|
Post by Admin on Jun 4, 2022 17:07:24 GMT -5
Make note that this game is at 8PM rather than 9PM ... West coasters must love the 5PM (PCT) start just before dinner and while the day is still useful ... sorry but since us East coasters have endured midnite to 1AM finishes, it's your turn to make a sacrifice for the green.
|
|
|
Post by kdp59 on Jun 5, 2022 6:23:21 GMT -5
lets go!
|
|
|
Post by puddin on Jun 5, 2022 7:17:00 GMT -5
nytimes.com Why Payton Pritchard Isn’t Too Small for the Celtics’ Big Moments Sopan Deb 7-9 minutes
Easy to Overlook, He’s Not Too Small for the Celtics’ Big Moments
June 4, 2022
It was one of the more amusing moments of the N.B.A. playoffs.
During Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics reserve guard Payton Pritchard drove into the paint against the Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro and hit a short jumper. Pritchard then put one hand near the floor, a common N.B.A. taunt to signify that a defender is too small to guard the taunter.
Pritchard is barely over six feet tall and is, in almost all N.B.A. situations, the smallest player on the court. Herro is four inches taller than him.
“The game is competitive, so, I mean there’s always going to be a little bickering here and there,” Pritchard deadpanned in a recent interview.
Usually, Pritchard is on the receiving end of those gibes.
“If you give it out, you’ve got to take it, too,” he said.
Pritchard, a second-year guard, has often been considered too small, to the point that at the University of Oregon, he was sometimes mistaken for the team manager.
“I go out there and hoop regardless. It doesn’t matter to me,” Pritchard said. “They’ll know my name after the game.”
They certainly do now. Pritchard, 24, has had his moments as a scorer off the bench during the playoffs. During Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals against Golden State on Thursday, Pritchard helped spur Boston’s fourth-quarter comeback with 5 points and 4 rebounds in eight minutes. During those eight minutes, the Celtics outscored Golden State by 18 points.
His best postseason success was against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Pritchard reached double digits in scoring in three of the first four games. In Game 4, Pritchard scored 14 points, 11 of them in the fourth quarter, extinguishing any hope of a Heat comeback.
Boston Coach Ime Udoka has used him sporadically, in part because Pritchard’s size makes him an easy target on defense. In the final three games of the Celtics’ series against the Heat, Pritchard played just 12 minutes combined and didn’t score.
He also struggled against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but in the decisive Game 7, he chipped in 14 points and then delivered another viral moment. In the fourth quarter, Pritchard hit a 3-pointer that put the Celtics up 20. Pritchard turned to Boston’s bench and screamed, “That’s what I do!”
Damon Stoudamire, a Celtics assistant coach, knows well what it’s like to be the smallest player on the court. His nickname during a 13-year N.B.A. career was Mighty Mouse because he was under six feet tall.
“Those type of moments that you catch on camera, nobody really thinks about it,” he said of Pritchard’s 3-pointer against the Bucks. “But man, that’s a lot built up,” he said.
He added: “That’s just him showing emotion there for the moment because he’s finally gotten his opportunity. I mean, people forget: He really didn’t play the first half of the season.”
The Celtics selected Pritchard, who is from West Linn, Ore., with the 26th pick of the 2020 draft after his four-year college career at Oregon, where he was a first team all-American and helped the program get to the Final Four of the N.C.A.A. tournament.
Incidentally, Pritchard was one of the best guards to come out of Oregon since Stoudamire, a Portland native whom Pritchard has known since he was a boy. Like Stoudamire, Pritchard was known for his scoring prowess, shooting ability and supreme confidence.
“When I entered the N.B.A., I was the most N.B.A. ready at the time to go in and play right away,” Pritchard said.
He had a good rookie year, despite having to play behind more established guards like Marcus Smart, Jeff Teague and Kemba Walker. In 66 games, Pritchard averaged 7.7 points per game and shot 41.1 percent from 3 in 19.2 minutes per game.
But this season was bumpy. In the first half, Pritchard was once again buried on the depth chart. When he did play, he couldn’t hit shots. He appeared in 71 of 82 games this season. In the first 49, Pritchard shot just 37.8 percent from the field and was playing only 12.3 minutes a game, down from his rookie year.
Some nights, he wouldn’t play at all. He said it was “very frustrating.”
Stoudamire described it as “mentally taxing” on Pritchard.
“His whole life, he’s been a focal point of most teams,” Stoudamire said. “Now, he can’t even get off the bench. He doesn’t really know why. As a staff, we tried to do our best to talk to him. Like I told him, it really doesn’t have anything to do with you. It’s really just the numbers.”
This led to some difficult conversations between Udoka, also an Oregon native, and Pritchard. The two also had a relationship dating back to Pritchard’s youth.
“I asked him at one point if he ever sees me playing here. Am I good enough to play?” Pritchard said. “I believed in myself. I was always good enough. But is this the right fit? He just reassured me, and the trade deadline happened. And then the opportunity came.”
