NBA: Eastern Conference finals coaching matchup as intriguing as the action on court
1 year, 7 months ago

NBA: Eastern Conference finals coaching matchup as intriguing as the action on court

The Hindu  

The latest Eastern Conference finals pairing between the Heat and Celtics will be a matchup that ultimately turns on the play stars like Jimmy Butler and Jayson Tatum. But Miami’s 123-116 Game 1 victory also showed how the tactical battle between rookie coach Joe Mazzulla and veteran counterpart Erik Spoelstra will also play a big factor. “I don’t think it’s a challenge in the postseason, I think it’s human nature,” Mazzulla said Thursday when asked about his team’s tendencies to surrender leads this season. Spoelstra acknowledged that he doubted himself initially, recalling how he was heckled in his first game in New York by Knicks fans who asked, “if I was up past my bedtime.” “I was beating myself up quite a bit,” Spoelstra said of his first season. That’s a big part of us not turning the ball over, is just having a place where you can throw the ball and get a bit more settled.” That said, Spoelstra expects Boston to respond in Game 2 on Friday.

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History of this topic

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra admits to ‘serious mental error’ that led to defeat against the Detroit Pistons
1 month, 1 week ago

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra admits to ‘serious mental error’ that led to defeat against the Detroit Pistons

CNN  

CNN — Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra admitted that his own “horrendous mistake” cost the team in its 123-121 defeat to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Cup on Tuesday. After the Pistons leveled the scores at 121-121 with a Jalen Duren alley-oop, a frustrated Spoelstra, who has led the Heat to two NBA championships, called a timeout that …

Joe Mazzulla was a Division 2 coach not long ago. He’s now an NBA champion, and just getting started
6 months ago

Joe Mazzulla was a Division 2 coach not long ago. He’s now an NBA champion, and just getting started

Associated Press  

Joe Mazzulla has been called weird. “There’s nothing better than representing the Celtics,” Mazzulla said, “and being part of history.” Including playoffs, Mazzulla’s record is now 148-54 — a.729 winning percentage. “The thing you just can’t take for granted in the game today is a coach’s greatest gift is a group of guys that want to be coached, want to …

Inside the Celtics’ championship march to Banner 18: ‘We made all the sacrifices’
6 months ago

Inside the Celtics’ championship march to Banner 18: ‘We made all the sacrifices’

New York Times  

BOSTON — At shootaround before Game 3 of the second round, Jaylen Brown shrugged off a question about the Boston Celtics’ playoff struggles at home. “All year long, we’ve been hearing about the Celtics of the past,” Brown said. He told The Athletic his coach taught the Celtics how to “see the game at the next level.” “He’ll stop things …

Celtics reminded of where Mavs are coming from (and the down 3-0 thing) in Game 4 beatdown
6 months, 1 week ago

Celtics reminded of where Mavs are coming from (and the down 3-0 thing) in Game 4 beatdown

New York Times  

DALLAS — The big news going into Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night was that injured Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis would be available to play against the Dallas Mavericks … “if necessary.” As things happened, the big fella’s presence wasn’t necessary. Now let’s talk some real history, such as Dallas coming into the game burdened with …

Joe Mazzulla isn’t coaching any suckers as Celtics have Mavs in a chokehold
6 months, 1 week ago

Joe Mazzulla isn’t coaching any suckers as Celtics have Mavs in a chokehold

New York Times  

DALLAS — Joe Mazzulla, the once-upon-a-time second-row assistant who is now the second-year head coach of the Boston Celtics, didn’t just wake up one day and start saying things that bounce around from quirky to off-beat to head-scratching to comical and back again. With their 106-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center, Mazzulla’s Celtics …

Mavericks’ plan to stop Celtics in NBA Finals: Get them to fight among themselves
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Mavericks’ plan to stop Celtics in NBA Finals: Get them to fight among themselves

Associated Press  

BOSTON — Jason Kidd couldn’t figure out how to stop the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Mavericks coach seemed eager to sow dissension in the Boston locker room on Saturday when he singled out Jaylen Brown as the Celtics’ best player — words transparently designed to irk Jayson Tatum, an actual NBA first-teamer who was …

Why Celtics say they’re ready for the NBA Finals this time around
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Why Celtics say they’re ready for the NBA Finals this time around

New York Times  

The Athletic has live coverage of Celtics vs. Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals BOSTON — Scrutiny can often cloud the truth. “Unless they change the light bulbs in the arenas, they won’t be any brighter than they were the last series,” Mazzulla said at NBA Finals media day Wednesday. It’s been that the whole journey for me.” …

