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Category: Celtics

Latest Boston Celtics Rumors and News.

  • Celtics draft pick Yam Madar injured by object thrown from stands in Turkey

    Celtics draft pick Yam Madar injured by object thrown from stands in Turkey

    Israeli guard Yam Madar suffered a cut above his eye and fell to the court after an object was thrown from the stands during a game in Turkey. Madar plays for Turkish club Fenerbahce Beko, which was facing Besiktas.Yam Mader

    The incident happened during a stoppage in play when players huddled around their coach.

    Madar, 22, is 6-foot-3 and was selected by the Boston Celtics with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He played for the Celtics in the 2021 Summer League, but has not appeared in an NBA game or even joined Boston for training camp.

    Basket News provided details on the incident.

    “The Istanbul derby, situated on Besiktas’ home court, started off very competitive and the fans got too involved in the game,” the outlet wrote.

    “Madar was unfortunately hit by an object, which caused an opening on his right eyebrow.

    “The guard exited the game as Besiktas’s coaches and players appealed to their fans to remain calm.”

  • NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals set

    NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals set

    Our first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament Elite Eight is about to tip off.LeBron James passes around Josh Okogie (Getty)

    With the completion of Tuesday’s final games in the group stage, eight teams remained and advanced to the “knockout” round. The winners of those four games will then head to Las Vegas for the right to square off in the title game — the only game of the tournament that doesn’t count toward the regular-season standings.

    Here is how things stack up (home team listed first), with games scheduled for Monday, Dec. 4, and Tuesday, Dec. 5:

    Western Conference

    • Lakers vs. Suns
    • Pelicans vs. Kings

    Eastern Conference

    • Bucks vs. Knicks
    • Pacers vs. Celtics

    The 22 teams that did not qualify will have to schedule regular-season games, and the majority of those should be held Wednesday, Dec. 6, and Friday, Dec. 8.

  • Celtics visit Pacers; Knicks visit Bucks for In-Season Tournament quarterfinals

    Celtics visit Pacers; Knicks visit Bucks for In-Season Tournament quarterfinals

    The Eastern Conference half of the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals are set, and who knows? Maybe it’s a preview of things to come in the actual playoffs.Tyrese Haliburton drives by Malik Beasley

    But no matter how you feel about that possibility, here are the facts and they cannot be disputed:

    The Indiana Pacers will host the Boston Celtics in one East quarterfinal, with the Milwaukee Bucks hosting the New York Knicks in the other. 

    Now that Group play has ended, whoever loses is out — as the knockout round is just like the NCAA Tournament. One game, and it’s win or go home.

    We will have a separate post on the Western Conference quarterfinals once they are completely set. Right now, one is — and that features the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Phoenix Suns.

    Teams that did not qualify for the quarterfinals will have regular-season games scheduled for next week.

    https://twitter.com/AmicoHoops/status/1729700014539087934

  • Celtics’ Jrue Holiday: No hard feelings with Bucks

    Celtics’ Jrue Holiday: No hard feelings with Bucks

    For the first time, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday is facing the team that traded him. That would be none other than the Milwaukee Bucks, who actually sent Holiday to the Trail Blazers as part of a deal for (you guessed it) star guard Damian Lillard.Jrue Holiday

    Holiday and his Bucks teammates were tight, winning a title together in 2021. But the Bucks were bounced in the first round last season and likely believed Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo could put them over the top.

    At least, that’s the hope. Sadly, Milwaukee had to part with Holiday to make it happen. 

    He seems to understand, and the fact he’s with another Eastern Conference contender perhaps lightened the blow of the trade.

    This despite the fact he received no warning that a deal was on the way. None. Nada. Zilch. Again, though, he holds no grudges.

    “No,” he told reporters when asked about a grudge. “I think that they got what they wanted, so I can’t be mad at that.

    “A warning would’ve been cool. But other than that, I’m in the best place that I can be to compete against them, which is for the top team in the East and, hopefully, the top team in the league.”

    As for the game itself, Holiday indicated he’s approaching it just like another game against a quality opponent.

    “It’s not like I circled this one on my calendar or anything,” Holiday said. “I think that this is a big game because of the two teams that are playing, I think because of the caliber players that are on the court and all that, so that’s what I would like for it to be about, not me playing against the Bucks.”

