursday that he wasn’t sure how his calf would feel in Game 1.

“I want to say I’m fine, but obviously, I haven’t played,” Porzingis told reporters. I haven’t had the feel of like, ‘Am I 100 percent?’ But tonight was an affirmation that I’m pretty good. Maybe I’m not perfect, but I’m pretty good and I can play like this. I can definitely add to this team.”

Per the Boston Globe:

As he entered the media room after the Mavericks’ Game 1 loss to the Celtics, one of his worst playoff performances in recent years, Kyrie Irving kept things light. He dribbled a basketball into the press conference and feigned like he was going to hand it to a media staffer before keeping hold of it, joking: “I need [the ball] right now. Didn’t shoot particularly well tonight.”

“Man, this is the best time of the year to be playing,” Irving said after Dallas fell, 107-89, to open the NBA Finals. “There’s two teams left, let’s put it in perspective. The environment’s going to be what it is, but my focus is on our game plan, making sure my guys feel confident and I feel confident and continue to shoot great shots.”

Irving finished with just 12 points on 6 of 19 shooting, missing all five 3-pointers he took. Irving heard loud boos every time he touched the ball and louder cheers on all 13 misses. It was his worst playoff shooting night (taking at least 10 shots) since his infamous final game as a Celtic, when he shot a paltry 6 of 21 in a blowout Game 5 loss to the Bucks in the second round of the 2019 postseason before bolting for Brooklyn.

Per the Boston Globe:

Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, picked up where he left off in the conference finals, in which he won series MVP. He finished with 22 points and six rebounds which sounds unremarkable, but his impact was hard to overstate.

Off the opening tip, Brown hit the floor and salvaged the first possession for the Celtics. He guarded Luka Doncic and played excellent 1-on-1 defense against the Mavericks star. He made numerous hustle plays, blocked three shots, and picked off three steals. When the Mavericks cut into the lead in the third quarter (more on this in a minute), Brown was the driving force (pun somewhat intended) as they pushed the lead back up.

“What you saw tonight is kind of the challenge he took for himself coming into the year,” Joe Mazzulla said. “Not wanting to be defined by one thing. Wanting to make plays. Wanted to be a well-rounded player and get better and better. So his spacing, his ball movement, his defense on ball and off ball.”

Per the Dallas Morning News:

And the Celtics’ fans did their part, too. Booing Irving every time he touched the ball, for both his failure to make an impact in Boston and his stomping on the leprechaun at midcourt during a Brooklyn playoff series a few years back, they got their money’s worth. Irving had 12 points, going 6-of-19 while missing all five 3-point tries in the contest.

Doncic led everyone with 30, as you might expect, but his 12-for-26 night was far from special by his standards, and his one assist gives an indication of how others were shooting and how disjointed this team seemed for much of the evening. Boston’s 37-20 lead after one quarter told most of the story as all five Celtics starters plus Porzingis scored in double-figures led by Jaylen Brown’s 22.

By the end, Boston’s 38% from 3-point range was not far from their norm, so it’s not as if the Mavericks can’t expect similar performances the rest of the way. Maybe the scariest thing for Dallas is that the Celtics played exemplary defense against Irving — much of it from specialist Jrue Holiday — and you would expect that to continue. Oklahoma City kept Irving in check in the second-round series and the Celtics have the same depth of talented defensive perimeter players along with much greater scoring ability.

Celtics advance to 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Finals

Per the Boston Herald:

The Celtics withstood a spirited effort by an injury-ravaged Cavaliers squad Wednesday night to book their third straight trip to the Eastern Conference finals.

Boston won 113-98 at TD Garden to eliminate Cleveland in five games.

Jayson Tatum finished with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals to lead the top-seeded Celtics, but he wasn’t the one hearing “MVP” chants as the game wound down.

That honor went to Al Horford, who posted a stat line never before seen in NBA postseason history.

Making his sixth consecutive start in place of the injured Kristaps Porzingis, the 37-year-old big man racked up 22 points, six 3-pointers, 15 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 35 minutes.