Redemption-minded Celtics set to match up with opportunistic Mavericks in NBA Finals
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Redemption-minded Celtics set to match up with opportunistic Mavericks in NBA Finals

Associated Press  

BOSTON — As the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics prepare to tip off the NBA Finals, the four biggest names in the series are looking at this moment through different lenses. “You think that you’re young, if you’ve been once, you’ll continue to keep going,” Tatum said. and go out there and try to get the job done.” Dallas’ Luka …

Celtics have followed ‘craziness’ of Joe Mazzulla’s coaching style straight to the NBA Finals
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Celtics have followed ‘craziness’ of Joe Mazzulla’s coaching style straight to the NBA Finals

Associated Press  

BOSTON — When Celtics guard Derrick White stood in the corner behind the 3-point line late in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals as teammate Jaylen Brown drove into the lane, drew defenders and flipped a pass toward him, White felt prepared for the moment. “Things that you can’t take for granted,” said Mazzulla, who at age 35, is …

Jayson Tatum vs. Jaylen Brown? ‘It’s bulls—’ says Joe Mazzulla of media narrative
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Jayson Tatum vs. Jaylen Brown? ‘It’s bulls—’ says Joe Mazzulla of media narrative

New York Times  

BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla took aim Friday afternoon at the way Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are occasionally discussed by the national media. In his first news conference since learning the Boston Celtics will face the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals on Thursday, Mazzulla said it’s “really unfair” that Tatum and Brown get compared to each other when other …

NBA Playoffs: Heat Stun Celtics to Level Series, Thunder Demolish Pelicans to Take 2-0 Lead
7 months, 4 weeks ago

NBA Playoffs: Heat Stun Celtics to Level Series, Thunder Demolish Pelicans to Take 2-0 Lead

News 18  

The Miami Heat unleashed a barrage of three-pointers to score a series-leveling 111-101 upset over the top-seeded Boston Celtics in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff duel on Wednesday. The win was all the more unexpected given Miami’s 20-point drubbing by Boston in game one on Sunday — something Herro said had motivated the Heat for game two. “We lost badly …

NBA Finals: Heat’s Erik Spoelstra focused on getting momentum back to Miami
1 year, 6 months ago

NBA Finals: Heat’s Erik Spoelstra focused on getting momentum back to Miami

The Hindu  

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra isn’t hanging his head after seeing his team lose both of its home games in the NBA Finals. Although the Heat are facing elimination as they head to Denver to play Game 5 on Monday, Spoelstra remained confident that his charges would extend the series to Game 6 back in Miami. I don’t think anybody …

Heat’s ‘ignitable’ shooters come to life to tie NBA Finals: ‘A beautiful thing to see’
1 year, 6 months ago

Heat’s ‘ignitable’ shooters come to life to tie NBA Finals: ‘A beautiful thing to see’

New York Times  

DENVER — “Ignitable.” That’s the word Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra used to describe his top shooters on Saturday. After Denver’s dominant showing in Game 1, most people assumed it was just a matter of time before the Nuggets and Nikola Jokić ended the magical run that brought Miami to this point. This slight shift in style and personnel has …

The Nuggets and Heat show that not being reactionary to postseason heartbreak can pay off
1 year, 6 months ago

The Nuggets and Heat show that not being reactionary to postseason heartbreak can pay off

New York Times  

Follow our Nuggets-Heat live Game 2 blog. Didn’t Stevens see what top-seeded Milwaukee – which, you know, won the NBA championship two years ago – did with Mike Budenholzer under similar circumstances: a terrible, season-ending loss at home to Miami? “They can withstand – I saw somewhere along the way where he said, one of the years where they didn’t …

Inside Celtics’ roller-coaster season: Mazzulla’s learning curve, Wyc’s challenge and a wild ending
1 year, 6 months ago

Inside Celtics’ roller-coaster season: Mazzulla’s learning curve, Wyc’s challenge and a wild ending

New York Times  

When the Celtics fell into an 0-3 hole in the Eastern Conference finals, everyone was at a loss for words postgame. Moments after falling to the Warriors in the Finals last season, then-coach Ime Udoka delivered an inspirational message to the players: “This is just the start.” Three months later, Udoka’s suspension, which later turned into a dismissal, left the …

Jimmy Butler helps Heat to 103-84 Game 7 win over Celtics and spot in NBA Finals
1 year, 6 months ago

