<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/image_2021-02-27_224919.png"></figure><h1>Celtics’ 2021 struggles brought a surprising silver lining</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-27T06:52:43-08:00">February 27th, 6:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-27T06:52:43-08:00">February 27th, 6:52am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics found themselves plummeting to the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings due to their recent <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics/schedule">three-game losing skid</a>. Despite producing disappointing efforts, point guard Jeff Teague claimed that the team grew closer when they had to go through their struggles as of late, via <a href="https://twitter.com/ByJayKing/status/1365511956854173698?s=20">Jay King</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"It's pretty amazing how losses bring you closer than the wins do. And that's what's happening with our group."</p><p>— Jay King (@ByJayKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByJayKing/status/1365511956854173698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 27, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Head coach Brad Stevens and his men fell short of expectations as they garnered a 6-9 record thr0ugh 15 games in the month of February. Their three-game slide started last Sunday when they visited the New Orleans Pelicans.</p><p>Despite being the better team, the Celtics eventually ran out of gas in the overtime period against the Pelicans as they succumbed to a Zion Williamson-induced run for a 120-115 loss. Two days later, they sustained another narrow defeat when Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic successfully drained a last-gasp three-point shot to lift his team to a 110-107 victory.</p><p>On Feb. 24, their woes continued as the Celtics didn’t have an answer to Danilo Gallinari’s 38-point explosion, ultimately dealing them with a 127-112 defeat. After three consecutive losses, Boston finally got back on the right track against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.</p><p>Kemba Walker’s 32 points did wonders for his team as All-Star forward Jayson Tatum was only held to nine points on a 4/18 shooting clip from the field. By way of a 118-112 victory, the Celtics eventually halted their three-game losing skid and got back in the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference for a 16-17 record.</p><p>Boston will have to exert more effort now that they find themselves in a precarious spot near the bottom of the playoff race in the East. More consistent performances are also expected from their two All-Star players in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Hopefully, the Celtics will be able to use their losses as motivation to do better in their upcoming games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics’ 2021 struggles brought a surprising silver lining

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/image_2021-02-27_145346.png"></figure><h1>Color-based record shows Celtics’ greens might be cursed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-26T23:01:15-08:00">February 26th, 11:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-26T23:01:15-08:00">February 26th, 11:01pm</time><address><a>Kriel Ibarrola</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics will always be associated with the color green. But as according to this <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisForsberg_/status/1365464304972095493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1365464304972095493%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1020136action%3Dedit">intriguing statistic</a>, looks like the Celtics are better off ditching their iconic green threads for a higher chance of winning more games in the 2020-21 campaign.</p><p>NBCS Boston’s Chris Forsberg shared an interesting tidbit, noting that Boston has been undefeated this season when donning their white uniforms. The same cannot be said when they wear green, going 4-6 in Celtic green. If this graphic is to be believed, the Celtics should also stay away from those slick black uniforms since they’ve only won once in the five games they played in those jerseys.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Not even the traditional white jerseys can change the mojo for the Celtics so far. The numbers by jersey this season … </p><p>⚪️ 6-0<br>🟢 4-6<br>⚫️ 1-5<br>🏆 4-6</p><p>— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisForsberg_/status/1365464304972095493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 27, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Celtics used their white jerseys against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden on Friday. Sure enough, they were able to put an end to a three-game slide, running away with a 118-112 victory. Kemba Walker finally broke out of his slump with 32 points while Daniel Theis added 17 of his own.</p><p>While the case can be made that it’s purely coincidental, NBA players and teams have already proven to be a superstitious bunch.</p><p>For sure, the Celtics will likely rock with these white threads for as much as they can if it means getting their winning mojo back this season.</p><p>While the supernatural narrative is indeed more interesting to look at in regards to the Celtics’ winning, there’s actually a simple reason why this happens. Boston has been a much better team at home (9-5) compared to when they’re on the road (7-12).  