Among a flurry of moves at the deadline, the Celtics traded two veteran guards who had been playing ahead of Pritchard — Dennis Schröder and Josh Richardson — and brought back guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs. Suddenly, things began to click for Pritchard.
After the All-Star break, he had the best stretch of his career, averaging 9.6 points per game on 50.3 percent shooting in 22 games. He was one of the better 3-point shooters in the league in that period at 47.3 percent. He played well enough that in the playoffs, Udoka has at times trusted him to play crucial minutes in tight games, including against a talented Nets team in the first round and now against Golden State in the finals.
If Pritchard is to succeed long term, he will need to find a way to overcome his defensive struggles. Particularly in the Bucks series, Pritchard sometimes found himself in a one-on-one situation with the 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo. Improbably, Pritchard would occasionally hold his own. But for now, Pritchard’s shooting is what keeps him on the floor. The vast majority of his shots are 3s. In 19 postseason games, he’s shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from 3.
“Throughout these playoffs, his big games have always been games where we pulled away because of his momentum shots,” Stoudamire said.
His emergence — or re-emergence as a shot maker — isn’t surprising to Pritchard. As he might say: It is, after all, what he does.
|
|
|
Post by DaCeltics on Jun 5, 2022 16:27:51 GMT -5
nytimes.com Why Payton Pritchard Isn’t Too Small for the Celtics’ Big MomentsSopan Deb 7-9 minutes Easy to Overlook, He’s Not Too Small for the Celtics’ Big Moments June 4, 2022 It was one of the more amusing moments of the N.B.A. playoffs. During Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics reserve guard Payton Pritchard drove into the paint against the Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro and hit a short jumper. Pritchard then put one hand near the floor, a common N.B.A. taunt to signify that a defender is too small to guard the taunter. Pritchard is barely over six feet tall and is, in almost all N.B.A. situations, the smallest player on the court. Herro is four inches taller than him. “The game is competitive, so, I mean there’s always going to be a little bickering here and there,” Pritchard deadpanned in a recent interview. Usually, Pritchard is on the receiving end of those gibes. “If you give it out, you’ve got to take it, too,” he said. Pritchard, a second-year guard, has often been considered too small, to the point that at the University of Oregon, he was sometimes mistaken for the team manager. “I go out there and hoop regardless. It doesn’t matter to me,” Pritchard said. “They’ll know my name after the game.” They certainly do now. Pritchard, 24, has had his moments as a scorer off the bench during the playoffs. During Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals against Golden State on Thursday, Pritchard helped spur Boston’s fourth-quarter comeback with 5 points and 4 rebounds in eight minutes. During those eight minutes, the Celtics outscored Golden State by 18 points. His best postseason success was against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Pritchard reached double digits in scoring in three of the first four games. In Game 4, Pritchard scored 14 points, 11 of them in the fourth quarter, extinguishing any hope of a Heat comeback. Boston Coach Ime Udoka has used him sporadically, in part because Pritchard’s size makes him an easy target on defense. In the final three games of the Celtics’ series against the Heat, Pritchard played just 12 minutes combined and didn’t score. He also struggled against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but in the decisive Game 7, he chipped in 14 points and then delivered another viral moment. In the fourth quarter, Pritchard hit a 3-pointer that put the Celtics up 20. Pritchard turned to Boston’s bench and screamed, “That’s what I do!” Damon Stoudamire, a Celtics assistant coach, knows well what it’s like to be the smallest player on the court. His nickname during a 13-year N.B.A. career was Mighty Mouse because he was under six feet tall. “Those type of moments that you catch on camera, nobody really thinks about it,” he said of Pritchard’s 3-pointer against the Bucks. “But man, that’s a lot built up,” he said. He added: “That’s just him showing emotion there for the moment because he’s finally gotten his opportunity. I mean, people forget: He really didn’t play the first half of the season.” The Celtics selected Pritchard, who is from West Linn, Ore., with the 26th pick of the 2020 draft after his four-year college career at Oregon, where he was a first team all-American and helped the program get to the Final Four of the N.C.A.A. tournament. Incidentally, Pritchard was one of the best guards to come out of Oregon since Stoudamire, a Portland native whom Pritchard has known since he was a boy. Like Stoudamire, Pritchard was known for his scoring prowess, shooting ability and supreme confidence. “When I entered the N.B.A., I was the most N.B.A. ready at the time to go in and play right away,” Pritchard said. He had a good rookie year, despite having to play behind more established guards like Marcus Smart, Jeff Teague and Kemba Walker. In 66 games, Pritchard averaged 7.7 points per game and shot 41.1 percent from 3 in 19.2 minutes per game. But this season was bumpy. In the first half, Pritchard was once again buried on the depth chart. When he did play, he couldn’t hit shots. He appeared in 71 of 82 games this season. In the first 49, Pritchard shot just 37.8 percent from the field and was playing only 12.3 minutes a game, down from his rookie year. Some nights, he wouldn’t play at all. He