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A BAD, BAD, BAD LOSS

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BOSTON – Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points, including 26 in the second half, as the visiting Cavaliers extended their winning streak to nine games by beating the Boston Celtics 123-116 Friday night in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.

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Cavs All-Star point guard Darius Garland added 20 points for Cleveland, which trailed by 22 points less than five minutes into the game. The Cavaliers have won their last seven road games and own the NBA’s best overall record (49-10).

Boston’s Jayson Tatum had season highs of 46 points and 16 rebounds, and added nine assists for Boston, which has lost two in a row and dropped to 18-11 at home. The Celtics were missing starters Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (hand).

The Celtics also got 37 points from Jaylen Brown, who tied the game at 114-114 on a jump shot with 3:15 to play. Mitchell gave Cleveland a 116-114 lead on a floater that began a 7-0 spurt by the Cavaliers.

Mitchell made 13 of 26 field goal attempts and was 10 of 11 from the free-throw line. Cleveland’s Evan Mobley finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

The Celtics made seven of their first nine 3-point attempts and had a 38-26 advantage after one quarter. Boston scored the game’s first 11 points and led 25-3 with 7:11 remaining in the quarter.

Cleveland trailed 49-47 with 6:25 remaining in the first half, but Boston had a 74-64 halftime lead. Tatum had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the half.

Boston pushed its lead to 17 points with just over eight minutes left in the third, but Cleveland was within 98-95 entering the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers led for the first time when Mobley made a 3-pointer that put Cleveland up 104-101 with 8:43 to play.

The teams split their four regular-season meetings this season.

–Field Level Media

Pistons Extend Streak, Crush Celtics

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BOSTON – Malik Beasley scored 26 points in 22 minutes off the bench and the host Detroit Pistons extended their winning streak to eight games by cooling off the Boston Celtics 117-97 on Wednesday.

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Detroit now has its longest winning streak in 17 years. The last time the Pistons won eight or more consecutive games came in 2008, when they strung together 10 victories from Jan. 23-Feb. 13.

Cade Cunningham had 21 points and 11 assists for Detroit, and Tobias Harris tossed in 16 points while grabbing nine rebounds. Jalen Duren added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics, who saw their six-game winning streak snapped, with 27 points. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard had 18 points apiece, while Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 11 points. Al Horford logged nine points and 10 rebounds.

Boston played without Jaylen Brown (left thigh contusion).

The Pistons led by nine points after the first quarter and pushed the advantage early in the second. Boston rallied to tie it at 55-apiece entering halftime by making 11 3-pointers in the second quarter.

Tatum led the Celtics at the break with 15 points, while White and Pritchard had 12 apiece. Beasley led the Pistons with 12 points.

Detroit regained the lead by scoring the first six points in the third quarter, including a Cunningham 3-pointer. The Pistons extended the lead to double digits, 77-66, with 4:38 left in the quarter on a Duren tip-in. Duren also scored the next two Detroit baskets off passes from Cunningham.

A Beasley 3-pointer upped the advantage to 84-71, and the Pistons were up 90-79 as the quarter ended.

Boston committed turnovers on its first three possessions in the fourth. Beasley took advantage on the first two giveaways by knocking down 3-pointers. Ronald Holland II’s putback gave Detroit a 98-79 lead. Cunningham made a layup midway through the final quarter for a 106-87 advantage.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla soon went deep into his bench, essentially conceding the Detroit victory. The Celtics still won the season series, 3-1.

–Field Level Media

Pistons Bid for 8th Straight vs. Celtics

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The surprising Detroit Pistons will try to do something on Wednesday that they haven’t accomplished in 17 years. They’ll look to stretch their winning streak to eight games when they host the defending champion Boston Celtics.

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The last time Detroit won eight or more consecutive games came in 2008, when it strung together 10 victories from Jan. 23-Feb. 13.

The Pistons reached the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight time that season and lost to the eventual champion Celtics.

Detroit posted back-to-back victories in very different ways on Sunday and Monday. The Pistons won an offensive showdown at Atlanta, 148-143, then relied on a solid defensive effort to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 106-97.

“It took grit. It wasn’t easy,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I think both teams were coming in a little fatigued. The style of basketball they play is rough, rugged and physical — a lot of hands, a lot of grabbing and holding. So, it wasn’t going to come easy for us.”

That game began a four-game homestand for the Pistons. They’ll also face Denver on Friday and Brooklyn on Saturday before heading out on a four-game road trip.

“I know how much this team means to this city when our guys are playing at the level they are playing at,” Bickerstaff said. “They aren’t doing it for themselves. We need our fans. We love it when they’re in the building. They’ve got our back. It just brings a different vibe to the group because we want to make them happy.”

No one is making them happier than All-Star Cade Cunningham, who is averaging career highs in points (25.8 per game), assists (9.5) and rebounds (6.3). Cunningham believes Bickerstaff, who replaced Monty Williams after he was fired by Cleveland following last season, deserves a lot of credit for the franchise’s turnaround.