They often use those white jerseys at home, so there’s that. But undefeated in them? It’s up to you to decide. The win <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics/schedule">pushed Boston’s record</a> to 16-17 and right back in the top eight in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Color-based record shows Celtics’ greens might be cursed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Jayson-Tatum-replacing-Kevin-Durant-as-All-Star-starter.jpg"></figure><h1>Jayson Tatum replacing Kevin Durant as All-Star starter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-26T13:46:42-08:00">February 26th, 1:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-26T13:46:42-08:00">February 26th, 1:46pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kevin Durant’s hamstring strain has resulted in a number of changes to the upcoming 2021 NBA All-Star Game, with the latest being Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum’s insertion into the starting lineup.</p><p>Marc Stein of the <i>New York Times </i>reported Tatum has been selected to replace Durant as an Eastern Conference starter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BOSTON'S Jayson Tatum is now a starter in Kevin Durant's place, NBA says</p><p>— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1365412010188558336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Stein also reported the NBA has yet to decide who will replace Durant as one of the two team captains after it was announced the Indiana Pacers forward was taking his spot in the Eastern Conference frontcourt.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Indiana's Domantas Sabonis will replace Brooklyn's Kevin Durant as an East All-Star, sources say, but a decision has not yet been made on how to handle the East captaincy now that Durant is not playing.</p><p>— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1365409161203380227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Tatum is having a brilliant season in Boston.</p><p>The former Duke star continues to blossom into a superstar, averaging career-highs in points (25.6) and assists (4.5) while also pulling down close to seven rebounds per game. Tatum consistently sets the tone with his two-way brilliance, though the Celtics have not been much better for it recently.</p><p>Boston has fallen to ninth in the Eastern Conference after losing its third straight at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. The Celtics began the season at 8-3, but have gone just 7-14 since Jan. 15.</p><p>This losing skid seemed to come to a head against the Hawks, as Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to shoot 10-for-36 from the field and 1-for-14 from beyond the arc. There has also been some internal strife, with Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck and general manager Dany Ainge both <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2933377-celtics-governor-wyc-grousbeck-you-cant-be-contenders-if-youre-under-500">questioning</a> the team’s contender status.</p><p>Tatum’s selection as an All-Star starter is a nice honor and a good reprieve from all the negativity. But the 22-year-old would likely sacrifice the distinction for greater <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics">team success</a> going forward.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jayson Tatum replacing Kevin Durant as All-Star starter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NBA-odds-Pacers-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA odds: Pacers vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick, and more</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-26T13:06:57-08:00">February 26th, 1:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-26T13:06:57-08:00">February 26th, 1:06pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Indiana Pacers will travel to Massachusetts to take on the Boston Celtics, who are riding a three-game losing streak. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a prediction and pick about the Pacers-Celtics game in what could possibly be a playoff preview.</p><p>The Pacers are 15-15 and in fourth in the Eastern Conference and the Celtics are 15-17 and ninth in the East. Nate Bjorkgren’s team is 4-6 in their past 10 games and Brad Stevens team is 3-7 in their last 10 and has found himself on the hot seat.</p><p>Here’s how <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/basketball/nba">sportsbooks</a> have the odds for the Pacers-Celtics game.</p><h2><b>NBA Odds: Pacers-Celtics Odds</b></h2><p>Indiana Pacers +2.5 (-110)</p><p>Boston Celtics -2.5 (-110)</p><p>Over 219 points (-110)</p><p>Under 219 points (-110)</p><h2><b>Why the Pacers Could Cover the Spread</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Pacers-news-Domantas-Sabonis-vocal-on-his-All-Star-snub-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><p>These two teams have faced each other twice this season in Dec. 2020 and split the pair of matchups. However, these teams are much different from back then. The Pacers don’t have TJ Warren or Victor Oladipo and the Celtics don’t have Marcus Smart.</p><p>The Pacers have been carried by Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/domantas-sabonis-to-replace-kevin-durant-in-all-star-game/">who was just named an All-Star replacement</a> to Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. Myles Turner has been terrific defensively and Doug McDermott recently returned from injury.</p><p>Besides those four, the rest of this Pacers’ squad is subpar at best, at least until Caris LeVert returns. However, they have found a way to stay afloat at .500 and largely due to the solid play of the Pacers’ starters.</p><p>Brogdon is one of the most under-appreciated players in the league and Sabonis has been terrific and, simply put, the Celtics don’t have anybody who can guard the Pacers duo of Turner and Sabonis.</p><p>The Pacers lost by four to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday and the Celtics have looked like one of the worst teams in the league over the past few weeks.</p><p>Brogdon should put up 20 points and Sabonis will have a monster game against the Celtics bigs, which features Tristan Thompson.