Ime's way: Celtics' Finals run a product of coach's vision
The Celticsโ transition from a team that has gone from just outside the top tier of the Eastern Conference to one that's four wins way from the franchiseโs 18th NBA championship began the moment Ime Udoka took the microphone at his introductory news conference.
Winter Olympians champion climate, peace amid muted activism
Around the world, athletes are throwing their support behind political and social causes, part of a wave of sports activism that has flourished in the years since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began taking a knee during games to protest police brutality against Black people.
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Lillard scores 30 points as Trail Blazers down 76ers 118-114
Anthony scored a season-high 24 points off the bench, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and the Trail Blazers beat the Sixers 118-114 on Thursday night. Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 35 points and nine rebounds, and Ben Simmons added 23 points and 11 boards. โI thought tonight was just one of those games where we felt like we had to win the game,โ Anthony said. Trail Blazers: It was the first of a back-to-back for Portland. The Trail Blazers host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
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Trent, Anthony lead undermanned Portland past 76ers 121-105
Portland Trail Blazers' Rodney Hood, left, tries to dribble past Philadelphia 76ers' Seth Curry during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Philadelphia. Gary Trent Jr. scored 24 points and Enes Kanter had 17 points and 18 rebounds to lead the undermanned Trail Blazers to a 121-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. Carmelo Anthony had 22 points and a Trail Blazers team with four starters missing led by as many as 29 points against the top team in the East. โBut on both ends of the floor, the other guys did an amazing job today.โJoel Embiid scored 37 points for the Sixers. Throw in four players already out with injuries -- including Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) and McCollum (left foot) -- and the Trail Blazers were down to nine players.
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Celticsโ singular goal: Stop Heat 3โs to force Game 7
Boston Celtics' Kemba Walker (8) reacts to a play against the Miami Heat during the second half of an NBA conference final playoff basketball game Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. โ There have been two undeniable truths about the Miami Heat this season. The Boston Celtics have scouting and analytics teams that undoubtedly know these trends. HEAT ON 3โSFor whatever reason, 31.1% is the magic number for Heat 3-pointers this season. BIG FINISHThe Celtics scored 103 points in the final three quarters of Game 5.
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Comeback Heat do it again, rally past Celtics for 2-0 lead
And after making the Boston Celtics lose another big lead on the court โ as well as their cool in the postgame locker room โ the unheralded Heat are two wins away from the NBA Finals. Goran Dragic scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo led a big third-quarter rally to finish with 21, and the Heat pulled off another comeback to beat the Celtics 106-101 and take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics went on a 15-2 run, silencing the Heat for nearly seven minutes and going up 94-89 on a 3-pointer by Walker with 4:25 left. ... Miamiโs 20-point differential in the third quarter was a Heat record for that quarter in the playoffs, and the sixth time in Heat playoff history they outscored an opponent by at least 20 in any quarter. 3โS ARE WILDCrowderโs 3-pointer with 5:43 left in the third quarter was โ fittingly โ the 33,333rd in NBA playoff history.