said it was “very frustrating.” Stoudamire described it as “mentally taxing” on Pritchard. “His whole life, he’s been a focal point of most teams,” Stoudamire said. “Now, he can’t even get off the bench. He doesn’t really know why. As a staff, we tried to do our best to talk to him. Like I told him, it really doesn’t have anything to do with you. It’s really just the numbers.” This led to some difficult conversations between Udoka, also an Oregon native, and Pritchard. The two also had a relationship dating back to Pritchard’s youth. “I asked him at one point if he ever sees me playing here. Am I good enough to play?” Pritchard said. “I believed in myself. I was always good enough. But is this the right fit? He just reassured me, and the trade deadline happened. And then the opportunity came.” Among a flurry of moves at the deadline, the Celtics traded two veteran guards who had been playing ahead of Pritchard — Dennis Schröder and Josh Richardson — and brought back guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs. Suddenly, things began to click for Pritchard. After the All-Star break, he had the best stretch of his career, averaging 9.6 points per game on 50.3 percent shooting in 22 games. He was one of the better 3-point shooters in the league in that period at 47.3 percent. He played well enough that in the playoffs, Udoka has at times trusted him to play crucial minutes in tight games, including against a talented Nets team in the first round and now against Golden State in the finals. If Pritchard is to succeed long term, he will need to find a way to overcome his defensive struggles. Particularly in the Bucks series, Pritchard sometimes found himself in a one-on-one situation with the 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo. Improbably, Pritchard would occasionally hold his own. But for now, Pritchard’s shooting is what keeps him on the floor. The vast majority of his shots are 3s. In 19 postseason games, he’s shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from 3. “Throughout these playoffs, his big games have always been games where we pulled away because of his momentum shots,” Stoudamire said. His emergence — or re-emergence as a shot maker — isn’t surprising to Pritchard. As he might say: It is, after all, what he does. I Love that guy! I think Tommy would be saying that too!
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 5, 2022 17:55:24 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 5, 2022 18:06:35 GMT -5
Iguodala injury: Warriors forward ruled out of Game 2 of NBA Finals Sunday
(AP Photo/John Hefti) By Matt Vautour | mvautour@masslive.com
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State forward Andre Iguodala is out for Game 2 with right knee inflammation.
The Warriors veteran, who missed all of the Western Conference finals with a disc injury, returned for Game 1 and had seven points and three assists in 12 minutes in the Warriors’ 120-108 loss to the Celtics.
“His knee swelled up on him (Saturday) so he’ll be out tonight,” Steve Kerr said. “He’s day-to-day.”
He’s played in just three games this postseason.
Iguodala, 38, averaged 4.0 points, 3.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds during the regular season. As he’s gotten older, his role has morphed from key contributor to mentor and big brother for the Warriors’ younger players.
His absence could mean more time for Otto Porter Jr., who also returned from an injury Thursday.
|
|
|
Post by puddin on Jun 5, 2022 18:15:53 GMT -5
nytimes.com Why Payton Pritchard Isn’t Too Small for the Celtics’ Big MomentsSopan Deb 7-9 minutes Easy to Overlook, He’s Not Too Small for the Celtics’ Big Moments June 4, 2022 It was one of the more amusing moments of the N.B.A. playoffs. During Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics reserve guard Payton Pritchard drove into the paint against the Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro and hit a short jumper. Pritchard then put one hand near the floor, a common N.B.A. taunt to signify that a defender is too small to guard the taunter. Pritchard is barely over six feet tall and is, in almost all N.B.A. situations, the smallest player on the court. Herro is four inches taller than him. “The game is competitive, so, I mean there’s always going to be a little bickering here and there,” Pritchard deadpanned in a recent interview. Usually, Pritchard is on the receiving end of those gibes. “If you give it out, you’ve got to take it, too,” he said. Pritchard, a second-year guard, has often been considered too small, to the point that at the University of Oregon, he was sometimes mistaken for the team manager. “I go out there and hoop regardless. It doesn’t matter to me,” Pritchard said. “They’ll know my name after the game.” They certainly do now. Pritchard, 24, has had his moments as a scorer off the bench during the playoffs. During Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals against Golden State on Thursday, Pritchard helped spur Boston’s fourth-quarter comeback with 5 points and 4 rebounds in eight minutes. During those eight minutes, the Celtics outscored Golden State by 18 points. His best postseason success was against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Pritchard reached double digits in scoring in three of the first four games. In Game 4, Pritchard scored 14 points, 11 of them in the fourth quarter, extinguishing any hope of a Heat comeback. Boston Coach Ime Udoka has used him sporadically, in part because Pritchard’s size makes him an easy target on defense. In the final three games of the Celtics’ series against the Heat, Pritchard played just 12 minutes combined and didn’t score. He also struggled against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but in the decisive Game 7, he chipped in 14 points and