Jimmy Butler helps Heat to 103-84 Game 7 win over Celtics and spot in NBA Finals

Associated Press  

BOSTON — No unprecedented comeback, no last-tick miracle, no cavalcade of higher seeds is going to prevent these Miami Heat from playing for the NBA title. Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Heat beat Boston 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night …

How Celtics’ adjustments brought them back from brink: Anatomy of a comeback
1 year, 6 months ago

How Celtics’ adjustments brought them back from brink: Anatomy of a comeback

New York Times  

MIAMI — The Boston Celtics are on the precipice of pulling off the impossible. Defending Miami’s stars Three games into this series, the biggest question about Boston’s scheme was why the Celtics were just leaving defenders completely on an island against Miami’s best player. After Game 3, The Athletic broke down how the Celtics’ low-energy defense was wasting coach Joe …

NBA: ‘Upbeat’ Celtics host Heat, look to stay alive in Game 5
1 year, 6 months ago

NBA: ‘Upbeat’ Celtics host Heat, look to stay alive in Game 5

The Hindu  

Members of the Boston Celtics were talking about a return trip to South Florida mere moments after the team averted a sweep at the hands of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. “We want to come back to Miami,” Jaylen Brown said after the second-seeded Celtics avoided the brooms with a 116-99 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday. …

The Celtics could blowtorch their roster and bench — or choose a harder path: staying the course
1 year, 7 months ago

The Celtics could blowtorch their roster and bench — or choose a harder path: staying the course

New York Times  

Is it like this in Hollywood? Just like everyone knew exactly why Doc Rivers was a coaching moron as the Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t close out Tatum and Boston in the conference semis, and why Mike Budenholzer should give his 2021 championship ring back after losing a 1-8 first-round matchup to the Miami Heat, and why Monty Williams should never coach …

NBA Playoffs: Boston breaks under Heat check; can Joe Mazzulla fix Celtics?
1 year, 7 months ago

NBA Playoffs: Boston breaks under Heat check; can Joe Mazzulla fix Celtics?

The Hindu  

Exasperated by the Miami Heat cruising to a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, time is running out for Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla to repair what he confessed was a fractured locker room. “Yeah, it’s why I need to be better to figure out what this team needs to make sure they’re connected by the time we …

While Miami Heat complain of disrespect, Caleb Martin has earned Celtics’ attention
1 year, 7 months ago

While Miami Heat complain of disrespect, Caleb Martin has earned Celtics’ attention

New York Times  

MIAMI – Like the Denver Nuggets before them, the Miami Heat won two games in the conference finals and spoke of disrespect. There were hints of it after their Game 2 win over the Boston Celtics from coach Erik Spoelstra, who suggested the only reason the Jimmy Butler-Grant Williams growling match was a big deal was that “I just think …

‘We’re not dead’: Why Celtics, who have battled back before, remain optimistic down 0-2
1 year, 7 months ago

‘We’re not dead’: Why Celtics, who have battled back before, remain optimistic down 0-2

New York Times  

BOSTON — As Jayson Tatum sat at his locker with his head in his hand, his son Deuce came running over yelling, “Daddy! Tatum still hasn’t hit a shot in the fourth quarter in this series and the Celtics now trail the Heat 2-0 heading back to Miami. “There were times throughout the game where we weren’t the more disciplined …

Celtics vs Heat, Game 1: Familiar foes clash in Eastern Conference Finals
1 year, 7 months ago

Celtics vs Heat, Game 1: Familiar foes clash in Eastern Conference Finals

The Hindu  

Heat star Jimmy Butler is known for speaking his mind, and he didn’t disappoint on Tuesday, one day before eighth-seeded Miami visits the second-seeded Boston Celtics for the opener of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge for Joe, but I think he’s going to handle it well,” Boston star Jaylen Brown said. But …

NBA semifinals: Heat, Lakers get another chance to move to conference finals; Knicks, Warriors on brink
1 year, 7 months ago

NBA semifinals: Heat, Lakers get another chance to move to conference finals; Knicks, Warriors on brink

The Hindu  

New York guards Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes played an entire elimination game with no rest, just to extend their season. It’s why Brunson and Grimes are playing 48 minutes, why Butler is playing through ankle soreness, why Golden State’s Stephen Curry is taking more shots per game — by a significant margin — than he ever has in a …