“I think he’s Coach of the Year, obviously,” Cunningham said. “The things that he’s done, how prepared that we’ve been, I’m not surprised that we’ve won so many games. We feel more prepared than other teams.”

Boston will be playing the second game of the back-to-back. The Celtics collected their sixth consecutive victory by defeating Toronto, 111-101.

Jaylen Brown led the way with 24 points, Derrick White supplied 22 and Payton Pritchard contributed 20 off the bench.

Pritchard has reached the 20-point mark in four of his last seven games.

“He’s really well rounded where he can score at all three levels,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “He can do it in transition, he can do it in the half court, he can do it off offensive rebounds and he can create his own shot.”

The Celtics didn’t have two of their starters as Jrue Holiday was rested and Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch due to illness. Reserve big man Al Horford (left big toe sprain) also sat out but all three are expected to play on Wednesday.

“He wasn’t feeling well and at the same time we wanted to make sure that we’ll have him for tomorrow,” Mazzulla said of Porzingis. “We kind of all made that decision together, just kind of as a team, that it’d be best if we make sure we have him tomorrow.”

The Celtics will be aiming for a four-game series sweep. They won the season’s first three meetings over the Pistons.

–Field Level Media

A Walk Down NBA All-Star Memory Lane

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The NBA All-Star Game has taken a few lumps over the past few years. After years and years of entertaining games – earning the recognition as the best All-Star Game in sports – the Sunday night All-Star Games and the NBA Rookie/Rising Stars Games turned into three-point hoists and dunk fests, with barely a lick of defense being played on either end of the court.

The final scores of the last four All-Star Games tells the tale:

  • 2024 – East 211, West 186
  • 2023 – Team Giannis 184, Team Lebron 175
  • 2022 – Team Lebron 163, Team Durant 160
  • 2021 – Team Lebron 170, Team Durant 150

In 2020, barely a month before the global pandemic shut down the NBA, the world of sports and then the world itself, the league experimented with the infamous “Elam Ending” which resulted in a Team Lebron 157, Team Durant 155 thriller at the United Center in Chicago.

It was at the 2020 game in Chicago when the critics and nay-sayers thought the NBA finally stumbled into the perfect solution to the end the lackluster games. The fourth quarter of that 2020 NBA All-Star Game was as intense as any NBA Playoff game, the biggest stars in the league holding nothing back, blocking shots, taking charges, you name it. At the end of three quarters, a 133-124 Team Giannis lead over Team Lebron placed the final/winning “target score” at 157.

Team Lebron came storming back with James’ teammate Kawhi Leonard taking MVP honors and Anthony Davis draining the game-winning free thrown to cement the comeback victory. The intensity and excitement was back in the NBA All-Star Game, but the wonderous story of Chicago was short-lived. The most recent pair of ASGs sealed the deal. Changes had to be made.

That brings us to this weekend as the NBA has completely changed the format and instituted a Friday night play-in for one team to advance to Sunday. The G-League All-Stars faced the Rising Stars, the latter led to victory by San Antonio’s Stephon Castle who helped his team qualify for Sunday night. The four teams of eight players will compete in a mini-tournament with all three games played to the target score of 40.

The Friday night contests were highly competitive and entertaining, so there’s some cautious optimism for a tripleheader of great games Sunday Night. WWYI is sticking to its deep-rooted thoughts of enjoying the All-Star Weekend and not putting the exhibition to the same litmus test as a regular season or playoff game. Overall, the weekend is supposed to be fun. And that means fun for everyone, the fans, the players, the NBA industry as a whole (sponsors, guests, family members). Too often it is forgotten that the All-Star Game was initiated by original NBA publicity man Haskell Cohen, on March 2, 1951, as a way of gaining interest in the game of basketball. In other words, it’s a giant photo op.

Let’s not forget that on Sunday night.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: This section of notes might qualify as a “Humor Me” and “Read On” section as the NBA All-Star Weekend brings back a lot of great memories from this columnist’s 25+ year stint of attending the games. Here’s a random list of memories, anecdotes and some “Inside Stuff” from the 1981-1993 era of NBA All-Star events. I’ll shoot for 1993 to 2025 another day.

1981: Although I’d watched many an NBA All-Star Game (ASG), and scored a bunch in my very own basketball scorebook, my first ASG working with the NBA put me in front of the TV screen once again. … As an intern, I did not make the cut to attend the game in Richfield, Ohio as the NBA celebrated its 35th Anniversary. I did create my very first NBA Media Guide, cranking out bios of dozens upon dozens of players to prepare for the 24 players selected to play. There were a few traveling hockey tournaments when “the boys” were playing cards or going out for a refreshment and I was holed-up in my hotel room typing (yes, typing on paper) a half-dozen or more bios per night.