  • East Notes: Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Bucks, Damian Lillard, Hawks

    East Notes: Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Bucks, Damian Lillard, Hawks

    Celtics

    Guard/forward Jayson Tatum may just be the best player in the NBA — or a least, the best American-born player, according to Celtics legend Paul Pierce.Jayson Tatum looks to drive vs Gordon Hayward (Getty)

    “I already thought Joker [Nikola Jokic] is the best player right now,” Pierce said on a podcast this week, via Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. “He’s the best overall … but the best American player is Jayson Tatum. And I don’t really see, outside of [Stephen Curry], it’s not really a decent argument I feel that anybody can give.”

    • Boston is coming close to reaching coach Joe Mazzulla‘s goal of 50 3-point attempts per game, with an average of 48.3, Aschburner noted. “The Celtics are 3-1 when they launch 50 or more from the arc, 4-1 when they shoot between 40-49 and 4-1 when they take 39 or fewer,” he wrote.

    Bucks

    The Bucks are 9-0 when Damian Lillard scores 20 or more points and 7-3 when Giannis Antetokounmpo does so (via Ashburner). In other words, things are going well for the NBA’s newest dynamic duo.

    “Not his turn, my turn, but I’ve got to be effective while he’s doing what he’s doing,” Lillard said of Antetokounmpo. “Whether that’s my spacing or when they go double him and they throw it to me and I’m open, I’ve got to take and make those shots. So it’s a pick-your-poison type of situation where we can play off of each other.”

    • The Bucks are facing former teammate and current Celtics guard Jrue Holiday for the first time when the teams meet Wednesday. “It’s going to be really strange,” Antetokounmpo said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “But at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what you gotta do. It’s going to be strange seeing one of my brothers playing in a different jersey, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. It’s going to be weird for him to see us playing against us, too. We’ll see. We’ll see how it goes.”

    Hawks

    The Hawks scored 152 points in Tuesday’s In-Season Tournament game vs. the Pacers … and still lost. That’s because they gave up 157, surrendering a 20-point lead along the way.

    Two years removed from the Eastern Conference finals, they sit at No. 18 in the NBA.com Power Rankings. But it’s not all bad news. The Hawks are staying in games that often could go either way.

    “Four of the Hawks’ (first) six losses were within five points in the last five minutes, eight of their 12 games have come against teams that currently have winning records, and they have a positive point differential for the season,” wrote John Schuhmann of NBA.com.

  • East Notes: Hornets, LaMelo Ball, Celtics, Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo

    East Notes: Hornets, LaMelo Ball, Celtics, Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo

    Hornets

    Point guard LaMelo Ball said he’s starting to feel like himself for the first time in a while — as evidenced by his 36-point night in Monday’s win over the Celtics.LaMelo Ball

    “I’m a little more healthy and I have some games under my belt,” Ball told reporters. “My game has finally got there and I’m feeling better now.”

    He appeared in just 36 games last year because of ankle injuries. That included an injury after stepping on the foot of a fan sitting courtside.

    • Ball is averaging 32 points over the past eight games, and the Hornets are playing better now that forward Miles Bridges is back on the court, having served his 10-game suspension.

    Celtics

    Star wing Jayson Tatum scored 45 points, but missed a late free throw, as the Celtics had their six-game winning streak snapped via Monday’s overtime loss to the Hornets.

    “We have to regroup,” Tatum told reporters. “We had six wins in a row and it’s easy to get complacent and we paid for it tonight.”

    • Tatum added that he felt like the missed free throw was on the mark. “Was I surprised? Yeah, I was surprised,” he said of the miss. “It felt good, just didn’t go in.”

    Bucks 

    Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo put forth one of the best shooting nights in NBA history on Monday, when he scored 42 points to lift the Bucks to a road win over the Wizards.

    His 20-of-23 performance comes out to 87 percent shooting — the best on at least 20 shots since Mike Woodson of the then-Kansas City Kings went 22-of-24 (92 percent) in a 48-point outburst vs. the Rockets on Feb. 20, 1983.

    “Left block, right block, transition, rim run, off the dribble,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “Roll, pop — just play random basketball. I think it’s harder to guard, harder for them to load up.”

    • Bucks coach Adrian Griffin called Antetokounmpo “unstoppable,” but Antetokounmpo said he’s not sure about that particular description. “I wish it was easy,” he said. “I wish I could come in and score 42 every game, but it’s hard. You’ve got to work extremely hard to get comfortable, to get in your rhythm, to get to your spot, to play-make for yourself, to play-make for your teammates. It’s hard.”
  • East Notes: Celtics, Derrick White, Sixers, Knicks

    East Notes: Celtics, Derrick White, Sixers, Knicks

    Celtics

    It took everything they had, but Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and the Celtics fought their way to an impressive road win over the 76ers on Wednesday. This despite the fact Jaylen Brown (illness) and Kristaps Porzingis (bruised knee) were out.Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid battle for a loos ball

    Tatum scored 29 points and White had 27, including 14 in the fourth quarter.

