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Post by Admin on Sept 12, 2020 0:56:54 GMT -5
Boston Celtics’ Gordon Hayward is expected to return vs. Miami Heat, exact date remains uncertain By Tom Westerholm |
 (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Prior to Game 7 between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, Celtics wing Gordon Hayward was spotted on the court jogging tenderly through a few drills and putting up some shots on his injured right ankle.
Hayward suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain in Boston’s sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, an injury that was projected to keep him out at least four weeks. After briefly leaving the bubble to be with his pregnant wife and daughters, Hayward returned this week and was released from quarantine on Friday.
Now, according to a report from TNT’s Rebecca Harlowe, Hayward should be ready to return to action “sooner rather than later.” Brad Stevens confirmed that Hayward is nearing a return in his post-game comments.
“I think he’ll be back at some point in that series, but I don’t know when,” Stevens said.
That’s big for the Celtics, who held off the Raptors in a heavyweight bout -- claiming a 92-87 victory on Friday to advance. Boston missed Hayward quite a bit against Toronto, as the Raptors threw out a series of difficult zones that held the Celtics in check.
The Celtics will need Hayward against the Heat. Miami’s defense isn’t as strong as Toronto’s, but the Heat throw out several zone defenses as well. Hayward’s ability to shoot, make plays for others and score in the mid-range could be crucial in an attempt to make Miami pay for non-traditional alignments.
Hayward is still expected to leave the bubble again for the birth of his son, which reportedly is expected to occur near the end of September. A recent ESPN article suggested Hayward might remain in the bubble based on an Instagram post by Hayward’s wife Robyn in which she said the next time she saw Hayward, he would no longer be the only boy in the family. That, however, has not been confirmed by Hayward or the team.
In any case, the Celtics will be happy to have Hayward back whenever they can have him. The patchwork lineups in his absence made for some uncomfortable matchups, and his ability to do a little bit of everything -- and to create shots for himself -- is invaluable in a playoff series.
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Post by jdm894g on Sept 12, 2020 1:55:03 GMT -5
Much need help. The calvary to the rescue.
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Post by cole on Sept 12, 2020 12:00:54 GMT -5
Man am i glad we are getting a few days off. I was afraid they would make us play tomorrow.
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Post by Admin on Sept 13, 2020 17:16:25 GMT -5
Celtics Gordon Hayward advances to ‘very light drills,’ expected to return ‘at some point’ in Eastern Conference Finals vs. Miami Heat
By John Karalis | 
(AP Photo/Mike Ehrmann, Pool)
Boston Celtics wing Gordon Hayward is progressing towards a return to the floor. On Sunday, nearly a full month since suffering a Grade 3 right ankle sprain in the first game of the playoffs, Hayward was at Celtics practice.
“He did a couple of non-contact, very light drills," Brad Stevens said Sunday afternoon. "He’s out there doing individual work right now, but none of the stuff with any groups.”
Hayward has missed 10 playoff game since the injury, which happened on August 17. Tomorrow marks the four week mark since the injury, and the Celtics originally announced an approximately four week timeline for his return. Stevens said he expect Hayward back fairly soon.
The timing of the injury was unfortunate for Hayward, who was playing some of his best basketball as a Celtic in the seeding games. He knew instantly that it wasn’t just a regular sprained ankle and that it would take him some time to come back.
“It’s definitely gutting,” Hayward said of the injury last month. “It sucks. There’s nothing else to say about that. So, it’s definitely frustrating. It doesn’t feel great at the moment. Just try to get better as soon as I can.”
Fortunately for Hayward, the Celtics survived their series with the Toronto Raptors, giving him a chance to continue his rehab and return to playing.
The Celtics will need another weapon like Hayward to stretch the Miami defense. The Heat play a lot of zone, and Hayward’s ability to shoot over the top of it or operate in the middle of it as a facilitator could make a big difference in this series.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Tuesday night at 6:30.
