NBA

While We’re Young (Ideas) – Notebook

May 16, 2021 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Whether the sport in being celebrated two hours to the south at Mohegan Sun, an hour and a half to the west in Springfield, Mass, being played at WNBA and NBA arenas nationwide or destinations around the globe, the game of basketball is in the news in a big way this weekend and for many months to come.

The Basketball Hall of Fame is utilizing the Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, Connecticut) as headquarters for the 2020 Enshrinement ceremony this weekend, then packing up the circus tents and heading to the newly renovated Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame museum in Springfield – the birthplace of basketball – to announce the 2021 class of inductees. (The names of Celtics star Paul Pierce and Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boy era have already leaked out as ‘21 inductees).

First! The 2020 class is among the most elite in history, with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and the late Kobe Bryant headlining the group. The 2020 class induction, forever to be known as a memorial tribute to Bryant, has been delayed – for what seems to be forever and a day – because of the global pandemic. While Bryant deserved top billing, for sure, the class of ‘20 represents a wide-ranging group, spanning the globe from FIBA HQ in Europe (to honor the late Patrick Baumann) to Bentley College, only 11 miles down the road where Bentley Coach Barbara Stevens calls home.

The 2020 class represents every aspect of the sport of basketball quite well. Stevens and Baylor/LSU women’s coach Kim Mulkey are inducted as top notch and deserved women’s team college coaches while Tamika Catchings (NCAA: Tennessee, WNBA: Indiana Fever, USA: Multiple Gold) represents the very best the sport has to offer, both on and off-court.

Just as you would expect with such a glorious cast, the coaches on the men’s side are among the very best with the late Eddie Sutton memorialized for his work via the college game and the great Rudy “Rudy T” Tomjanovich honored for his work with the Houston Rockets. Credited for his longtime, loyal assistant coaching efforts for Bill Fitch and as the two-time NBA championship head coach of the Rockets, Rudy T knew the game from the inside out. He was also an NBA All-Star forward (San Diego/Houston Rockets), never mind his impressive work for USA Basketball as head coach at the 1998 Worlds (Bronze during NBA labor dispute) and 2000 Sydney Olympics (Gold medal). … Remember: “Don’t EVER underestimate the heart of a champion.”

Even the media awards pay tribute to the best of the best with ABC/ESPN/MSG Network’s Mike Breen being honored for his play-by-play work and Mike Wilbon honored for print journalism. Wilbon, the Washington Post sports columnist for decades, turned Pardon the Interruption television personality extraordinaire and Breen, the voice of the NBA on ABC and ESPN, are both being honored as the Curt Gowdy Media Award winners for 2020.

Yes, with the 2020 honors, the Basketball Hall of Fame took a page from its counterpart in Cooperstown and “touched all bases” with a class for the ages. But the BHofF enshrinement for 2020 and this week’s announcement for 2021 are merely the dessert being served before the main course of hoops mania over the next few months. How? Let us count the ways:

The 25th Anniversary season for the WNBA tipped-off Friday night with four exciting games, including the return of 2020 No. 1 overall draft pick Sabrina Ionescu, who had her rookie season cut short with a season-ending ankle injury in just her third pro game. Ionescu put an exclamation point on her return, hitting the game-winning three-pointer from the wing with less than a second remaining to give the New York Liberty a 90-87 victory over the Indiana Fever in the WNBA’s season opener. … As part of the WNBA’s 25th season and its focus on innovation, the league will launch the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup in-season competition during the 2021 season. Conference rivalry bragging rights, a new WNBA Commissioner’s Cup trophy and a prize pool of $500,000 will all be at stake when the inaugural WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game is played on Thursday, Aug. 12, at Phoenix Suns Arena. … Regular season WNBA action will take on an added level of importance as 60 select, intra-conference “Cup games” will determine the Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams that will advance to the first ever Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game. … The “Cup Games” will be the first home game and first road game each team plays against its five conference rivals, all set to take place in the first half of the season between May 14 and July 11, prior to the in-season scheduling break due to the Olympic Games.
The Basketball Africa League, a newly formed but one-year delayed organized pro league spanning the continent of Africa, will debut May 16. Both the International Basketball Federation and the NBA are providing full support to the endeavor which features 12 pro teams.
Not to be forgotten, the BAL’s and WNBA’s big brother, the National Basketball Association, will begin its 2021 NBA Playoffs with a “Play-In” tournament, a new and unproven concept to field the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in each of the two NBA conferences. Gone is the NBA Bubble in Orlando and the 2021 playoffs will take place with a limited number of fans in each home arena, depending mostly on State and local government rules and authorities.
A couple weeks down the road, the European “EuroLeague” Basketball Final Four will be staged in Cologne, Germany on Friday, May 28 and Sunday, May 30. The competing four teams include CSKA Moscow vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul, and AX Armani Exchange Milano vs. FC Barcelona
As summer approaches, the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Men and Women will be staged to determine the final national teams to compete in Tokyo. Those qualifiers will be played from June 29 to July 4th, a few weeks before the Tokyo Olympics begin (July 25th) with Iran facing a qualifier to be determined later. The delayed Olympic tournament will run through the gold medal game scheduled for Saturday, August 7 at the Saitama Super Arena, the “Brooklyn” to Tokyo’s “NYC.”