1982: The game was at the brand-spanking new Brendan Byrne Arena in beautiful East Rutherford, NJ (Meadowlands) and I was excited to work (and enjoy) the festivities as hotel HQ was the Grand Hyatt in NYC. The league was kind enough to furnish me with some tickets for friends and family, too. … Trivia note: The Saturday of the 1982 weekend was the starting point for official NBA All-STAR SATURDAY events. In ‘82, that merely consisted of a few media pick-up games and the Continental Basketball Association All-Star Game.

Now, I’ll start a little word association for a whole slew of games but will call it quits with this section in about 1993.

1983: Marvin Gaye doing the greatest USA National Anthem of all-time at The Fabulous Forum and CBS Director, the late Sandy Grossman in his Century Plaza suite, playing a recording of the anthem and the first 10-minutes of the game itself, which might’ve been one of the great segments in NBA history. Every time someone new came into the suite, Sandy cranked it up again, saying, “You’ve gotta see this!” (I’d rank the ‘83 game as No. 2 on my all-time list).

1984: The “real” beginning of NBA All-Star Saturday. A great “Old Timer’s Game,” featuring the likes of the late Celtics’ great Tommy Heinsohn and Chicago’s Johnny “Red” Kerr pulling on each other’s shorts, then tossing pinpoint behind the back bounce passes for lay-ups. … A post ASG recap meeting hatched the idea of calling them all “Legends” rather than Old Timers and that term certainly stuck. Legends they are.

1985: A crowd of 43,146 witnessed Michael Jordan getting the 10th Avenue Freeze-Out and Earvin “Magic” Johnson deciding Ralph Sampson was going to be the MVP. One memory stands out: The game was played in the inflatable Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, and at some point someone wrongly opened a door and the air flow created a giant draft that blew every single piece of paper, including all of our special 1985 NBA All-Star Game logo play-by-play sheets all over the Dome in the pregame.

1986: In a pregame production meeting, CBS producer extraordinaire Michael Burks asked that we have an old fashioned chalk board in the East Locker Room because KC Jones would always sketch-out some plays and important team goals and instructions, and Mike wanted the visual – something he could never do in a “real” game. The problem? Reunion Arena had not an old fashioned chalkboard in the house. … However, the Hyatt Regency had a very nice chalkboard or two, and it was within walking distance to the arena, across a large courtyard. … Seemed fine, until a rare winter, ice storm hit Dallas that Saturday when I “stole” the blackboard and wheeled it to Reunion in the snow. … I wonder if that chalkboard ever made it back?

1987: A great overtime All-Star Game when injury replacement Tom Chambers of the Seattle SuperSonics won (and earned) MVP honors in a sold-out Kingdome. There’s memorable footage of Dallas’ Rolando Blackman draining two free throws to put the game into OT, shouting, “Confidence, baby, Confidence.” → MUST WATCH CLIP is HERE. (Notice the four East players converging on Blackman as he drove the lane).

1988: Chicago Stadium. Coldest day I’ve ever experienced in my life, but a “normal” day for anyone from Chicago. The Saturday temperature read (-22) – (-60 with the wind chill factor) but it warmed up to a balmy ZERO degrees on Sunday. Larry Bird won the Three-Point Contest in grand fashion and Michael Jordan took flight that weekend, that is for sure. (I’d rank this one as No. 3 on my list).

1989-90-91: Houston, Miami and Charlotte. … In Houston we utilized the infamous Astrodome, a place I’d seen on TV as a young New York Mets fan when the Mets played against the Toy Cannon (Jimmy Wynn) and the Astros. … In 1990, the All-Star Saturday buzz was undermined when Buster Douglas upset heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in Tokyo. … In ‘91, the Gulf War broke out about 10 days before the ASW and security became a main focus, turning a lot of plans made the previous March (I scouted the ACC Tournament) upside down and sideways. … A stunning national anthem by pianist Bruce Hornsby, accompanied by Branford Marsalis stands out more than Charles Barkley’s MVP effort. Getting that piano on and off the court was a major accomplishment.

1992: The ‘92 All-Star Game was the best and most memorable of my lifetime. The entire story of Earvin “Magic” Johnson retiring from the NBA after he learned he had contracted the HIV virus shook the league (and the sports industry) at the core. Earvin’s performance was a storybook unfolding one play at a time until the 4th quarter crescendo of amazement. No writing can do it justice.

1993: A very vivid memory leads me to a last two minutes of the ‘93 game and a sprint around courtside which produced an MVP vote that was never counted, as the

ASG at Salt Lake City went into OT. We tore up the ballots and, ten minutes later, it was deja vu all over again. The West defeated the East 135-132 and hometown stars, Karl Malone and John Stockton actually tied for All-Star MVP. I remember doing the counting on a press table in the far right corner of the Delta Center and showing the media who happened to be sitting there the result to prove its authenticity, stacking the voting ballots (if I remember it was six-six and one for Michael Jordan). I think I counted it three times before we passed the news of the tie along to the NBA Game Operations people at the scorer’s table and to NBC Sports as they staged the presentations.

