Tag: orlando bubble

On this day: former Celtics Rasheed Wallace, Kermit Washington born

Former Celtic big men Rasheed Wallace and Kermit Washington were born on this day.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Boston big man Rasheed Wallace was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1974. A product of the University of North Carolina, Wallace made First Team All Atlantic Coast Conference in 1995 before he would be taken by the Washington (then) Bullets (now, Wizards) fourth overall in the NBA draft that same year.

Wallace would play for that team, the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons (where he would win a title in 2004) before joining the Celtics in free agency in 2009. The UNC product would sign a three-year deal with Boston that summer.

The big man had a tough season with the team in terms of production during the regular season, registering at or near-career lows in several counting stats.

On this day: Cs best Raps in Disney bubble; A.J. Wynder born; Kendrick Perkins extended

Boston advanced to the 2020 East Finals, AJ Wynder was born and Kendrick Perkins extended on this date.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, point guard A.J. Wynder was born in 1964 in the Bronx, New York. Wynder played his college ball at the University of Massachusetts and Fairfield University, earning MAAC second-team status at the latter. The New Yorker helped carry the Fairfield Stags to back-to-back MAAC championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1986 and 1987 before going undrafted in the 1987 NBA draft.

After several seasons playing in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA — that era’s equivalent of the NBA G League), Wynder landed a 10-day contract with the Celtics in March of 1991. He turned it into a rest-of-season deal.

Appearing in just six games for Boston, he averaged 2 points and 1.3 assists per game as a Celtic.

On this day: Howell/Counts trade; Seminoff, Gomes born; Cs beat Raps in Game 2 of Disney bubble 2nd round

On this day, the Boston Celtics traded Bailey Howell for Mel Counts, former Celtics Jm Seminoff and Ryan Gomes were born, and the team beat the Raps in the bubble.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise traded for big man Bailey Howell, sending center Mel Counts to the (then) Baltimore Bullets (now, Washington Wizards).

Counts, who played collegiately at Oregon State, was drafted by the Celtics with the seventh pick of the 1964 NBA draft. He won a title in each of his two seasons with Boston while averaging 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Howell had played for Mississippi State collegiately and had been drafted by the Detroit Pistons, playing there before his stint with the Bullets. The Tennessee native played four seasons as a Celtic, part of an eventual Hall of Fame career in the NBA.

He won two titles with Boston, logging 18 points and 8.4 boards per contest over his four seasons as a Celtic.

(AP Photo/HF)

Former Celtic Scott Pollard shares Disney bubble dirt in new interview

2008 Boston Celtics champion center Scott Pollard shared some of the wild stories he’d heard about Disney bubble life in a recent interview.

You might not remember Boston Celtics champion center Scott Pollard from the team’s 2008 postseason run to win Banner 17, but that’s mostly because he didn’t actually play very much in his sole season as a Celtic, appearing in no playoff games that playoffs.

But you might recognize him from the popular reality TV show “Survivor,” or at any of the several stops of his 11-season career before he arrived in Boston.

Speaking with Celtics Blog podcast host Adam Taylor, Pollard revealed he’d been entrusted with some juicy gossip on the goings-on of various unnamed players at the Disney restart ‘bubble’.

“There were some things that didn’t get made public but really 100% happened and they’re pretty wild stories,” revealed the former Celtic to Taylor (via Heavy.com’s Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson).

“This is a story [that] involved a rental of a house on the golf course and supposedly some were sneaking out to that house they rented to go hang out and have a good time. Another story, is one team particularly hired a new massage therapist, that may, or may not have, been a legitimate massage therapist.”

We’re not sure exactly what Pollard was implying there, but even in the best-case scenario it represented a potentially serious breach of restart protocol.

That NBA players found ways to bend the rules to their advantage in the so-called bubble probably shouldn’t surprise, given at least one player — the Houston Rockets’ Danuel House — was caught doing so.

That none of the shenanigans saw the light of day in the press during the bubble — or worse, resulted in a COVID-19 infection or breakout — probably ought to surprise us.