A-Rod Still Working on T-Wolves

May 11, 2021 by Terry Lyons

MINNEAPOLIS – Former Major League Baseball MVP and World Champion Alex Rodriguez and his billionaire financial backer Marc Lore have yet to complete their deal to purchase the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves following a 30-day exclusive negotiating window. The potential ownership group has reportedly continued to negotiate with Timberwolves’ current owner Glen Taylor.

The Athletic originally reported an agreement was reached on a $1.5 billion price and that the team would remain in Minneapolis — a requirement from Taylor, who has owned the team for almost 30 years.

Rodriguez and Lore would first become minority owners, according to The Athletic, and in 2023, would gain full control. The deal would also include the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

Jalen Brown Out for Season, Playoffs

May 11, 2021 by Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was diagnosed with a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist. Brown is expected to have the torn ligament surgically repaired this week, and will be out for the remainder of the 2020-21 regular season and playoffs.

Brown had recently been sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Further updates will be provided as appropriate.

Listless Celtics Lose to Bulls

May 7, 2021 by Digital Sports Desk

CHICAGO – Chicago’s combination of Zach LaVine and Coby White each scored 25 points and the Bulls overcame a big effort by Boston’s Kemba Walker and the Bulls soundly defeated the slumping Celtics, 121-99, on Friday night. The game marked the first time this season fans were admitted to Chicago’s United Center, and the Bulls were fueled by their presence. Chicago led by 21 in the third quarter but allowed Boston to draw within eight in the fourth quarter, before putting the game away by scoring 12 straight.

With the victory, Chicago kept their playoff hopes alive and pulled within three games of Washington and a half-game further away from the Indiana Pacers for the final spots in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Like their arch-rivals out West in the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston is trying to avoid the play-in tourney, but fell to seventh in the East and trail Miami by a game with the Heat beating Minnesota. The Celtics and Heat meet for an all-important game Sunday in Boston.

Celtics Suffer Costly Loss to Blazers

May 3, 2021 by Terry Lyons

BOSTON – Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum scored 10 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and the Blazers continued their winning ways on the road with a 129-119 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Sunday night. The Trail Blazers extended their winning streak to four, all on the road, and will play two more games on this trip.

The Blazers entered the game in the seventh slot of the Western Conference playoff standings and are trying to work their way out of the NBA’s new play-in round.

Damian Lillard had 26 points and 13 assists for Portland. Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony added 13 points for Portland — including a 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining to help seal it after Boston pulled within two points.

For the Celtics, All-Star forwards Jalen Brown and Jayson Tatum collided at the end of the game and Brown needed assistance as both players left the game and went right to the locker room. Brown has been suffering from right ankle pain and the collision seemed to stem from that fact. Tatum “seemed okay,” according to Boston Coach Brad Stevens.

Tatum scored 33 to lead Boston, as they play to avoid falling into the play-in round in the playoff stretch run of the NBA season.

JT = 60 as Celtics Top Spurs in OT

May 1, 2021 by Terry Lyons

BOSTON – Boston Celtics all-star forward Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 60 points, including four key free throws in the final 12 seconds of overtime, as the Boston Celtics came back from a 32-point deficit to beat the vSan Antonio Spurs, 143-140, Friday night at TD Garden.

The 60-point performance tied Boston’s franchise record for most points in a game, set by Hall of Famer Larry Bird on March 12, 1985 in a game against the Atlanta Hawks that even had the Hawks players frolicking on the bench in amazement.

The Celtics fell to the 32-point deficit 18 minutes into the game, but they roared back to tie the contest midway through the fourth period.

Boston took its first lead since the game’s opening minutes at 127-126 on Tatum’s 3-pointer with 38 seconds remaining in regulation. Tatum hit a free throw with 18.8 seconds to play to push the Celtics’ lead to two points. but the Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan re-tied the game with a pair of free throws with 10.8 seconds left, giving Boston a final shot for a win in regulation. Tatum missed a jumper at the buzzer to force overtime.