There are thousands of other great memories from 1994 to 2008 when I bid adieu to my job at the NBA. There’s also quite a few from ‘08 until today, as I rarely missed a game – either returning in person in NOLA (twice), Houston, or watching on TV.

In general, I might call myself a traditionalist but for the ASW, I like the new ideas and attempts by the league office to make the weekend more exciting and the games more competitive. We’ll see on Sunday night if it works in the new format.

THIS JUST IN: The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced this weekend that Boston Celtics Vice President of Media Services and Alumni Relations, Jeff Twiss, has been named the 2025 recipient of the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.

The John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees in 1973 and is the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-64, the award honors coaches, players, and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional, and/or the international game.

“Jeff’s contributions to the Celtics organization are too numerous to list, but perhaps his biggest impact is as a living embodiment of the best aspects of what it means to be a Boston Celtic,” said Rich Gotham, President of the Boston Celtics. “It was Red Auerbach who said, ‘The Celtics are a way of life,’ and Jeff represents the selflessness and the drive to uplift others for the greater good that is at the heart of that notion.”

Jeff Twiss has been a leader of the Celtics PR staff through 40 post-season experiences, including nine Eastern Conference Finals appearances, seven NBA Finals appearances, and four NBA Championships (1984, ‘86, ‘08, ‘24). Twiss joined the organization in 1981, after being hired by Red Auerbach. He has served as a conduit for the media with Celtics coaches, players and staff and has overseen alumni relations for the organization. Twiss was elected by his peers to serve as President of the National Basketball Public Relations Directors Association in 1987. In 1992, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Vermont. In 1999, Twiss received the University of Massachusetts Sports Management department’s Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumni Award. In September 2004, he was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. And in 2005, Twiss received the NBA’s McHugh/Splaver “Tribute to Excellence” award. Twiss was recognized by the Boston Press Photographer’s Association as their Sports Personality Award winner for 2009. On September 18, 2024, he received the International Sports Heritage Association Legacy Award.

“Jeff Twiss is a beloved member of the Celtics, and we are all so excited that he is being honored with the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Boston Celtics President of Basketball OperationsBrad Stevens. “Jeff is the definition of a servant-leader and has made an incredible impact not only within these walls, but on his peers across the league. In addition to his great work in Public Relations, he has been a caretaker of our history and an ambassador that keeps multiple generations of Celtics players and staff connected. I’m personally thankful to have had the privilege of working with Jeff for the past twelve years – roughly a quarter of his total time with the Celtics. When I think about that impact over time, it’s clear why he’s a Hall of Famer.”

Super Sunday Sports Notes | Feb 9

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It’s Super Bowl Sunday – LIX (59)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The Dallas Mavericks came through Boston this week, riding into town from Philadelphia after a two point loss to the 76ers. The Mavs’ 757 aircraft carried a team with enough baggage to fill Logan Airport’s entire baggage claim system, and they landed with contrails from the team jet spread out across the entire NBA basketball world.

The Mavericks traded superstar Luka Dončić’to the Los Angeles Lakers and the reaction was as if the Mavs orchestrated a move for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys to Santa Monica. The full trade went down as follows:

Dallas sent Dončić’ and forwards Maxi Kleber and journeyman Markieff Morris to Los Angles for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first round NBA Draft pick. Utah was the “third man in,” as the Jazz acquired Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers, the 2025 Clippers’ second-round pick, and the 2025 Mavericks’ second-round pick in the trade while giving up nothing except having to waive recently acquired Mo Bamba.

The reaction to the trade can only be categorized as “legendary,” as the Elias Sports Bureau confirmed that a trade involving a reigning All-NBA guard for an All-NBA center in midseason. “Shocking” was the most frequently used word to describe the trade, noting there was no indication the trade was coming down. ESPN’s newsmaker Shams Charania broke the news a little after midnight on February 2.

LA’s Lebron James thought it was “a hoax,” while longtime NBA reporter and current editor and columnist for The Athletic David Aldridge called it a “Holy Shit” trade, utilizing a phrase that legendary Washington Post editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee used for only the greatest of the greatest stories. The Lakers were overwhelmingly considered the winners of the trade. Many gave the Lakers an “A+” grade while criticizing the Mavericks by dumping and “F” grade on the team for not acquiring more.

That wasn’t the sentiment for the young, upcoming and highly competent Dallas GM, Nico Harrison, who targeted and picked Davis as the player he coveted if he planned to trade his franchise favorite. In fact, both the Lakers’ GM, Rob Pelinka, and Harrison said they began trade talks in January facing the February 6 NBA trade deadline. The fact there wasn’t a single leak proved the two GMs kept their negotiations secret.