To hear more tales from the bubble via Pollard, check out the pod linked here.

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NBA Finals: Former Warriors JaVale McGee and Quinn Cook win championship with Lakers

With the Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA Finals win over the Miami Heat in game six, former Warriors JaVale McGee and Quinn Cook earn championship rings.

After two months in the Orlando Bubble, the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned NBA champions with a 106-93 victory in game six of the Finals.

In his 17th season in the association, LeBron James earned his fourth Finals Most Valuable Player award with a unanimous vote. During game six, the veteran forward capped off the Lakers run to a title with a triple-double on 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in 41 minutes.

Although they weren’t included in the NBA Finals for the first time in five seasons, the Golden State Warriors were represented on both sides of the court in the championship series.

After each winning titles in Golden State, ex-Warriors Quinn Cook and JaVale McGee earned championship rings with the Lakers in 2019-20.

Cook made brief appearances in games one and six of the Finals, totaling three points on 1-of-3 shooting. Following their championship win, Cook chimed in on social media.

Via @QCook323 on Twitter:

After starting games throughout the Lakers postseason run, Frank Vogel opted to keep McGee on the bench for the NBA Finals. Instead, the Lakers started Dwight Howard or a smaller lineup with Anthony Davis at the center. Despite his lack of playing time in the 2020 Finals, McGee is now a three-time NBA champion.

Following the Lakers’ 17th championship, the Golden State Warriors congratulated their Western Conference rival on Twitter.

Via @warriors on Twitter:

Former Warrior Andre Iguodala went scoreless in 11 minutes for the Miami Heat in game six. Golden State’s former sixth-man added one rebound in his time off the bench for Miami.

Watch highlights from the Lakers championship-clinching victory via YouTube:

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NBA Finals: Former Warrior Andre Iguodala logs 20 minutes in thrilling Heat vs. Lakers Game 5

During the Miami Heat’s thrilling game five win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Former Warrior Andre Iguodala didn’t score in 20 minutes on the court.

As the Golden State Warriors are meeting with prospects for interviews at the Draft Combine, NBA action at Disney World is still underway. After over two months inside the Orlando Bubble, the league is close to crowing a champion between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat.

With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green already preparing for next season, Warriors Wire is checking in with former Dubs in the NBA Finals.

On Friday, Andre Iguodala laced up for the Miami Heat in game five of the championship series. The former Golden State sixth man went scoreless on 0-of-2 shooting from the field in 20 minutes off the bench. The veteran forward added six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. During the second quarter, Iguodala recorded a vintage steal against Kyle Kuzma.

Via @KevinOConnorNBA on Twitter:

Via @Pro_Intuition on Twitter:

LeBron James led the Lakers with a game-high 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting with 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Despite drilling six 3-pointers, James’ heroic performance wasn’t enough to close out Erik Spoelstra’s gritty Heat.

After a handful of thrilling back and forth moments in the final minutes, the Heat were able to hold on against the Lakers, 111-108.

Another solid game from Jimmy Butler helped Miami extend the series another day. Butler tallied 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting with 12 rebounds and 11 assists. However, Butler’s most important statistic doesn’t stand out in his triple-double. With several crucial free throw attempts coming late in the game, the Marquette product was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line in game five.

In Duncan Robinson’s 26 point effort for the Heat, the sharpshooter splashed 7-of-13 attempts from beyond the arc.

Watch highlights from game five of the NBA Finals via YouTube:

With game six rapidly approaching, the Heat won’t get the chance to celebrate their victory long. Butler, Iguodala and the Heat will suit up against James and the Lakers for game six on Sunday at 4:30 P.M. PT.

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Warriors open ‘The Dubble’ offseason voluntary minicamp at Chase Center

With similarities to the Orlando Bubble, the Golden State Warriors are nicknaming their voluntary minicamp at Chase Center “The Dubble.”