then delivered another viral moment. In the fourth quarter, Pritchard hit a 3-pointer that put the Celtics up 20. Pritchard turned to Boston’s bench and screamed, “That’s what I do!” Damon Stoudamire, a Celtics assistant coach, knows well what it’s like to be the smallest player on the court. His nickname during a 13-year N.B.A. career was Mighty Mouse because he was under six feet tall. “Those type of moments that you catch on camera, nobody really thinks about it,” he said of Pritchard’s 3-pointer against the Bucks. “But man, that’s a lot built up,” he said. He added: “That’s just him showing emotion there for the moment because he’s finally gotten his opportunity. I mean, people forget: He really didn’t play the first half of the season.” The Celtics selected Pritchard, who is from West Linn, Ore., with the 26th pick of the 2020 draft after his four-year college career at Oregon, where he was a first team all-American and helped the program get to the Final Four of the N.C.A.A. tournament. Incidentally, Pritchard was one of the best guards to come out of Oregon since Stoudamire, a Portland native whom Pritchard has known since he was a boy. Like Stoudamire, Pritchard was known for his scoring prowess, shooting ability and supreme confidence. “When I entered the N.B.A., I was the most N.B.A. ready at the time to go in and play right away,” Pritchard said. He had a good rookie year, despite having to play behind more established guards like Marcus Smart, Jeff Teague and Kemba Walker. In 66 games, Pritchard averaged 7.7 points per game and shot 41.1 percent from 3 in 19.2 minutes per game. But this season was bumpy. In the first half, Pritchard was once again buried on the depth chart. When he did play, he couldn’t hit shots. He appeared in 71 of 82 games this season. In the first 49, Pritchard shot just 37.8 percent from the field and was playing only 12.3 minutes a game, down from his rookie year. Some nights, he wouldn’t play at all. He said it was “very frustrating.” Stoudamire described it as “mentally taxing” on Pritchard. “His whole life, he’s been a focal point of most teams,” Stoudamire said. “Now, he can’t even get off the bench. He doesn’t really know why. As a staff, we tried to do our best to talk to him. Like I told him, it really doesn’t have anything to do with you. It’s really just the numbers.” This led to some difficult conversations between Udoka, also an Oregon native, and Pritchard. The two also had a relationship dating back to Pritchard’s youth. “I asked him at one point if he ever sees me playing here. Am I good enough to play?” Pritchard said. “I believed in myself. I was always good enough. But is this the right fit? He just reassured me, and the trade deadline happened. And then the opportunity came.” Among a flurry of moves at the deadline, the Celtics traded two veteran guards who had been playing ahead of Pritchard — Dennis Schröder and Josh Richardson — and brought back guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs. Suddenly, things began to click for Pritchard. After the All-Star break, he had the best stretch of his career, averaging 9.6 points per game on 50.3 percent shooting in 22 games. He was one of the better 3-point shooters in the league in that period at 47.3 percent. He played well enough that in the playoffs, Udoka has at times trusted him to play crucial minutes in tight games, including against a talented Nets team in the first round and now against Golden State in the finals. If Pritchard is to succeed long term, he will need to find a way to overcome his defensive struggles. Particularly in the Bucks series, Pritchard sometimes found himself in a one-on-one situation with the 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo. Improbably, Pritchard would occasionally hold his own. But for now, Pritchard’s shooting is what keeps him on the floor. The vast majority of his shots are 3s. In 19 postseason games, he’s shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from 3. “Throughout these playoffs, his big games have always been games where we pulled away because of his momentum shots,” Stoudamire said. His emergence — or re-emergence as a shot maker — isn’t surprising to Pritchard. As he might say: It is, after all, what he does. I Love that guy! I think Tommy would be saying that too! As Tommy would say....... da little guy!!!!
Pud
|
|
|
Post by sfbosfan on Jun 5, 2022 18:19:30 GMT -5
Tommy played with a Celtic icon" Little Guy”, Bob Cousy.
|
|
|
Post by DaCeltics on Jun 5, 2022 18:19:30 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by DaCeltics on Jun 5, 2022 18:20:34 GMT -5
Steph Curry is a Red Sox fan...how did that happen!
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 5, 2022 18:36:22 GMT -5
When Jaylen Brown locks in, proceed with caution
His offensive tear in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 1 win in San Francisco perfectly encapsulated what the Celtics stud is capable of when he turns it on.
By Will Bjarnar@bywillbjarnar
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Back in 1989, a young Doug Collins and an even younger Michael Jordan sat at a podium before a room full of reporters, all of whom were wondering, “Doug, what did you call that set Jordan up for ‘The Shot’?” “The Shot,” despite Jordan’s career knowingly being full of too many big shots and big moments for that moniker to be distilled down to one play, refers to the leaning jumper the greatest basketball player to ever live sank over the outstretched, flailing arms of Cleveland Cavaliers’ guard Craig Ehlo to down the Cavs and send his Chicago Bulls to the second round of the ‘89 playoffs. And as Collins put it, the play he called to help architect such an iconic moment was simple: “That was ‘get the ball to Michael, everybody get the f*** out of the way.’”