NBA executives – all around the league – expressed shock at the fact that the Mavericks negotiated exclusively with the Lakers, and argued that Dallas could have obtained a much larger return for Dončić in an open auction. “It probably would have been the biggest haul in NBA history,” said one team executive in an off-the-record interview while another claimed, “every team in the league would have offered everything they could.” Lost in the ‘what-ifs’ is the fact Dončić and his agent would’ve tried to dictate the terms and destination of the deal if they’d been informed and involved.

Here’s TL’s Take: First and foremost, Dallas GM Nico Harrison knew what had to be done and he deserves enormous credit for having the guts to move on it before there was a major hurdle in front of him and time working against the Mavericks in a big way. Dončić was due for a new contract and his All-NBA status qualified him for a “supermax” deal that would’ve included terms above Boston’s five-year, $314 million deal to keep Jayson Tatum.

Dončić would’ve signed a $325m-plus contract but would’ve built-in a one year opt-out to increase his personal salary haul the next year (2026-27) when the new NBA TV deal kicks in and the team salary cap will increase significantly. With that opt-out in one hand but a longterm contract in place in case of injury, Dončić could’ve easily walked from the Mavericks to any team he wanted to play for, as he would be an unrestricted free agent. The Mavericks would be left empty-handed.

Dončić hasn’t played since he left a Christmas Day (Dec. 25, 2024) after 16 minutes and hasn’t set foot on the court ever since. His calf strain has sidelined him indefinitely and reports of his 230-pound playing weight might now be topping 250-260-pounds with a long road of conditioning ahead before he can be effective in the high speed NBA pace of play. To his credit, Dončić played through injury and led the Mavericks to a surprise appearance in the 2024 NBA Finals where they lost to Boston.

Harrison had to wonder if Dončić would be healthy and would he choose to stay in Dallas when every NBA team coffer would open filled with the loot from and 11-year, $76 billion ABC/ESPN, Amazon, NBC Sports and rising global TV deals flooding the league from platforms anxious to air the league’s daily reality show.

In Davis, Dallas has another “big” and a highly skilled two-way player. Harrison stated the old cliche that ‘defense wins championships’ and that fact was his motivation in trading for Davis who is 32 years old. Looking ahead, AD is in his prime holding a contract that is valid through – at least – the ’26-27 season, with his (player option for ’27-28), an option which he’s likely to accept at $66,821,676. for the season. Davis must stay healthy for the trade to work out for Dallas.

Additionally, Max Christie is a very nice piece in this blockbuster puzzle and he is likely to see major minutes for Dallas,

Although Dončić is only 25 years old and has been an All-NBA first team selection five times, joining only Larry Bird, George Gervin, and Tim Duncan as players earning five All-NBA First Team selections in their first six seasons in the league (since the ABA teams were absorbed into the NBA in ‘75-76).

Taking it all in, While We’re Young (Ideas) bucks the trend, and confidently states, “Advantage Dallas.”

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE: With all the attention on the Dallas and LA Lakers, many overlooked a huge acquisition by the San Antonio Spurs when they acquired De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings, Spurs and Chicago Bulls completed a seven-player, seven draft pick trade which went down in the shadows of the Davis/Dončić deal:

San Antonio Spurs acquire:

  • De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin

Sacramento Kings acquire:

Zach LaVine and Sidy Cissoko

  • 2025 first-round pick (via Hornets)
  • 2027 first-round pick (via Spurs)
  • 2031 first-round pick (via Timberwolves)
  • 2025 second-round pick (via Bulls)
  • 2028 second-round pick (via Nuggets)
  • 2028 second-round pick (via Bulls)

Chicago Bulls acquire:

  • Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter
  • And the Bulls re-acquired their own 2025 1st-round pick (via Spurs)

Advantage Spurs who can now combine Fox with (possible) Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (UConn) all backing the dynamic ‘24 NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. When they spread the floor – Look out!

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: One other big NBA trade was tucked in on Trading Deadline Eve.

  • The Golden State Warriors will send forwards Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson plus a top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick to the Heat. Also, recently acquired guard Dennis Schroder, will be shipped-out to the Utah Jazz.
  • Utah will send forward P.J. Tucker, who previously played with the Heat in 2021-22, to Miami.
  • Guard Lindy Waters III will go from Golden State to the Detroit Pistons, and Josh Richardson will go from Miami to Detroit.
  • And, the highlight – Miami’s suspended bucket-man, Jimmy Butler, will join the Warriors.

TIDBITS: This weekend is ESPN commentator and Basketball Hall of Famer Dick Vitale’s “Super Bowl Weekend, Baby,” as the popular icon of college basketball returns to the ESPN airwaves after fighting back four bouts of cancer. Vitale called the Duke at Clemson game on Saturday night. … In addition, Hubie Brown, one of the most revered and beloved coaches and broadcasters in basketball history, will call his final NBA game (this weekend), Sunday, February 9, at 2:00pm ET on ABC. Brown will join fellow Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Mike Breen on the call with Lisa Salters reporting. The trio, along with the late Stuart Scott, served as the broadcast team for the 2006 NBA Finals on ABC. Brown will call the Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks game. The legendary coach made his NBA coaching debut in Milwaukee as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972 under the great Larry Costello.