    “Everyone has to step it up a little bit,” White told reporters. “Obviously, guys like J.B. and K.P., you can’t do what they do. But you have to step it up just a little bit and I think that a lot of guys stepped up tonight.”

    • Coach Joe Mazzulla also had plenty of praise for Jrue Holiday, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. “Jrue, I told him before the game, ‘I watched you on film take things over when guys on the Bucks team were out, and you won games because of what you did on both ends,’” Mazzulla said, via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. “So, he was able to do some of that tonight.”

    76ers

    The Sixers were playing the second game of a back-to-back and third in four nights in the loss to Boston. It may have caught up with them in the second half.

    “The physicality on the ball, we were not able to get into things as crisply as we would like to,” coach Nick Nurse said. “It’s not always easy coming off a back-to-back like that and it took us a minute to get into the game. I think that we gave up some easy offense and dug ourselves a hole.”

    Knicks 

    Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle came up big in Wednesday’s road win over the Hawks, as Brunson hit a pull-up jumper with 18 seconds to go. New York claimed a 116-114 victory.

    “We showed a lot of toughness — more mental than physical — and found a way to win,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters.

    • Thibodeau added that Brunson in particular showed some stick-to-itiveness in a close game and came through when they needed him most. “He couldn’t find his rhythm early,” Thibodeau said. “But he just kept working the game, working the game, working the game.”
  • East Notes: Hornets, Miles Bridges, Knicks, Celtics

    East Notes: Hornets, Miles Bridges, Knicks, Celtics

    Hornets

    Forward Miles Bridges will play a significant role the very minute he returns from his suspension, per Kristian Winfield of the NY Daily News.Miles Bridges

    Bridges was suspended for the first 10 games following an investigation into a domestic violence incident — which caused him to miss all of last year. There have been separate allegations since, resulting in Bridges turning himself in to police.

    Nonetheless, he signed a one-year deal in the offseason and has been preparing to play since.

    “I think he’ll be ready to play. He’s in practice every day,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. “So, he’s been well organized when he’s there. He’s in really good shape. He’s worked hard. I’ll be honest, we’ve been playing every other day… But he will have a significant role right away.”

    On the court, Bridges put together a career year in 2021-22, averaging 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists. All were career highs.

    • Rookie forward Brandon Miller was forced to exit Sunday’s road loss to the Knicks with a tweaked ankle, though Clifford suggested it’s not anything serious. “It’ll be, I think, more day to day,” Clifford said.

    Knicks

    The Knicks shot a season-high 54 percent from the field in their 129-107 win over the Hornets on Sunday, when they also scored a season-high in points.

    So don’t look now, but New York has won three straight.

    “We’re playing better basketball,” power forward Julius Randle told reporters. “It’s still super-early in the season, so we’ve got to keep building to where we want to be at.”

    • Coach Tom Thibodeau praised the entire effort. “We had a number of guys who made very unselfish plays and then we got going defensively a little bit,” he said. “And that got us some easy scoring opportunities, and we need those.”

    Celtics

    • Forward Kristaps Porzingis indicated he felt fine after playing in back-to-back games, via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. “Honestly, I didn’t start the season in perfect shape. I think now I’m starting to feel the way I need to feel, and I’m still going to improve,” Prozingis said. “Rhythm, feel, shot, everything is still going to get much better.”
    • Forward Sam Hauser has rebounded nicely when it comes to his 3-point shooting. He went just 3-of-15 in October, but is 21-of-38 from deep since. “It’s kind of my job,” Hauser said, via Souichi Terada of MassLive. “It’s nothing crazy. Obviously it’s nice to see more go through than miss, so I’m really happy with that. But yeah, it’s my job, so I always have to be ready to make some shots.”
  • East Notes: Wizards, Kyle Kuzma, Sixers, Joel Embiid, Celtics

    East Notes: Wizards, Kyle Kuzma, Sixers, Joel Embiid, Celtics

    Wizards

    The Wizards’ reserves outscored the Hornets by a whopping 72-23 count for a stunning road win on Wednesday.Kyle Kuzma

    “The bench was unbelievable,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. told reporters. “They have shown spurts for us in this young season. It’s comforting to know that you have guys who can come in and impact the game offensively and defensively and stem the tide and hold off runs.”