</p><h2><b>Why the Celtics Could Cover the Spread</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/brad-1.jpg"></figure><p>They haven’t been playing well lately, and that’s an understatement. Boston lost on Wednesday to the Atlanta Hawks by 15 and the All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and  Jaylen Brown played poorly.</p><p>Tatum and Brown combined to shoot just 10-of-36 for 30 points combined and have lost three straight and six of their past eight games in a downward spiral towards the bottom half of the East.</p><p>However, Tatum and Brown won’t shoot like that again, hopefully. Coach Stevens has his hands full and has been the center of the hot seat as far as coaches are concerned.</p><p>The Celtics are determined to right the ship and the duo of Brown and Tatum should have huge games as the only glimmer of hope this Boston team has until Smart returns or until Danny Ainge brings somebody else on board, either via trade or buyout market.</p><h2><b>Final Celtics-Pacers Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Ultimately, the Celtics have looked bad for the entire month of February and it doesn’t look like it gets any better against the Pacers. Nobody in green can match up with Sabonis and Brogdon is the most consistent player on the floor on any given night. The Celtics and Stevens will have to wait another day to get a victory and hope they don’t fall further down the standings in the East.</p><p>PREDICTION: Indiana Pacers 116, Boston Celtics 101 (Pacers +2.5)</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA odds: Pacers vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick, and more

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Brad-Stevens-doesn_t-see-the-big-fuss-over-who_s-in-the-starting-lineup-_inconsequential_.jpg"></figure><h1>Pacers-Celtics: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Friday, February 26th)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-26T11:00:11-08:00">February 26th, 11:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-26T11:00:11-08:00">February 26th, 11:00am</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Indiana Pacers (15-15) take on the Boston Celtics (15-17) at TD Garden.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on Friday, February 26th</p><p><b>TV:</b> ESPN</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. With a subscription, you can watch the live stream on <a href="http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch ESPN app</a>. You can also follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>Pacers Active Roster:</b> Justin Holiday, Goga Bitadze, Domantas Sabonis, T.J. Warren, Myles Turner, Doug McDermott, JaKarr Sampson, Aaron Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, Edmond Sumner, Caris LeVert, T.J. McConnell, Kelan Martin, Malcolm Brogdon</p><p><b>Pacers Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>T.J. Warren (Out – Foot): Warren is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his left foot, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.</li><li>JaKarr Sampson (Day To Day – Health Protocols): The Pacers have listed Sampson as QUESTIONABLE for Friday’s game (Feb. 26) against the Celtics.</li><li>Caris LeVert (Out – Kidney): The Pacers announced that LeVert is out indefinitely after a MRI discovered a small mass on his left kidney.</li></ul><p><b>Celtics Active Roster:</b> Payton Pritchard, Tacko Fall, Javonte Green, Tristan Thompson, Grant Williams, Aaron Nesmith, Jayson Tatum, Jeff Teague, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, Tremont Waters, Romeo Langford, Carsen Edwards, Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeleye, Jaylen Brown</p><p><b>Celtics Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Marcus Smart (Out – Calf): The Celtics announced that Smart will miss 2-3 weeks with a right calf strain.</li><li>Romeo Langford (Out – Right wrist): The Celtics announced G-F Romeo Langford underwent surgery on his wrist and he’s expected to miss the next four-to-five months.</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/PacersNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@PacersNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CelticsNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@CelticsNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IndianaPacersNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indiana Pacers</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BostonCelticsNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Boston Celtics</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pacers-Celtics: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Friday, February 26th)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Celtics-news-Jayson-Tatum-and-Jaylen-Brown-are-part-of-the-problem-per-anonymous-player-THumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are part of the problem, per anonymous player</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-26T09:24:48-08:00">February 26th, 9:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-26T09:24:48-08:00">February 26th, 9:24am</time><address><a>Isaac Doctor</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Based on a source from <a href="https://www.clnsmedia.com/nba-player-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-dont-make-teammates-better/" rel="noopener">John Zannis</a> and the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bob-ryan-jeff-goodman-nba-podcast/id1483104123" rel="noopener">Bob Ryan &amp; Jeff Goodman Podcast of CLNS Media Network</a>, Boston Celtics wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown contribute to the team’s issues. This was said by an undisclosed player, who recently played against the Celtics. </p><blockquote>“Tatum and Brown can’t be your superstars,” the anonymous player said. “They only do things to help their game. They don’t get anyone else easy shots. All they know how to do is score. They don’t turn down tough shots to get a guy an easy shot. So teams are onto them.”