ALL-TIME FICTIONAL CHARACTER HOOPS TEAM: “You can’t teach height,” was the old adage for fielding a competitive basketball team so our Fictional Five and bench players will all stand as the tallest of the tall, rather than the most talented crew. wait no longer, here’s the club:

C: Rubeus Hagrid – Standing 12-foot, Hagrid of Hogwarts has to be our “five,” although there’s going to be plenty of height and length to our line-up, good guy Hagrid will lead this squad. Certainly, all opponents will find it difficult to match-up with Hagrid anchoring a 12-foot, 7-foot-6, 6-foot-9 frontline.

PF: Herman Munster – Straight out of Transylvania (Romania), Munster holds down the power forward spot on the Fictional Five club. He’s tough, quick, defensive minded and stands a lengthy 7-foot-6, according to most accounts.

SF: Lurch – The Addams Family butler stood a legit 6-foot-9 and can man the “three” with the best of ‘em. His abilities as an intimidator and enforcer should not be overlooked, as he can help on weak-side defense. Lurch has a nice stroke, too.

Lurch

SG: Gomez Adams – Castilian-born and surely a fan of León, Gomez Adams stood tall in all photos with his longtime sidekick, Lurch. For the home team, he starts at shooting guard and he’s fine unless he picks up early fouls because of the visiting cheerleaders speaking French.

PG: Bullwinkle J. Moose mans the point. While some might’ve thought Rocket “Rocky” J. Squirrel would’ve been our starter at PG, Moose got the nod over Squirrel, although – at times – they are paired together. Rocky lacked the height to start and match-up vs. taller squads.

The Bench:

The Sixth and Seventh Men come to the club directly from the Bundeslega and they are versatile players who can guard any position. In fact, in their fictional roles, they often had to guard the guard house.

Sergeant Hans Schultz is first man off the bench. The right hand man to Colonel Wilhelm Klink in Hogan’s Heroes, Schultz never melts under opposition pressure. He sees nothing, knows nothing, says nothing when questioned by scouts and media.

Schultz’s cohort from Stanisławów (occupied Austria, back in war-time (American Civil war), was Trooper Hoffenmueller and he joined our club after appearing in 11 episodes of F-Troop. Hoffenmueller had one huge claim to fame, in case you didn’t know, the actor, John Mitchum, had a slightly more famous brother, Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award winner, Robert Mitchum.

The back-up center for our club was the inspiration behind the great nickname given to Celtics star center Robert Parish. “The Chief” gained his nickname from Chief Bromden of the 1975 film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” With the great Randle McMurphy (LA Lakers fan Jack Nicholson) egging him on, Chief strides up and down the court and scores at will. He does the same thing off the bench for this club.

And, as long as McMurphy came up, he happens to be the first guard off the bench.

Rounding out the team, it would be very easy to go with three characters out of “Space Jam,” and maybe include that “bigger than life” Michael Jordan guy, but not here.

James Bond fans know our reserve power forward, Jaws, from “The Spy Who Loved Me.” The 7-foot-2 bruiser has medical clearance from our team dentist who recently replaced Jaws’ metal teeth with game-friendly plastic.

Jackie Moon is a key reserve on the club. A singer who used the profits from his one-hit wonder, “Love Me Sexy”, to buy his own basketball team, the Flint Tropics, Moon eventually moves to a role player slot on the Tropics which was enough to prove his worth to our club.

The 12th man is a two-way player shared with the Minnesota North Poles. The Abominable Snowman hails from The Island of Misfit Toys, and stands 8-feet tall by most accounts. In basketball season, he needs to take a month-long break in December and report back home.

Our coach from the motion picture BLUE Chips is the great Pete Bell of the Western University Dolphins (played by Nick Nolte). Bell is assisted by David Greene (Gabe Kaplan) of Fastbreak, Ken Reeves (Ken Howard) from The White Shadow and grad assistant Jack Cunningham (played by Ben Affleck in The Way Back (2020). Cunningham comes from the Pete Bell coaching tree and Affleck admired the work of Nolte, as well.

SUPER BOWL MENU: The continuation of a popular column tradition, to be shared today with all readers. Here’s what’s being served at ‘the ranch’ on Super Bowl LIX Sunday.