Before Wednesday, no NBA player ever had recorded 20-plus points, 15-plus rebounds, three-plus blocks and five-plus made threes in a playoff game. Seven of Horford’s rebounds were on the offensive glass; Cleveland as a team had six offensive rebounds.

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Cavs eliminated from playoffs in second round by Celtics

Per the News Herald:

If the NBA handed out a participation trophy, the Cavaliers would have earned a gigantic one for the effort they showed while losing Games 4 and 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. But it doesn’t work that way when the participants are being paid millions upon millions of dollars.

The Cavs, playing without Donovan Mitchell (calf strain), Jarret Allen (rib injury) and Caris LeVert (knee injury), did not bow to the superior Celtics in Game 5 on May 15 in TD Garden. But in the end the home team prevailed, 113-98, to move on to the conference finals.

Mitchell also missed Game 4 with his calf injury. Allen missed all five games of the semifinals after missing the last three games of the Orlando series, which the Cavs won in seven games. The Cavs lost Game 4 to Boston, 109-102, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Once all the “Our guys never quit” talk subsides, Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman will have some important decisions to make. Or maybe they will be made by Altman’s boss — Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.

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Celtics sign center Neemias Queta

The Boston Celtics have signed center Neemias Queta to a standard contract.

Queta has appeared in 26 games with the Celtics since signing a two-way contract with the franchise on September 17, 2023. The 7-0 center is recording career-highs in his first season with Boston, averaging 4.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 11.4 minutes per game.

Queta scored a career-high 14 points on 4-of-7 made field goals and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in the Celtics’ 145-108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 23. Queta has recorded both of his career double-doubles this season, including his 10-point, 10-rebound performance against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 19.

The Lisbon, Portugal native has averaged 14.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.9 blocks in eight games with the Celtics’ G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, this season. Queta helped Maine advance to the G-League Finals for the first time in franchise history after recording 16 points and a G-League career-high 19 rebounds in their Eastern Conference Championship win over the Long Island Nets (99-77).

Queta played three years at Utah State University before being selected by the Kings with the 39th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, becoming the first Portuguese player in NBA history.

Celtics trade Dalano Banton to Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired guard Dalano Banton and cash considerations in a trade with the Boston Celtics for a protected second-round draft pick.

Banton has recorded 2.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 7.1 minutes per game in 24 games (one start) with Boston this season. He has also appeared in two NBA G League games (two starts) with the Maine Celtics this year, posting 29.5 points (43.5% FG, 33.3% 3-PT, 64.3% FT), 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in 34.8 minutes per game. In 119 career games (four starts) in one season with Boston and two seasons with Toronto, he has accrued career averages of 3.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 9.6 minutes per game.

76ers trade Jaden Springer to Celtics

The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired a 2024 second-round draft pick (more favorable of Chicago and New Orleans) in a trade with the Boston Celtics for Jaden Springer.

Springer (6-4, 204) has appeared in 50 career NBA games since being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The 6-4 guard owns career averages of 3.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the field, and has seen action in nine playoff games, tallying 15 points in 30 minutes. The Charlotte, North Carolina native is averaging career-highs across the board with 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 32 games this season.

Over two seasons with the 76ers G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coasts, Springer averaged 17.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 steals in 43 games from 2021-2023. Springer was named the NBA G League Finals MVP in 2023 after helping Delaware capture its first-ever G League Championship.

The 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team honoree led Tennessee in scoring with 12.5 points per game in his lone collegiate season, and averaged 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in 25 games (15 starts). Springer led the Volunteers in three-point percentage (20-46, .435) and total free throws made (81), while his 81.0 free-throw percentage ranked ninth among SEC players, and stands as the highest percentage by a freshman in program history (min.100 attempts).

Grizzlies, Celtics trade Xavier Tillman, Lamar Stevens

The Boston Celtics have acquired forward/center Xavier Tillman in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for forward Lamar Stevens and two future second-round draft picks.