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Post by Admin on Sept 13, 2020 17:59:06 GMT -5
Celtics to face the Heat in Conference Finals: What to expectBy Kevin Negron Finally, the Eastern Conference Finals are set. The Boston Celtics knew that going against the Toronto Raptors was going to be a battle. Now that we have gotten past that hill, Boston find themselves at the last step before heading to the NBA Finals, facing a mountain called the Miami Heat. Get ready for an East Coast war starting Tuesday night. During the regular season, Boston had the upper hand winning 2 out of the 3 matchups. Let’s reminisce, shall we.
BOS 112 - MIA 93 Dec. 4 | “All Love from 7”
You might remember it as the game where Jaylen Brown went off for 31 points. It was just a couple days before Gordon Hayward returned from his fractured left hand that he suffered on November 9th.
The Celtics had been holding up the weight each night since then with an 8-4 record. Jaylen went 5-9 from three point land, 6-8 from the line and finished off blowing a kiss toward former teammate, Kelly Olynyk, after a made three [so cold].
He wasn’t the only one giving the Heat some sauce as Kemba Walker had 28 points, 7 assists and shot 54% from trey, 52% from the field.
The bench was significant as they formed together like Voltron and scored 24 points. Jayson Tatum had 19 points and got to the line making 5 out of 6 free throws.
Our defense was a major part of this win at keeping Miami at bay. Win or lose, Jimmy Butler is a name we're unfortunately going to be seeing alot of. As long as we keep our defense up to par and have multiple players in the high double digit figures as seen in this game, Jimmy can go for 37 and we can still get a win.
BOS 109 - MIA 101 Jan. 28 | “Gordon’s Heat Check”
The Celtics faced off with the Heat for the second time, and the first time in the infamous new year of 2020.
Once again, Boston was missing a starter. This time it was Jayson Tatum due to right groin strain. From the tip off to the final whistle, Boston was in cruise control.
It was the first time the Heat were given a loss at home by a team in the East and were kept at 37% shooting, a season-worst at home. Miami only shot 24% from beyond the arc and that was just another showcase of that world class Celtic defense being Miami's kryptonite.
The starters were all on point this game. Gordon Hayward had 29 points, 9 rebounds. Jaylen Brown added into the win with 25 points. Daniel Theis had a double-double in this game with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Kemba Walker had 16 points, 8 assists and Marcus was all over the floor who had 11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Not to leave out the guys on the bench putting up 18 points.
The Heat kept fighting back but anytime that they went ahead in the score, Boston kept pushing ahead. Our top notch defense, our bench, multiple starters in double digits and a certain player leading the scoreboard have been persistent factors in beating the Miami Heat.
BOS 106 - MIA 112 Aug. 4 | “Payback in the Bubble”
Let’s just say a lot has happened since the last time these teams have seen each other. However, The Heat had the last and only laugh within the bubble seeding games against the Celtics.
Without Jimmy Butler, it didn't seem to be a problem for Miami. Bam Adebayo, who wasn’t really a force in the earlier first two games, had 21 points, 12 rebounds and was 11-18 from the line.
Duncan Robinson had a game. The New England native, who grew up watching the Celtics play at TD Garden, also had 21 points, and shot 50% from the floor.
The Celtics never had a lead after every quarter and gave up 16 turnovers. The starters were in double figures and the bench added 24 points with Enes Kanter shooting 5-6 from field goal range and getting 10 points. Sadly, our defense didn’t show up.
It’s as if Miami stole our defensive skill like in Space Jam because Boston was kept at 30% from downtown. Gordon Hayward had 15 points and Jaylen Brown had 18 points but were both combined 0-10 3PT.
Playoff Bound: Miami is Different
There must be something in the water down there in Orlando because Miami isn’t the same Miami we’ve played against in January.
Miami's team is like a slightly altered mirror image of Boston in these playoffs. How can this be? They’re the 5th seed in the East while the Celtics are 3rd going into the playoffs.
During the regular season, Boston was second in the league in defense, trailing behind Toronto [RIP]. This would be good news if considering the fact that Toronto was our last stop to the Finals.
Yet, in the NBA Playoffs, Miami who were ranked 15th in the league are now second in defense, trailing Boston.
The great news is that Boston has three players that are averaging at least 20 points per game and Marcus is hyping up the team in defensive rallies in every series.