Breakfast

  • Homemade Belgian Waffles, with Vermont Maple Syrup, served with Fresh Strawberries.
  • Everything Bagel (toasted) with Vegetable or Plain Cream Cheese
  • Fresh squeezed Orange Juice
  • Pot of home-brewed “Kick Ass” coffee, with Half & Half

Lunch and Snacks, in honor of Max “Snax” Lyons, our English Springer Doodle

For the Dogs (yes, we spoil them a bit):

  • Homemade Dog Biscuits cooked with Apple Sauce, PBJ and Assorted treats

For the People:

  • Utz Special Dark Sourdough Pretzels
  • Cape Cod Air Fried Chips with Sea Salt
  • Assorted Greek Olives, freshly shipped from Greece
  • Vegetable Crudite with side of Ranch or Thousand Island Dressing
  • Assorted Cheese & Black Pepper Flavored Crackers

Pre-Game and Halftime | Dinner Offerings:

  • Special Meatballs, slow-cooked in Crock Pot, served with Bulky Rolls
  • Salisbury Steak Style Meatballs, with noodles
  • Pistachio Crusted Boneless Chicken Breast, with Grilled, Crispy Brussels Sprouts
  • Mediterranean spices on Boneless Chicken Breast, Grilled with Broccoli side
  • Chips, Salsa with Simple Guacamole

Beverages:

  • Ice Cold Diet Coke
  • Jack’s Abby, Banner City Lager Beer
  • Wine Coolers
  • Home brewed Cold Seltzer with Orange, Peach, Mango Juice over Ice
  • Fresh Lemonade
  • Coffee and Tea

Dessert:

  • Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

A SHAMELESS PGA TOUR BRUNCH PLUG: Say Happy ❤️ Valentine’s Day to your favorite golf fan with PGA Tour Brunch. Posted to your inbox six days a week (not Tuesdays) for lunch or brunch-time reading, PGA Tour Brunch provides fans of the PGA Tour (and its growing list of Fantasy, gambling and DFS players, too) with a one-stop, mobile friendly e-news to help navigate the hundreds of golf news sites available. PGA Tour Brunch is short and sweet, a couple mobile page scrolls and it provides all the basic information, like tee times, the field, odds, player notes, leaderboards, and even some breaking news. It’s designed by @terrylyons with a blessing from the popular @SoxLunch creators. Check it out today for a 20% Valentine’s Day discount.

Luka to Lakers; Davis to Mavs

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Lakers and Mavericks have surprised the NBA world with a midseason trade of All-NBA players, with ESPN reporting early Sunday morning that the teams had completed a trade that will send Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Anthony Davis to Dallas.

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Both players have faced injuries this season.

While the two stars are at the center of the deal, the Lakers will also get Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris while the Mavericks will receive Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick, per the report.

ESPN reported that the Utah Jazz are also involved in the trade and will get Jalen Hood-Schifino and a pair of second-round picks in this year’s draft.

Doncic, 25, has averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 22 games (all starts) this season.

The 31-year-old Davis has put up averages of 25.7 points, 11.9 boards, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks across 42 games (all starts).

–Field Level Media

Tatum Beats Buzzer and Pelicans

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NEW ORLEANS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored 28 points and Jayson Tatum added 27, including a tie-breaking jumper with 0.2 seconds left, as the visiting Celtics held off the New Orleans Pelicans 118-116 on Friday night.

Tatum added 10 assists, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White scored 16 points each and Luke Kornet had 11 off the bench for the Celtics.

Trey Murphy III scored a season-high 40 points, Jose Alvarado added 20, CJ McCollum had 17 and Brandon Boston Jr. 10 for New Orleans, which lost its fifth straight game. Pelicans starting point guard Dejounte Murray had to be helped to the locker room after injuring his lower right leg in the first quarter. He did not return.

New Orleans trailed by five after three quarters, but Alvarado hit a 3-pointer to open scoring in the fourth. The Pelicans got within two points four more times, with the Celtics answering on the first three. On the fourth occasion, Murphy made a short jumper to finally pull New Orleans even at 114 with 1:37 left.

Brown and McCollum exchanged baskets before Tatum dribbled down the clock and swished the game-winner from 21 feet.

Four Celtics scored during a 9-6 run to start the third quarter, increasing the Celtics’ lead to 68-59. Murphy made two 3-pointers, and Alvarado and Karlo Matkovic made one each as the Pelicans took a 77-75 lead.

Brown scored eight points and White and Payton Pritchard scored three each as Boston took a 91-86 lead going into the fourth.

Murphy scored 16 points to help New Orleans take a 34-31 lead at the end of the first quarter.

New Orleans led by five twice early in the second quarter, but Kornet made consecutive baskets to complete a 6-0 run and put Boston ahead by one point. The Pelicans regained the lead briefly, but Tatum made consecutive 3-pointers to start an 8-0 run that gave the Celtics a 47-42 lead.

New Orleans closed within one point twice, but White and Tatum each made a 3-pointer to help Boston extend the lead to nine. Murphy’s 3-pointer trimmed New Orleans’ deficit to 59-53 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

C’s Win with Porzingis’ Career Night

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BOSTON – Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis scored a season-high 34 points and collected 11 rebounds to help Boston breeze to a 122-100 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Porzingis made 10 of his 18 field goal attempts, including 8 of 14 shots from behind the 3-point arc. His eight 3-pointers tied his career high.