</blockquote><p>The stats don’t agree with this statement as both Celtics All-Stars increased their assist numbers this season. Of course, numbers need to be taken into context. Not every assist is made equally. Some are the result of precise ball movement and get players actively involved while others just happen because a player was double-teamed and had nowhere to go. </p><p>Tatum and Brown are not the designated playmakers of the squad, but with Celtics point guards Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-marcus-smart-leg-injury-diagnosis-revealed/">missing significant amounts of time</a> due to injuries it has looked like that occasionally. </p><p>The Celtics currently have a 15-17 record, which places them in the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference. They have dropped their last three games. Head coach Brad Stevens will have to figure something out soon to get the C’s working again. The team may be buyers at the trade deadline, possibly at the center position with general manager Danny Ainge ready at the wings to fleece someone. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are part of the problem, per anonymous player

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Celtics-news-Jayson-Tatum-insists-there_s-no-bad-blood-in-locker-room-amid-recent-failures-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics’ Jayson Tatum insists there’s no bad blood in locker room amid recent failures</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-26T08:43:38-08:00">February 26th, 8:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-26T08:43:38-08:00">February 26th, 8:43am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics’ woes continued after suffering their third straight loss in a row on Wednesday night. The Atlanta Hawks held a comfortable lead throughout most of the game, putting the Celtics even further under the microscope.</p><p>Due to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-danny-ainges-brutally-honest-rant-on-bostons-collapse/">recent struggles</a> happening in Boston, there have been rumors of Danny Ainge potentially making some trades or even firing head coach, Brad Stevens. Obviously, something wrong is going on with the Celtics right now and the franchise needs to find a way to correct the path soon.</p><p>However, <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/2/26/22302983/exclusive-celticsblog-sits-down-with-jayson-tatum-boston-celtics-interview">Jayson Tatum maintains a positive opinion</a> during these trying times. Here’s an excerpt from the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/2/26/22302983/exclusive-celticsblog-sits-down-with-jayson-tatum-boston-celtics-interview">Keith Smith in SB Nation’s CelticsBlog</a> reiterating Tatum’s take on the Celtics’ current situation:</p><blockquote>Despite the Celtics sitting under .500, Tatum said the team hasn’t lost faith in each other or in the organization, despite some scuttle to the contrary. Tatum said everyone is focused on turning the season around: “Everyone in that locker room and organization cares. We want to figure it out. It’s not a chemistry thing. It’s not that we don’t enjoy being around each other and playing with each other. We do. We’re all frustrated with ourselves and how we’re playing as a team. We want to figure it out. That we care is a positive I’m taking away from right now.”</blockquote><p>The team is ultra-aware of what’s going on in Boston right now, but luckily for them, there is still time to right the ship. Especially with superstar talent on the roster in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker.</p><p>With the NBA trade deadline on March 25, it’s likely Ainge makes a move to improve this roster. Additionally, Stevens needs to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-must-fire-brad-stevens-to-save-their-season/">find a way</a> to get this team to mesh together. It’s odd to see an organization look so solid a year ago, only to be just on the outside of the playoff midway through the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum insists there’s no bad blood in locker room amid recent failures

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Bam-Adebayo-joins-Luka-Doncic-Zion-Williamson-Jayson-Tatum-with-Jordan-Brand.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat star Bam Adebayo joins Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum with Jordan Brand</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-26T07:59:42-08:00">February 26th, 7:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-26T08:00:37-08:00">February 26th, 8:00am</time><address><a>Isaac Doctor</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo <a href="https://twitter.com/_JarrelHarris/status/1365315693487546370" rel="noopener">is the most recent addition</a> to Jordan Brand. He joins a talented young roster of players who sport the Jumpman logo, including Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, and Jayson Tatum.</p><p>Adebayo is excited for this opportunity:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has signed a footwear &amp; apparel endorsement deal with Jordan Brand.</p><p>“Being able to say that I'm part of the Brand makes me sit back and really cherish everything.” — <a href="https://twitter.com/Bam1of1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Bam1of1</a> <a href="https://t.co/CEPH74C0kq" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/CEPH74C0kq</a></p><p>— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickDePaula/status/1365315657861103616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>This is an interesting development for Adebayo since big men aren’t often the first players that come to mind when thinking about basketball shoes. Just look at Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. The Converse Weapon was endorsed mainly by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. </p><p>Adebayo has come a long way from being just an energy guy at Kentucky to being the well-rounded center we know today in Miami. In the 30 games he has played this season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/bam-adebayo/a4230928" rel="noopener">he’s averaging</a> 19.