The extra period went back and forth, with the Spurs taking the lead at 137-136 on a jumper by Lonnie Walker IV with 31.7 seconds left. Jaylen Brown canned a 3-pointer to put Boston on top with 16.7 seconds to play, and Marcus Smart stole San Antonio’s ensuing inbounds pass, setting the stage for Tatum’s free throws that capped the comeback win for the Celtics.

Brown added 17 points for the Celtics (34-30), though he hit just 5 of 24 shots from the floor. Aaron Nesmith had 16 points, and Smart and Robert Williams III scored 10 for Boston. Tristan Thompson grabbed 15 rebounds and Smart had 12 assists.

DeRozan scored 30 points and distributed 14 assists, tied for his career high, for the Spurs (31-31) in the loss. Dejounte Murray and Walker added 24 points apiece, Rudy Gay had 16 and Jakob Poeltl racked up 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Spurs were up by as many as 25 points on the way to a 39-16 lead after 12 minutes of play. The Celtics’ first 12 points in the period were scored by Tatum, who finished with 14 in the first quarter.

Celtics Back in Win Column

April 29, 2021 by Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Boston’s All-Star forward Jaylen Brown scored 38 points and his fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum added 35 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as the Celtics bounced back from a three-game losing streak with a 120-111 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Brown has scored 30 points or more in three of his last five games for the Celtics.

Boston is currently teetering between the fourth Eastern Conference Playoff slot and home court advantage and the seventh slot which would force the Celtics into a new NBA Play-In” tournament to begin the postseason. The NBA regular season ends May 16th for Boston.

The coming weekend schedule pits the Celtics against the San Antonio Spurs (31-30, .508) and the Portland Trail Blazers (34-28, .548) in two tough home games against Western Conference competition. After the weekend, the Celtics play Eastern opponents in six of their remaining seven games.

Boston is a mediocre (20-12) at home this season.

Boston Takes Key Game vs Phoenix Suns

April 23, 2021 by Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Celtics All-Star guard Kemba Walker tied his season-high with 32 points to lead Boston to a key victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns, 99-86, Thursday night at TD Garden. Walker shot 11 of 17 from the field for the Celtics (32-27), who won for the ninth time in their last 11 games. All-Star forward Jayson Tatum had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Boston as he returned from a left ankle injury.

Boston played without its All-Star forward Jaylen Brown (shoulder), newly acquired forward Evan Fournier (health and safety) and center Robert Williams III (knee).

Veteran Phoenix guard Chris Paul had 22 points with eight rebounds and eight assists to lead the Suns (42-17), who lost for just the third time in their last 16 games. Suns guard Devin Booker had 15 points before fouling out.

The Celtics grabbed their largest lead of the game, 66-45, on a Tatum pull-up jumper with 7:13 left in the third quarter. A 10-2 Suns run prompted a Boston timeout, after which Mikal Bridges and Paul made short buckets to cut Phoenix’s deficit to single digits, 68-59.

Boston ended the period up 77-65. Later in the game, the Suns cut the deficit to nine, 90-81, but could not close the gap any further down the stretch.

Both Brown and Walker will be out tonight when the Celtics face Brooklyn.

Celtics Fall Short Against Bulls

April 19, 2021 by Terry Lyons

BOSTON – Boston’s All-Star forward Jayson Tatum recorded 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in his first career triple-double for the Celtics, but the club’s six-game winning streak came to an end as the visiting Chicago Bulls outlasted the shorthanded Boston Celtics, 102-96, on Monday night at TD Garden.

Jaylen Brown led the team with 23 points but Boston played without guards Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker, both sidelined with non-COVID illness. Boston center Robert Williams III (knee) and forward Evan Fournier (health and safety) also remained sidelined.

Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic scored 29 points to carry the Bulls to the victory. Vucevic added nine rebounds as the Bulls won their second straight game after a five-game losing streak. Coby White scored 19 and Thaddeus Young and Garrett Temple 13 apiece as Chicago remained without top scorer Zach LaVine for a third straight game due to health and safety protocol.

Celtics Sign Jabari Parker

April 17, 2021 by Terry Lyons

BOSTON – (Source: Official team news release) – The Boston Celtics have signed forward Jabari Parker, the team announced. Selected with the second overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2014 NBA Draft, Parker, 26, has averaged 14.8 points (49.3% FG, 32.3% 3-PT, 74.0% FT), 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 28.8 minutes in 288 career games (190 starts) over seven NBA seasons with Milwaukee, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, and Sacramento.