Without an invite to Disney World, the Golden State Warriors are opening their own edition of the Orlando Bubble. On Monday, the Warriors kicked off a voluntary offseason minicamp at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Before they hit the court, players and coaching staff will go through coronavirus testing and a 48-hour quarantine period. During the camp, members of the Warriors will stay in a campus-like atmosphere. With similarities to the Orlando Bubble, the Warriors are nicknaming their minicamp “The Dubble.”

Via @warriors on Twitter:

Following the tests and quarantine period, players will take the court at Chase Center for practices that are slated to include group workouts and team scrimmages. The voluntary minicamp will serve as Golden State’s first form of organized basketball activities since the league was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Although Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are considered doubtful for The Dubble due to family reasons, a familiar face will make his long-awaited return to Chase Center. After missing the entire 2019-20 season with a knee injury, Klay Thompson is expected to be on the floor.

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With Thompson medically cleared to train without restrictions, Golden State’s minicamp will serve as his first chance to join 2019 newcomers Andrew Wiggins, Eric Paschall and Marquese Chriss on the court for practice.

The Warriors are scheduled to break camp on Oct. 6.

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Klay Thompson shares photo from inside Chase Center before Warriors offseason minicamp

Before the Warriors begin their in-market offseason minicamp, Klay Thompson made an appearance at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

It’s been nearly seven months since members of the Golden State Warriors took the floor at Chase Center in San Francisco. However, for Klay Thompson, it’s been even longer.

After tearing his ACL in game six of the 2019 NBA Finals, the Warriors ruled the five-time All-Star out for the entire 2019-20 campaign. Fast forward over a year, and Thompson is finally medically cleared to train without restrictions.

Thompson’s first chance to rejoin his teammates on the floor will begin next week. On Monday, the Golden State Warriors will kick off an offseason minicamp in the Bay Area.

Prior to the start of Golden State’s camp, Thompson took an early trip to Chase Center. On his Instagram story, the sharpshooting guard shared a photo from the inside of the Golden State Warriors arena.

Via @GrantLiffmann on Twitter:

The Warriors will begin their offseason camp with coronavirus testing and a 48-hour quarantine period in a San Francisco hotel. Following their tests and quarantine, the Warriors will go through group workouts and team scrimmages for two weeks.

Although Thompson is expected to be on the court, the Warriors could be without two of their All-Stars. Both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are considered doubtful for the offseason training camp due to family reasons.

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Tyler Herro’s performance in the postseason matches Klay Thompson in one shooting category

After hitting a triple in the Eastern Conference Finals for the Heat, Tyler Herro matched Klay Thompson’s mark for made 3-pointers in his playoff debut.

The opening of the Orlando Bubble has produced the arrival of new breakout stars around the league.

Rookie Tyler Herro has served as a key piece off the bench in the Miami Heat’s 10-1 run through the NBA postseason. With a 3-pointer in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics, the Kentucky product matched a member of the Golden State Warriors in one postseason mark.

Herro’s triple against the Celtics was his 25th made 3-pointer in the 2020 postseason — equaling Klay Thompson’s clip from his first appearance in the playoffs in 2013.

Although Thompson had to wait till his sophomore season the NBA to make the playoffs, he shot 42.4% (25-of-59) from beyond the arc on 4.9 attempts in 12 games. Golden State advanced past the Denver Nuggets in six games during the opening round of the 2013 postseason before being eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs.

In his first taste of playoff basketball at 22-years-old, Thompson averaged 15.2 points on 43.7% shooting from the field with 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one steal in 41.3 minutes per contest.

H/T via @IraHeatBeat on Twitter:

In comparison, the young Miami sharpshooter is averaging 14.1 points on 41.3% shooting from the field with 5.8 rebounds and four assists in 33.0 minutes per game. On 6.2 attempts per contest, Herro is shooting 36.8% (25-of-68) from long distance.

Prior to the beginning of the NBA’s restart in the Orlando Bubble, the 20-year-old shooter mentioned Thompson when talking about the game film he was studying while the season was on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Herro will have the chance to eclipse Thompson’s first postseason triple numbers in Miami’s Eastern Conference Finals game three tilt against the Boston Celtics. However, Herro will have some work to do before he catches the other Splash Brother.