Heat rally again to win in OT, eliminate top-seeded Bucks
1 year, 7 months ago

Heat rally again to win in OT, eliminate top-seeded Bucks

Associated Press  

MILWAUKEE — Jimmy Butler was an extraordinary playmaker while leading the Miami Heat to one of the most stunning first-round playoff upsets in NBA history. Butler scored 42 points and the Heat staged a second straight stunning fourth-quarter rally before winning 128-126 in overtime on Wednesday night in Game 5 to eliminate the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. “We stick together through …

NBA: No finals experience, no problem for Celtics says coach Ime Udoka
2 years, 6 months ago

NBA: No finals experience, no problem for Celtics says coach Ime Udoka

Firstpost  

Boston lost the Eastern Conference finals three times in the previous five seasons before breaking through this year Having no players with experience in the NBA Finals won’t be such a problem for the Boston Celtics, coach Ime Udoka said, even against a finals-familiar Golden State squad. “Taking a tough route, I think that has prepared us more than anything.” …

For Heat, stopping James Harden and Joel Embiid, letting Jimmy Butler ‘be me’ all a matter of trust
2 years, 7 months ago

For Heat, stopping James Harden and Joel Embiid, letting Jimmy Butler ‘be me’ all a matter of trust

New York Times  

MIAMI — Some love is just a lie of the soul. It’s why Spoelstra constantly says “we’re not for everybody.” More is typically asked of Heat players at practice and on defense than at other NBA stops. But between Games 4 and 5 of this Sixers series, Tucker said, Spoelstra’s defensive adjustments were predicated on conversations between Tucker, Jimmy Butler …

NBA: Miami Heats' Superstar Jimmy Butler Ready for New Season, Eastern Conference Title Defence
4 years ago

NBA: Miami Heats' Superstar Jimmy Butler Ready for New Season, Eastern Conference Title Defence

News 18  

It was a fairytale 2019-20 season for Miami Heat, but superstar swingman Jimmy Butler is not sitting back reflecting in what it could’ve been. “But, in the end, we get another crack at it now, and that’s what I’ll be locked in on, and that’s what we’ll be locked in on is: How can we be better and not let …

NBA Finals: Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler confident team will get better after losing title fight to Lakers
4 years, 2 months ago

NBA Finals: Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler confident team will get better after losing title fight to Lakers

Firstpost  

It was Butler’s determined triple-double that propelled the Heat to a game-five victory over the Lakers that temporarily put their championship celebrations on hold. Orlando: After a sometimes rocky path through the NBA, Jimmy Butler found a home in Miami, and the Heat’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals doesn’t change that. “Just the bond that …

NBA Finals: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat look to even up the series against Los Angeles Lakers – Firstpost
4 years, 2 months ago

NBA Finals: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat look to even up the series against Los Angeles Lakers – Firstpost

Firstpost  

NBA Finals’ Game 4 is Tuesday night, and much like Jimmy Butler’s coffee-sales strategy, the Heat may stick with what works. Game 4 is Tuesday night, and much like Butler’s coffee-sales strategy, the Heat may stick with what works. You have to be extraordinary.” Butler had 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists in Miami’s Game 3 win. Extraordinary, the …

NBA Finals: Heat adapting after injury-plagued Game 1 loss to Lakers
4 years, 2 months ago

NBA Finals: Heat adapting after injury-plagued Game 1 loss to Lakers

The Hindu  

Miami Heat players insisted their team can bounce back from a tough loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, despite injuries that sidelined two of their top playmakers during Wednesday's 116-98 defeat. All in all, though, we're still expected to win,” said All-Star forward Jimmy Butler, who also rolled his ankle but managed to …

Jimmy Butler is a perfect fit in Miami, and there’s the rub for Lakers, Clippers
4 years, 2 months ago

Jimmy Butler is a perfect fit in Miami, and there’s the rub for Lakers, Clippers

LA Times  

The Heat’s Jimmy Butler looks to pass after driving to the basket against Lakers defenders Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis during a game Dec. 13 in Miami. “I was like, ‘I’m home.’ It’s easy,” Butler said after clinching his first trip to the NBA Finals. We’re coming after you.’ It was like, ‘Say no more.’ To be wanted, that’s what …

NBA: Miami Heat topple Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals to earn finals spot against LA Lakers
4 years, 2 months ago

NBA: Miami Heat topple Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals to earn finals spot against LA Lakers

Firstpost  

The Heat are the only NBA franchise with six Finals appearances in the last 15 years. Lake Buena Vista: It was exactly one year ago on Sunday when Jimmy Butler walked into the Miami Heat practice gym, took a seat on a makeshift stage and said he wanted to be part of the team’s next title run. Bam Adebayo scored …

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