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Porzingis had 26 points in the first half, when he made 6 of 8 shots from behind the 3-point arc.

Jaylen Brown added 28 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Celtics, who also received a 22-point performance from Derrick White. White made four 3-pointers.

The Bulls didn’t have leading scorer Zach LaVine, who is averaging 24.0 points per game. Chicago coach Billy Donovan said LaVine will miss multiple games to be with his wife to prepare for the birth of their third child.

Chicago guard Coby White returned from an ankle injury and scored 16 points in 31 minutes. It was White’s first game since Jan. 19.

Patrick Williams came off the bench and contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Bulls, who were playing the first game of a three-game road trip. Chicago will play at Toronto on Friday and at Detroit on Sunday.

Sam Hauser (hip) and Al Horford (toe) didn’t dress for the Celtics, who avoided a third straight home loss.

Boston was 18 of 44 from 3-point range (40.9 percent). Chicago was 37 of 92 from the field (40.2) and 15 of 49 (30.6 percent) from 3.

The Celtics scored the game’s first 10 points and led 26-23 after one quarter. Boston scored 41 points in the second quarter to build a 67-51 halftime lead and was up 96-76 after three quarters.

Boston’s lead peaked at 24 points late in the third quarter. Chicago failed to get closer than 16 points in the fourth.

Boston has won three of the four games between the teams this season.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Tops Mavs in Finals Redux

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 24 points and Derrick White added 23 to lead the visiting Celtics to a 122-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

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Tatum and White each made four 3-pointers, while the Celtics were 20 of 52 (38.5 percent) from 3-point range as a team in the victory.

All five Boston starters scored at least 17 points. Jaylen Brown tossed in 22, Kristaps Porzingis finished with 18 and Jrue Holiday had 17. Holiday was 5 of 10 from 3-point range.

Kyrie Irving scored 22 points for the Mavericks, who have lost six of their last eight games. Quentin Grimes scored 20 points off the bench for Dallas, and Daniel Gafford had 19 points and 15 rebounds.

It was the first meeting between the teams since they faced each other in the 2024 NBA Finals. Boston has won five straight against Dallas during the regular season and won four of five games in the Finals last season.

Dallas led 16-6 just four minutes into the game and had a 29-25 advantage after one quarter. The Celtics built a 15-point lead in the second quarter, but the Mavericks scored the final five points in the half to trail 59-49. Boston had no turnovers in the first half.

The Mavericks scored the first six points of the second half to make it 59-55, but the Celtics owned the rest of the quarter. Boston led 93-68 following a Sam Hauser 3-pointer with 1:57 remaining in the third.

The Celtics made eight 3-pointers in the third and had a 96-76 lead heading into the fourth.

White scored 16 points in the third, when he was 6 of 9 from the floor. It was the most points he scored in a quarter this season.

Dallas was within 11 points after a Grimes layup with 3:44 to play but failed to get any closer.

The teams will meet again Feb. 6 in Boston.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Deal GS Worst Loss in 40 Years

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SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum led six Boston players in double figures with a game-high 22 points on Monday as the Celtics steamrolled the Golden State Warriors 125-85 as part of the NBA’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate.

Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 18 points and Jaylen Brown scored 17 for Boston, which for the fourth straight season dropped the season-series opener to Golden State before getting even – and then some – in the rematch.

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Golden State had not lost by 40 at home since Jan. 15, 1985.

The 40-point margin was similar to the 140-88 pounding the Celtics dealt the Warriors last March after Golden State had won 132-126 in overtime three months earlier. This time around, the Warriors surprised the defending champs on their home floor with a 118-112 win on Nov. 6.

Tatum also found time for a game-high nine rebounds to go along with seven assists and two steals. Payton Pritchard paired his game-high nine assists with 14 points.

Sam Hauser added 11 points and Jrue Holiday tallied 10 for the Celtics, who have alternated wins and losses in their last nine games. Derrick White had three of Boston’s nine blocks to complement eight points, five rebounds and five assists.

Boston dominated the rematch on both ends of the court.

Led by Brown, who was 8-for-14 from the floor, and Holiday, who made two of his three 3-point attempts, the Celtics shot 53.3 percent overall and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, making 20 of 48.

The Warriors, meanwhile, were held to 34.8 percent shooting overall and 26.4 percent from deep, connecting on just 14 of 53 tries. Andrew Wiggins especially struggled for Golden State, missing all four of his 3-point tries and finishing just 1-of-11 from the floor in a four-point effort.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 18 points but was just 4-of-12 from 3-point range.

Moses Moody added 13 points for Golden State, which was missing Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Kyle Anderson due to injury.

Moody also posted six rebounds and a team-high five assists, while Kevon Looney snatched a team-high seven rebounds for the Warriors.

The Celtics led 54-39 at halftime before taking control in the third quarter. Tatum scored 12 points in the third as Boston hit 16 of 24 shots, including eight threes, to open up a 34-point lead entering the fourth.

–Field Level Media