In Steph Curry’s arrival to the postseason in 2013, the two-time Most Valuable Player splashed 42 3-pointers on 39.6% shooting from long range. The 24-year-old point guard tallied 23.4 points on 43.3% from the field with 8.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 12 games.

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Boston Celtics survive Raptors best, advance to East Finals, Heat

The Boston Celtics survived a furious assault by the defending champs, the Toronto Raptors falling to the Celtics 92-87.

We all knew this series would go seven games, deep inside.

The question ahead of the Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals showdown between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors was simply which one of the two behemoths will advance to the Conference Finals vs. the Miami Heat.

Boston won the tip, but Toronto scored first, a Kyle Lowry 3 getting the contest started. Jayson Tatum got the Celtics on the board off an assist by Kemba Walker. The two teams traded buckets early, Boston taking its first lead off of a Marcus Smart make at 6-5.

A layup from Robert Williams III and a trey from Tatum gave the Celtics a four-point cushion, forcing a Raptors timeout. Boston came out of the timeout hot, Smart hitting a 3, followed by a make by Brown to give the Celtics a nine-point lead.

Another trey from Smart threatened to break the game wide open, but Fred Van Vleet answered back with one of his own. The Raptors chipped away at the lead with a bucket from Serge Ibaka and a dunk from Norman Powell, OG Anunoby completing a 9-2 run to force a Celtics timeout.

A pair of 3s from Matt Thomas and Ibaka wrested back the lead from Boston as the two teams would go back to trading makes, with Semi Ojeleye nailing a 3 for the Celtics to close out the first quarter trailing 27-27.

Boston began the second frame with Brown scoring off a Walker assist, Pascal Siakam returning the favor on the next possession. Ibaka gave the Raptors a 33-29 lead with a flush at the 9:30 mark, and a Van Vleet make would push the lead to six.

Brown stopped the bleeding, and Time Lord slammed home a dunk to cut the lead to four, but Walker would foul Ibaka on a 3, the big man converting them all to give Toronto a 40-33 lead. A Tatum dunk and a Smart make cut the lead to three, then take a 41-40 lead with 3:30 left in the half.

Another trey from Brown gave Boston breathing room, and Walker heating up pushed the lead to six. The Raptors didn’t let up however, Marc Gasol getting to the line and Van Vleet scoring on the last possession of the half to go into the break the Celtics up 50-46.

The penultimate quarter started with a filthy Tatum stepback and a make by Brown to push the lead to nine. Toronto would cut it back to four off a Lowry and-1, but Tatum answered back with another 3, and Theis pushed it right back to 60-51.

A trip to the line for Anunoby to three, and an Ibaka layup to one, both teams exchanging blows like a scene out of Rocky. A Smart three-point play gave Boston a small cushion, but a Van Vleet 3 would give the Raptors a 68-67 lead with 1:45 to play.

Walker would steal the lead right back on the next play, and Powell and Tatum hit back-to-back 3-pointers to send the Celtics into the final frame up just one point at 72-71.

The Celtics began the final frame with a 3 from Walker and a layup from Theis to put Boston up six. Tatum would complete a 7-0 run after a steal by Theis. A scary slip for Brown put every Celtics fan’s heart in their throat, but he emerged seemingly okay.

Van Vleet would cut the lead to five with a 3, and Walker would push it to 84-78 with six minutes to play on a 3-point play, forcing a timeout. A Tatum two out of the timeout pushed the lead back to nine. Siakam would cut the lead to six with just under four to go, but Smart got himself to the line, converting one.

Lowry scored with two to play to cut it four with two left in the game, then got himself to the line a few plays later to cut the lead to 89-87 with a minute to play. The Raptors guard would foul Grant Williams, burning a challenge on the call, which would stand.

Williams missed them both, but Tatum would be fouled going after a loose ball, converting one. Walker would be fouled next, converting both for the 92-87 win, Boston advancing to the eastern Conference Finals to face the Miami Heat.

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