Even though Miami is going to the Eastern Conference Finals 8-1, true Celtics fans would argue and say that Boston is also 8-1. The shot from Anunoby and the foul on Kemba and we had those games! Sorry… I digress, but you get what I’m talking about, we're evenly matched no matter how you look at it. But which team has the most playoff experience the last couple years? Exactly, we've been here before, just another job to handle.
Stats via: ESPN.com
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Post by Admin on Sept 13, 2020 18:26:56 GMT -5
FiveThirtyEight: Cs most-likely in East for Finals, in NBA to win title
By Justin Quinn
The Boston Celtics surged to the top of FiveThirtyEight’s 2019-20 NBA Predictions after their 92 – 87 Game 7 win over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Friday.
Garnering pole positions in the estimation of the data wizards running the ironically-named RAPTOR-based projection, the Celtics are now deemed to have a 75% chance of getting past their opponents of the East Finals — the Miami Heat — to get to the 2020 NBA Finals.
Perhaps even more intriguing, Boston is expected to have a 54% chance of hanging Banner 18 this October.
The Celtics’ next-nearest opponent in the title race is the Los Angeles Clippers, given a 19% shot at winning it all, followed by the Miami Heat with 12%, and, shockingly, the Los Angeles Lakers with just 8% odds of a title.
The nearly-eliminated Denver Nuggets are expected to have less than 1% odds of a championship this season, which makes sense given their current position in their Western Conference Semifinals series.
The Celtics’ split regular-season record with the Heat would perhaps inspire confidence in some, but for the data-crunchers at FiveThirtyEight, a 25% shot at getting past Boston is the assessment, and based on the star power and matchup, it’s probably as good a guess as any.
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Post by fierce on Sept 13, 2020 18:29:37 GMT -5
That's why I say Celts in 5 games versus Heat.
Right now Clips are in trouble.
Anything can happen in Game 7.
Celts can beat Lakers.
Banner 18, here we come!
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Post by cole on Sept 15, 2020 9:03:44 GMT -5
Have you guys heard that Brown is out with a groin injury from his splits?
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Post by drewski6 on Sept 15, 2020 9:28:58 GMT -5
^ No. F.
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Post by cole on Sept 15, 2020 9:48:08 GMT -5
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Post by elvissurfs on Sept 15, 2020 9:49:20 GMT -5
No worries, just a groin injury...
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Post by elvissurfs on Sept 15, 2020 9:56:18 GMT -5
My guess is that Hayward does not play for the first few games, if at all during this series...losing or having an impaired Brown would be disastrous...
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Post by cole on Sept 15, 2020 9:57:24 GMT -5
I can't find a second source for it, but one article said it in the body of the article, and then when I mentioned it to a kid in my class he said he had already heard it.
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Post by drewski6 on Sept 15, 2020 10:36:46 GMT -5
In his postgame - he noted that he didnt feel it during the game, because adrenaline, but was feeling it then. Hopefully he's 100% today.
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Post by elvissurfs on Sept 15, 2020 17:43:19 GMT -5
Home for the start of a game!...super stoked...Go Celtics!!!...
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Post by elvissurfs on Sept 15, 2020 17:44:44 GMT -5
And the Clippers better pull their heads out of their arses tonight...
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Post by elvissurfs on Sept 15, 2020 17:46:45 GMT -5
Hopefully Doc shows up to do the play by play...
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 15, 2020 17:46:59 GMT -5
8 more wins.
Let's go
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 15, 2020 17:48:24 GMT -5
Great start, guys
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Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2020 17:49:50 GMT -5
Smart starts it with a three ... and another from JB! |
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Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2020 17:51:22 GMT -5
JT a three ... JB layup from Kemba.
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Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2020 17:53:28 GMT -5
JT blocks Adebayo putback then hits a stepback J over Hero ... 12-3 Celtics ... Time Out Heat!
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Post by fierce on Sept 15, 2020 17:55:00 GMT -5
Man for man, Celts clearly better.
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Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2020 17:58:31 GMT -5
Theis blks Bayo then slams at other end!
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Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2020 17:59:15 GMT -5
Man for man, Celts clearly better.
it's early but so far yes.
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