On Thursday night, Boston Celtics big man Al Horford wasn’t nearly as colorful in his response to a reporter’s question about how the C’s fueled one of the greatest comebacks in recent NBA Finals history to stun the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 and steal home-court advantage in the series. Horford didn’t have to be clever or crass; he was just as effective by saying what he needed to in order to make it clear that one man, in particular, deserved a bulk of the credit for the comeback.
“I think that for us the key was Jaylen Brown.”
While Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals will be remembered generally, by most, as the game in which the Celtics spurred a 20-plus point turnaround to take a 1-0 lead over the presumptive series favorite, perhaps a better way to ensure that it’s enshrined in some small corner of the history books somewhere is by pedestaling its fourth period as “The Jaylen Brown Quarter.” He scored 10 of the Celtics’ first 14 points in the frame, and assisted on Boston’s other two baskets in that stretch. In total, he either scored or assisted on 20 of the Celtics’ first 23 points of the fourth quarter.
Entering the fourth, Brown was 6-for-17 from the field with 14 points and had an overall plus-minus of -5, another mediocre outing staring him down. He finished his evening with 24 points, made 10 of his 23 shots for the game, and recorded a plus-27 in the fourth quarter, tied with Jayson Tatum and Derrick White for the game lead. That’s nothing short of remarkable; the Celtics are nothing short of behind in this series without it.
Without Brown’s fourth, the calls for this series being over after one game would be throbbingly loud this morning. Without it, we might still be placing the most emphasis from last night’s contest on how the Celtics seem to have an aversion to playing anything resembling basketball in third quarters, full stop; or on Jayson Tatum’s poor shooting performance, despite his career-high 13 assists; or on an early insistence by the Celtics to defend the best shooter the sport has ever seen through drop coverage schemes.
None of that today, though. Instead, we should look back on Game 1 — the fourth quarter in particular — as the gamc frame that Jaylen Brown took over like he has made a habit of doing so far during this postseason.
First, some housekeeping matters. The Celtics entered the fourth quarter trailing the blistering-hot Warriors, 92-80, having just been outscored 38-24 in the third. By game’s end, Boston headed to the locker room boasting a final total of 120 points, while Golden State walked off their home floor with 108. That math checks out to Boston winning the fourth quarter 40-16, the largest fourth-quarter margin in NBA Finals history. It’s hard not to point to Brown’s insane stretch to start the quarter as the shove, not the nudge, that got the ball rolling and the Celtics back into the game.
The run started around the 11-minute mark — the score 92-80, Golden State — when Brown drilled a step-back jumper over Draymond Green, who he’d worked out of position with the step-back jolt that preceded his shot. Moments later, Brown drilled a 3-pointer in Jordan Poole’s face, the triple marking his first make in six tries from behind the arc (he’d finish 2-of-8, with more on his other make in a moment). On the ensuing possession, Brown played a part in influencing a Poole turnover; he turned that turnover into points, lobbing a soft toss to Robert Williams, who slammed it home. 92-87, Warriors, who called a timeout following Williams’ dunk to sort things out. “Here comes Boston,” ESPN’s Mark Jones yelled into the microphone, his words set to unsettled murmurs from the Chase Center crowd.
Coming out of the timeout, Brown picked up where he left off, snatching a (terrible) Andre Iguodala pass out of mid-air, taking it the other way, and finding Payton Pritchard for a layup on the break. Boston’s unanswered 9-0 run was then answered by an Iguodala dunk, one that Brown soon answered with a corner three. (Here, it’s 94-92, Warriors, in case you hadn’t been keeping track). Moments later, with Golden State leading 97-92, Brown took it to the rack himself, finishing a swooping, up-and-under layup. Brown dealt two consecutive assists to Derrick White on Boston’s next two scoring possessions, both three-pointers, the latter one being a well-contested prayer that White turned up his personal sliders in order to make. That triple tied the score at 103. Golden State would never lead again; just because he could, Brown capped off his night with one final dime to a cutting Al Horford, who turned the pass into an icing on the cake three-point play.
(At any point during this stretch, I would’ve let one of Mark Jackson’s trademark “Mama, there goes that man” quips slide. And I hate it when he says that.)
“[At the] start of the fourth quarter, with the way he came out and played, with his energy and scoring,” Horford further noted postgame. “I just think that that was the start for us of something there.”
Head coach Ime Udoka added that Brown “had a great start to the fourth quarter. With [Jayson Tatum] struggling a little bit, we went to him more. He was extremely aggressive getting downhill. Got the bigs switching on him and got the shots that he wanted.”
That has tended to be the case with Brown over the course of this postseason, his now-renowned ability to find and create his own shot being on full display, especially in the final quarter. After last night’s blistering performance in the fourth, Brown is now shooting 63 percent from the field and 65 percent from three for the quarter this postseason. His effective field goal percentage in the fourth quarter now sits at 76.4; among players who have played at least 150 possessions in fourth quarters this postseason, that’s the second-best percentage, trailing only Reggie Bullock (76.9).