    • Forward Kyle Kuzma wasn’t too bad himself, scoring 33. But even he credited the bench. “I have to give some credit to the bench, they played phenomenal tonight,” Kuzma said. “… Those guys were huge for us and they propelled us to a win.”

    76ers

    Don’t look now, but the Sixers have won six in a row. Their lone loss came in the opener, at Milwaukee, and they lost by a single point. So much for the James Harden drama.

    “New coach, new systems, bunch of new guys, just trying to get everybody up to speed,” center Joel Embiid said. “Let’s see what we can do.”

    Celtics

    In the loss to Philadelphia, big man Kristaps Porzingis missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds that could’ve tied it. Both teams entered the game 5-1.

    “It was a really good look,” Porzingis told reporters. “As I went into the shot, I kind of went into it as it was a mid-range shot. I jumped a little higher. I usually don’t do that for 3s. I just shot it bad.”

    • Boston allowed the Sixers to close the third quarter with a flurry, going up 81-71 entering the final 12 minutes. “Any time you’re playing against a great team, like (Tyrese Maxey) and Embiid, if you’re down 10, you’re down 15 to 18 because of their ability to make shots,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
  • East Notes: Nets, Cam Thomas, Celtics, Hornets, LaMelo Ball

    East Notes: Nets, Cam Thomas, Celtics, Hornets, LaMelo Ball

    Nets

    Guard Cam Thomas is off to a fantastic start, averaging 26.0 points through six games, and suggested a breakout season may be in the cards.Cam Thomas

    “Yeah, it could be,” he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “Anytime you average 26 points a game to start the season, that’s a good thing. Last year, I was probably only averaging about 2-5 points at this same time. Then, by the end of last year, I averaged about 10 points, and now it’s 26.

    “Obviously, it’s somewhat of a breakout, but I just want to keep building. It’s still early. As long as I can stay consistent, that’s the main thing, whether it’s 15, 20, or 30 points. I want to play a complete game, be consistent, and help my team out the best way I can.”

    Thomas also has high hopes for the Nets, who have been competitive in the early going under coach Jacque Vaughn.

    “I want us to keep getting better. I feel like we can very easily be 5-1 to start the season. Our first two games were basically one-possession games,” Thomas told Scotto. “If we got that last shot against Cleveland, and then Luka Doncic hit an amazing shot at the end of the Dallas game. Obviously, the goal is to make the playoffs and win a championship. That’s what everybody’s aspirations are. I feel like we can make the playoffs and do some damage. We have a lot of length and versatility. Our team is set up for the way that we want to play.”

    • Center Nicolas Claxton has appeared in just one game after suffering a sprained ankle and is expected to continue to miss time. Per Erik Slater of Clutch Points, Claxton very well could miss at least another month. 

    Celtics

    Former stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have been left impressed with the Celtics’ 5-0 start to the season, as revealed on the Ticket and The Truth podcast.

    “When they’re on the court, they play every possession,” Pierce said, via Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire. “They’re going for offensive rebounds, they’re (defending), they’re cutting, they’re setting screens, and they’re going for steals. They never stop playing the game — your star might go over here and wait on the ball or don’t go for the offensive rebounds. They play every part of the game you can play.”

    • Bobby Manning and Josue Pavon of CLNS discussed the Celtics’ unbeaten start and how long it can last on a recent podcast, which can be viewed here.

    Hornets

    Point guard LaMelo Ball erupted for 23 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter against the Mavericks, but the Hornets blew a 15-point lead on the road to lose.

    “Just trying to win, really. Trying to do as much as I could,” Ball told reporters of the highest-scoring quarter of his career. “Didn’t really go our way at the end.”

    • Coach Steve Clifford admitted the Hornets tried, but could do nothing to slow Mavs star Luka Doncic. “We changed coverages,” Clifford said. “We really tried like four or five different things. And he just destroyed us. They had him for nine assists, but he created almost their entire offense. And we couldn’t figure out a way to stop him.”
    • Charlotte next faces Washington on Wednesday — for its lone stop at home in a five-game stretch.
  • East Notes: Hornets, Brandon Miller, Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis, Heat

    East Notes: Hornets, Brandon Miller, Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis, Heat

    Hornets

    Coach Steve Clifford said he was impressed with the way No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller bounced back after getting in early foul trouble vs. the Hawks.

    “He’s not like most guys his age,” Clifford said. “He gets in foul trouble and some guys wouldn’t be able to come back from that. He had a couple calls that didn’t go his way. But then he made some huge plays in the fourth quarter. If you watch him, he has great self-confidence.”