Tillman (6-8, 245) has appeared in 34 games (13 starts) with the Grizzlies this season and is averaging 6.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and a career-high 1.7 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from the field. The four-year big is also averaging career highs of 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks, standing as one of just 14 players in the league with at least one block and one steal per game this year and the only player to do so in less than 25 minutes per game.

Tillman has registered two of his six career double-doubles this season, including in the Grizzlies’ regular season opener, when he scored 17 points and grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds. This season, Tillman posted a career-high five blocks on December 26 at New Orleans, and a career-best six steals on January 13 versus New York. In 184 career games with Memphis, he owns career averages of 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan native was selected with 35th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft after playing three seasons at Michigan State. During his collegiate career, Tillman was honored as the 2020 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and received the 2019 Big Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year award.

Stevens appeared in 19 games for the Celtics this season and averaged 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor.

Celtics enter 2024 with NBA-best 26-6 record

Per the Boston Herald:

Jaylen Brown stole a pass in the backcourt, took a dribble toward the rim and had the presence of mind to lay it off to Derrick White in the lane. The Celtics guard isn’t typically known for his athleticism, but took the pass, took a step and hammered it home for a one-handed tomahawk dunk.

White stopped upon landing and took a brief moment to look at his Celtics teammates on the bench. Luke Kornet lost his mind again. White, back in his first NBA home facing the team that drafted him, was showing off a bit. And the Celtics were laughing their way into a big new year by leaving 2023 with a bang.

The Celtics won but struggled against a pair of lower-tier teams to end last week at TD Garden. Not so much on Sunday night. Victor Wembanyama looked the part of a future star, but he and his five-win Spurs were no match for the best team in the NBA. The Celtics celebrated the new year with a dominant 134-101 victory in San Antonio.

The Celtics’ New Year’s resolution for 2024? Keep playing like this, and they could be on a parade around Boston in June.

FULL ARTICLE

Celtics survive overtime battle with Pistons

Per Boston.com:

The Celtics narrowly avoided a deeply embarrassing loss on Thursday with a 128-122 victory over the Pistons in overtime…

At some point, the Pistons will win a game. When they do, the team they beat will have the ignominy of being the team that broke the longest losing streak in NBA history.

Last year’s perpetually frustrating Celtics would have been a prime candidate to be that team, and for 24 minutes to start the game, this year’s Celtics looked a little like last year’s group that routinely found the most infuriating ways imaginable to lose. They turned the ball over constantly, they let Cade Cunningham get into a nice groove, and after putting up impressive scoring totals throughout their West Coast road trip, they managed just 20 points in the second quarter and 47 by halftime. The Pistons took a 19-point lead into the break.

The Celtics couldn’t play much worse, and they are a much better basketball team than the Pistons, so a rally was somewhat inevitable. They needed just six minutes to get themselves back into the game, and they traded leads with the Pistons into the fourth quarter. Things appeared decided when they went up by six with just under two minutes remaining, but Jaden Ivey dragged the Pistons back equal again, and the game went to overtime.

In overtime, however, the talent gap finally swallowed the Pistons, and the Celtics pulled away.

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Celtics sign Drew Peterson to two-way contract

The Boston Celtics have signed forward Drew Peterson to a two-way contract.

Peterson (6-9, 205) appeared in 13 games (eight starts) this season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the G League affiliate of the Miami Heat, and averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 33.8 minutes per game. The rookie ranked second on the team in made three-pointers (24-59 3FG) and total assists (54), while his 4.2 assists per game ranks 10th in the G League.

The Libertyville, Ill., native played two seasons at Rice before transferring to USC where he averaged 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in his three seasons with the Trojans. During the 2022-23 season, Peterson was second on the team with a 13.9 scoring average, while leading the team in rebounds per game (6.2) and total assists (143).

Peterson was named All-Pac-12 first team for the second consecutive season and was one of three NCAA Power 6 conference players to average at least 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists during the 2022-23 season. He served as one of USC’s team captains and was named USC’s co-MVP after helping the Trojans advance to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season. The fifth-year senior finished his collegiate career with 1,721 points, 897 rebounds, and 505 assists in 164 games.