Brown also leads all players with 130 fourth-quarter points. There have been outliers — Brown scored just three points combined in the fourth quarters of Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat — and there may very well be outlying nights moving forward. But the way Brown continues to respond in fourth periods, especially when his fellow star is struggling to score on his own, is a sign of surefire resilience and just the right amount of unmitigated gall that would make a certain ESPN commentator proud.
That Brown got the shots he wanted is one thing, one that is a bit more of a formality for a score-first guard of his ilk. It’s the way he found a way to couple offensive creation for himself with creation for others that really set his efforts last night apart. Despite persistent issues with his handle and the occasional errant pass, Brown has shown flashes of steady upward growth as a playmaker, particularly during some of his best stretches in late-game situations. Last night was a prime example of that very fact: All five of Brown’s assists came in the fourth quarter, when they were arguably most needed.
No, he’s nowhere near the passer that Jayson Tatum has become, nor has he found a way to maintain success as a possession starter. But Brown’s finest moments shine bright due to his savvy reading of defensive schemes when he’s trying to find a teammate a quick shot before the defense can settle. He has also grown into a pinpoint break starter, one who opponents have to fear both as a feeder or the one feasting.
“It’s something he’s growing and learning about,” Udoka said. “[He’s] still learning to play in that crowd and make the right read at times. Early in the game he … had some turnovers and some tough shots. We showed that at halftime that we don’t have to take any of those.”
After the game, Brown was quick to defer any and all credit he might receive to those around him. “We win as a team. I know the media likes to push the narrative between certain players, but it’s a team game,” he said. “The best team is going to win, not the best individual player. We just got to keep playing as a team and we’ll be all right.”
He’s right. But sometimes, teams need one player to decide that, at a dire moment, they are going to become that game’s best player and do whatever it takes to ensure that the best team — their team, in their eyes — doesn’t lose, despite what may or may not be a checkered past as it relates to their clutch ability. After the game last night, CelticsBlog’s own Jeff Clark reminded me of Bill Simmons’ “Table Test,” which centers on the phrase, “I’m not sure if Person X brings anything to the table,” but really has three legs to it:
Person X brings something to the table. Person X brings nothing to the table. Person X takes things off the table.
It’s only fair that, with Brown’s fourth quarter in mind, we add a fourth bullet to the table test: Person X brings far more to the table than they take off. On his best nights, that guy is Jaylen Brown. Yes, on some nights, Brown may be the guy doing far too much, thus taking things off the table. On other nights, he’s doing too little — not playing with nearly enough aggression, which also sees him inadvertently taking things off the table. But when Brown brings something to the table, he brings it all: a five-course, Michelin star-worthy meal that he plans to share with everyone.
There are few players capable of finding that balance as frequently as Jaylen Brown can when he’s locked in. That’s fair, given that when he’s on, there are few players like Jaylen Brown.
|
|
|
Post by sfbosfan on Jun 5, 2022 18:40:39 GMT -5
SF is often called a town of Champions. Don’t know the numbers but I can’t believe with Celtics, Sox, Patriots & Bruins we are not also a town of Champions and I would bet we have more championships.
Don’t want to jinx our Celtics but I’d like a Boston teams sweep this weekend...the Red Sox won all 3 games vs A’s with 20 runs and 31 hits vs 4 runs and 17 hits.
|
|
|
Post by kyceltic on Jun 5, 2022 18:53:43 GMT -5
Good luck, boys!!
|
|
|
Post by kyceltic on Jun 5, 2022 18:55:42 GMT -5
When Jaylen Brown locks in, proceed with caution
His offensive tear in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 1 win in San Francisco perfectly encapsulated what the Celtics stud is capable of when he turns it on.
By Will Bjarnar@bywillbjarnar
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Back in 1989, a young Doug Collins and an even younger Michael Jordan sat at a podium before a room full of reporters, all of whom were wondering, “Doug, what did you call that set Jordan up for ‘The Shot’?” “The Shot,” despite Jordan’s career knowingly being full of too many big shots and big moments for that moniker to be distilled down to one play, refers to the leaning jumper the greatest basketball player to ever live sank over the outstretched, flailing arms of Cleveland Cavaliers’ guard Craig Ehlo to down the Cavs and send his Chicago Bulls to the second round of the ‘89 playoffs. And as Collins put it, the play he called to help architect such an iconic moment was simple: “That was ‘get the ball to Michael, everybody get the f*** out of the way.’”
On Thursday night, Boston Celtics big man Al Horford wasn’t nearly as colorful in his response to a reporter’s question about how the C’s fueled one of the greatest comebacks in recent NBA Finals history to stun the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 and steal home-court advantage in the series. Horford didn’t have to be clever or crass; he was just as effective by saying what he needed to in order to make it clear that one man, in particular, deserved a bulk of the credit for the comeback.
“I think that for us the key was Jaylen Brown.”
While Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals will be remembered generally, by most, as the game in which the Celtics spurred a 20-plus point turnaround to take a 1-0 lead over the presumptive series favorite, perhaps a better way to ensure that it’s enshrined in some small corner of the history books somewhere is by pedestaling its fourth period as “The Jaylen Brown Quarter.” He scored 10 of the Celtics’ first 14 points in the frame, and assisted on Boston’s other two baskets in that stretch. In total, he either scored or assisted on 20 of the Celtics’ first 23 points of the fourth quarter.
Entering the fourth, Brown was 6-for-17 from the field with 14 points and had an overall plus-minus of -5, another mediocre outing staring him down. He finished his evening with 24 points, made 10 of his 23 shots for the game, and recorded a plus-27 in the fourth quarter, tied with Jayson Tatum and Derrick White for the game lead. That’s nothing short of remarkable; the Celtics are nothing short of behind in this series without it.
Without Brown’s fourth, the calls for this series being over after one game would be throbbingly loud this morning. Without it, we might still be placing the most emphasis from last night’s contest on how the Celtics seem to have an aversion to playing anything resembling basketball in third quarters, full stop; or on Jayson Tatum’s poor shooting performance, despite his career-high 13 assists; or on an early insistence by the Celtics to defend the best shooter the sport has ever seen through drop coverage schemes.
None of that today, though. Instead, we should look back on Game 1 — the fourth quarter in particular — as the gamc frame that Jaylen Brown took over like he has made a habit of doing so far during this postseason.
First, some housekeeping matters. The Celtics entered the fourth quarter trailing the blistering-hot Warriors, 92-80, having just been outscored 38-24 in the third. By game’s end, Boston headed to the locker room boasting a final total of 120 points, while Golden State walked off their home floor with 108. That math checks out to Boston winning the fourth quarter 40-16, the largest fourth-quarter margin in NBA Finals history. It’s hard not to point to Brown’s insane stretch to start the quarter as the shove, not the nudge, that got the ball rolling and the Celtics back into the game.
The run started around the 11-minute mark — the score 92-80, Golden State — when Brown drilled a step-back jumper over Draymond Green, who he’d worked out of position with the step-back jolt that preceded his shot. Moments later, Brown drilled a 3-pointer in Jordan Poole’s face, the triple marking his first make in six tries from behind the arc (he’d finish 2-of-8, with more on his other make in a moment). On the ensuing possession, Brown played a part in influencing a Poole turnover; he turned that turnover into points, lobbing a soft toss to Robert Williams, who slammed it home. 92-87, Warriors, who called a timeout following Williams’ dunk to sort things out. “Here comes Boston,” ESPN’s Mark Jones yelled into the microphone, his words set to unsettled murmurs from the Chase Center crowd.
Coming out of the timeout, Brown picked up where he left off, snatching a (terrible) Andre Iguodala pass out of mid-air, taking it the other way, and finding Payton Pritchard for a layup on the break. Boston’s unanswered 9-0 run was then answered by an Iguodala dunk, one that Brown soon answered with a corner three. (Here, it’s 94-92, Warriors, in case you hadn’t been keeping track). Moments later, with Golden State leading 97-92, Brown took it to the rack himself, finishing a swooping, up-and-under layup. Brown dealt two consecutive assists to Derrick White on Boston’s next two scoring possessions, both three-pointers, the latter one being a well-contested prayer that White turned up his personal sliders in order to make. That triple tied the score at 103. Golden State would never lead again; just because he could, Brown capped off his night with one final dime to a cutting Al Horford, who turned the pass into an icing on the cake three-point play.
(At any point during this stretch, I would’ve let one of Mark Jackson’s trademark “Mama, there goes that man” quips slide. And I hate it when he says that.)
“[At the] start of the fourth quarter, with the way he came out and played, with his energy and scoring,” Horford further noted postgame. “I just think that that was the start for us of something there.”
Head coach Ime Udoka added that Brown “had a great start to the fourth quarter. With [Jayson Tatum] struggling a little bit, we went to him more. He was extremely aggressive getting downhill. Got the bigs switching on him and got the shots that he wanted.”
That has tended to be the case with Brown over the course of this postseason, his now-renowned ability to find and create his own shot being on full display, especially in the final quarter. After last night’s blistering performance in the fourth, Brown is now shooting 63 percent from the field and 65 percent from three for the quarter this postseason. His effective field goal percentage in the fourth quarter now sits at 76.4; among players who have played at least 150 possessions in fourth quarters this postseason, that’s the second-best percentage, trailing only Reggie Bullock (76.9).
Brown also leads all players with 130 fourth-quarter points. There have been outliers — Brown scored just three points combined in the fourth quarters of Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat — and there may very well be outlying nights moving forward. But the way Brown continues to respond in fourth periods, especially when his fellow star is struggling to score on his own, is a sign of surefire resilience and just the right amount of unmitigated gall that would make a certain ESPN commentator proud.