    Miller said a step-back 3-pointer to beat the shot clock got him going. He then hit another three to put the Hornets up for good.

    “It definitely hasn’t settled in yet,” said Miller, who scored 13 points. “I think tonight it’s probably going to settle in when I go to sleep. I’m definitely going to feel it tomorrow morning.”

    Celtics 

    Forward Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 in his debut with the Celtics, and he just happened to do it in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks, the team that drafted him back in 2015.

    “Honestly, it’s an awesome feeling to come back now being a Celtic and play here,” he said. “Even getting booed and getting all that, it’s still cool, I really like that and enjoyed that. But most importantly we won the game and very excited about what we have ahead of us.”

    • Teammate Jayson Tatum indicated he’s pretty delighted about the arrival of Porzingis. “KP is hungry and excited to be here and knows how important he is to this team and what we need him to bring each and every night,” Tatum said.

    Heat

    The Heat were no strangers to close games last season and it seems they may be on their way to the same thing this year. After all, they surrendered a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter to beat the Pistons by a point.

    And even that wasn’t decided until Detroit guard Cade Cunningham missed a 30-footer at the buzzer.

    “Hopefully, this isn’t the start of another season where we’re going to be playing a clutch game every night,” Heat guard Tyler Herro said. “But it is fun.”

    The Pistons missed four shots in the final minute that would’ve given them the lead. So yes, this was a major escape job by Miami.

    “A win is a win, as (coach Erik Spoelstra) would tell you, as I would tell you, as anybody in that locker room would tell you,” star forward Jimmy Butler said.

  • East Notes: Sixers, James Harden, Celtics, Al Horford, Cavs

    East Notes: Sixers, James Harden, Celtics, Al Horford, Cavs

    76ers

    • Guard James Harden intended to travel with the Sixers to their games in Milwaukee and Toronto, but the Sixers though he might serve as a distraction, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
    • So, as we relayed here, Harden will stay back in Philadelphia, working out at the practice facility in Camden, N.J., for at least the first two games.
    • Harden requested a trade to the Clippers and it appears the Clippers are now all in on acquiring him. But still, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are no closer to a deal.
    • Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers said that not making the All-Star team last season really bothered Harden, and that may be where the issues with the Sixers actually began.
    • Harden was not among the players putting up shots after Wednesday’s practice, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

    Celtics

    Cavaliers

    • Point guard Darius Garland (hamstring) went through shootaround on Wednesday and “all signs point” to Garland playing vs. the Nets, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Garland entered the opener listed as questionable.
    • I have plenty more on the Cavs and what to expect for the season (or at least what I think) in my opening day dribbles. You can check them out here.
  • Celtics’ Lamar Stevens, Three Others on Camp-Only Deals Make Opening Rosters

    Celtics’ Lamar Stevens, Three Others on Camp-Only Deals Make Opening Rosters

    Celtics forward Lamar Stevens was among four players on non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 training camp contracts to make an opening night roster, as relayed by Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors.Lamar Stevens drives by JT Thor

    Nets center Harry Giles, Knicks point guard Ryan Arcidiacono and Hornets guard Edmond Sumner are the others.

    Stevens, 26, is in his first season with Boston and three years with the Cavaliers. He appeared in 62 games last season, averaging 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds.

    Exhibit 9 contracts are usually given to players for training camp and who aren’t expected to make the team. But they come with partial guarantees if the player does make the cut — and generally small raises if the player is still with the club a month or so into the season. 

    Sumner, 27, appeared in 53 games with the Nets last season, while Arcidiacono, 29, has played with the Knicks on a couple of occasions, and has spent time with the Bulls and Trail Blazers as well.

    Giles, 25, last played in the NBA with Portland in 2020-21. He spent two years before that with the Kings.

  • Celtics Waive Jay Scrubb From Two-Way Deal

    Celtics Waive Jay Scrubb From Two-Way Deal

    The Celtics needed to clear a two-way spot before signing center/forward Nathan Knight and have officially done so, waiving shooting guard Jay Scrubb, per the NBA transactions log.Jay Scrubb

    The move comes as no surprise, given that Scrubb suffered an ACL tear and is expected to miss the season.

    Scrubb, 23, is 6-foot-5 and has spent his time in the NBA on two-way or non-guaranteed contracts, appearing in two games with the Magic last season and 22 combined in two years with the Clippers before that.

    The No. 55 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Scrubb signed a two-way deal with Boston on July 15.

    Meanwhile, Knight joins shooting guard JD Davison and center Neemias Queta as the Celtics’ two-way players entering the season.