That Brown got the shots he wanted is one thing, one that is a bit more of a formality for a score-first guard of his ilk. It’s the way he found a way to couple offensive creation for himself with creation for others that really set his efforts last night apart. Despite persistent issues with his handle and the occasional errant pass, Brown has shown flashes of steady upward growth as a playmaker, particularly during some of his best stretches in late-game situations. Last night was a prime example of that very fact: All five of Brown’s assists came in the fourth quarter, when they were arguably most needed.
No, he’s nowhere near the passer that Jayson Tatum has become, nor has he found a way to maintain success as a possession starter. But Brown’s finest moments shine bright due to his savvy reading of defensive schemes when he’s trying to find a teammate a quick shot before the defense can settle. He has also grown into a pinpoint break starter, one who opponents have to fear both as a feeder or the one feasting.
“It’s something he’s growing and learning about,” Udoka said. “[He’s] still learning to play in that crowd and make the right read at times. Early in the game he … had some turnovers and some tough shots. We showed that at halftime that we don’t have to take any of those.”
After the game, Brown was quick to defer any and all credit he might receive to those around him. “We win as a team. I know the media likes to push the narrative between certain players, but it’s a team game,” he said. “The best team is going to win, not the best individual player. We just got to keep playing as a team and we’ll be all right.”
He’s right. But sometimes, teams need one player to decide that, at a dire moment, they are going to become that game’s best player and do whatever it takes to ensure that the best team — their team, in their eyes — doesn’t lose, despite what may or may not be a checkered past as it relates to their clutch ability. After the game last night, CelticsBlog’s own Jeff Clark reminded me of Bill Simmons’ “Table Test,” which centers on the phrase, “I’m not sure if Person X brings anything to the table,” but really has three legs to it:
Person X brings something to the table. Person X brings nothing to the table. Person X takes things off the table.
It’s only fair that, with Brown’s fourth quarter in mind, we add a fourth bullet to the table test: Person X brings far more to the table than they take off. On his best nights, that guy is Jaylen Brown. Yes, on some nights, Brown may be the guy doing far too much, thus taking things off the table. On other nights, he’s doing too little — not playing with nearly enough aggression, which also sees him inadvertently taking things off the table. But when Brown brings something to the table, he brings it all: a five-course, Michelin star-worthy meal that he plans to share with everyone.
There are few players capable of finding that balance as frequently as Jaylen Brown can when he’s locked in. That’s fair, given that when he’s on, there are few players like Jaylen Brown.
JB8 locked in, is a scary sight for opponents!!
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 5, 2022 19:12:41 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 5, 2022 19:15:41 GMT -5
Q1:JB a 3 Smart a floater JB another 3 JT a finger roll
Al a block!
JB a driving layup +1 ... converts ... 13-5 C's
|
|
|
Post by quagmire on Jun 5, 2022 19:19:36 GMT -5
What’s up with Tatum breaking the line and walking away with still a complete line to ding in the National Anthem? BB Gods surely don’t line that.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 5, 2022 19:19:58 GMT -5
JT a step-back 3 JB didn't push Looney that hard ... these guys are B actors and Refs suckers!
16-9 C's
Smart bounce pass to JT can't thread the needle ... 16-13 C's
Poole & Payton in for GS
Smart misses a 3
Clay misses a layup and C's in transition score by Grant
Green gets a "T" ... JB makes the TFT ... 19-13
JB nails his 3rd 3 (of 4 attempts) ... 22-13 C's
|
|
|
Post by kivancb on Jun 5, 2022 19:23:03 GMT -5
Us winnning this game would bring out brooms. That's why refs would do ANYTHING POSSIBLE tonight for a C's loss. But I feel we would win regardless!
|
|
|
Post by cole on Jun 5, 2022 19:28:33 GMT -5
Have the refs been this bad all game?
|
|
|
Post by dfries13 on Jun 5, 2022 19:28:53 GMT -5
Tommy played with a Celtic icon" Little Guy”, Bob Cousy. PP is a decent backup but not Cousy. Not even close The 60s are over.. .Get a haircut Cap
|
|
|
Post by cole on Jun 5, 2022 19:29:20 GMT -5
Ball don't lie
|
|
|
Post by quagmire on Jun 5, 2022 19:30:33 GMT -5
Sit Smart down now
|
|
|
Post by kivancb on Jun 5, 2022 19:30:39 GMT -5
That's two definitely incorrect calls in a row by the refs. I get the one from Tony f***in Brothers, as he has an agenda, but the one called by Zach Zarba against Jaylen? Completely bullcrap.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 5, 2022 19:33:46 GMT -5
White fouls Green ... 2-2
White misses a floater
JB barely touches Payton but called for his 2nd PF ... Payton misses both (BB Gods!)
Celtics lineup change (Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White)
Smart TOV and Grant fouls Curry ... he makes 2-2
JT misses a J
3 mins to go ... 22-17
Curry > Looney for a dunk ... 22-19 C's
Tatum draws a foul vs Payton ... TIME OUT CELTICS
|
|