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and a block. </p><p>Adebayo is able to do things expected of big men like scoring inside the paint, getting boards, and protecting the paint. What sets him apart from average bigs is his uncanny playmaking. He can easily locate cutters and open shooters, and there are many plays where the offense runs through him. Adebayo is a testament to how the position has evolved. Elite players like him are allaying fears that the big man is going out of style.  </p><p>Adebayo and Jimmy Butler are leading the charge for the Heat as they attempt to climb out of the early-season hole the team was in. Miami is currently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/schedule" rel="noopener">riding a four-game winning streak</a>, but a tough matchup against the mighty Utah Jazz looms on Friday night. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat star Bam Adebayo joins Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum with Jordan Brand

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/image_2021-02-26_120306.png"></figure><h1>Kevin Garnett breaks down Kobe Bryant’s clutch assist to Metta World Peace in 2010 Lakers vs. Celtics Finals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-25T20:27:19-08:00">February 25th, 8:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-25T20:38:12-08:00">February 25th, 8:38pm</time><address><a>Nick Andre</a>Basketball Enthusiast</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hall of Fame legend Kevin Garnett took an epic stroll down memory lane. In this excerpt from his recent penned work on Bleacher Report’s <b>Kevin Garnett ‘Uncensored’</b>, Garnett spoke on the 2010 NBA Finals matchup against the Celtics’ rival, the Los Angeles Lakers.</p><p>Garnett would come up short of a championship, losing the series four games to three. The series came down to an epic three-pointer by Metta Sandiford-Artest, then known as Ron Artest, which came off of a pass from Bryant.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Garnett expressed the level of respect that he had for Kobe Bryant throughout the series. Bryant faced a physical Celtics team playing through a broken index finger, bone spur in his right ankle, and also a lingering knee injury.</p><blockquote>“We told ourselves in that Game 7 that we were gonna stop Kob. That was our strategy. But Kob found a way to win anyway. While he was struggling, he was quick to see who wasn’t. Metta Sandiford-Artest, still called Ron back then, had a hot hand. He scored 20. The last three were the most important,” Garnett said.“We played that critical possession perfectly. Fourth quarter. Minute left on the clock. Lakers up three. Bean has the ball on the wing. Ray is playing him straight-up. Everybody in the building knows he wants to take that shot. F–k no, we ain’t gonna let him. Rasheed comes over to double, and Kob drives right. But Ray cuts him off, doesn’t let him in the lane. So Bean goes up in the air and gets off a tough pass to Metta behind the arc. Paul [Pierce] has already rotated over and gets a hand in his face, makes a nice contest. We do everything we’re supposed to do. Ball just goes in”</blockquote><p>Despite the abnormal circumstances, Bryant managed to average 28.6 points along with four assists in the meantime. Garnett and his squad had a game plan to slow down Bryant offensively, which they did as he shot 6-24. Bryant still managed to impact the game by rebounding and trusting his teammates.</p><p>The Celtics figured that Bryant was going to take the final shot with a minute remaining. As Boston double-teamed him at the top of the key, Bryant made a play that crushed the Celtics’ chances of winning. Garnett <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2933193-kevin-garnett-uncensored-excerpt-when-kobe-and-i-were-the-future">explained</a> that Artest’s three-pointer became the exclamation point, as the Lakers defeated the Celtics 83-79.</p><p>Garnett expressed that Boston’s game seven loss remains hard to accept 10 years later. The Celtics were on the pace of winning their second championship in three seasons. The win in Staples Center nearly went into the hands of the Celtics. But Bryant’s terrific decision-making was what stunted Boston from clinching their 18th title.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Garnett breaks down Kobe Bryant’s clutch assist to Metta World Peace in 2010 Lakers vs. Celtics Finals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/brad-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics must fire Brad Stevens to save their season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-25T19:11:18-08:00">February 25th, 7:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-25T19:13:34-08:00">February 25th, 7:13pm</time><address><a>Nick Andre</a>Basketball Enthusiast</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It has been a rollercoaster season for the Boston Celtics. Combined with injuries, safety protocols, and bad rotations, the team has not had the opportunity to make a run in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Brad Stevens is currently on the hot seat for Boston’s struggles. The <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30962904/danny-ainge-not-blaming-stars-jaylen-brown-jayson-tatum-boston-celtics-collapse">more his team struggles</a>, the bigger chance Stevens is replaced <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics/news">as the head coach.</a></p><p>For the most part. Stevens has done a terrific job of developing the Celtics into real contenders again. The pressure was on him to change the dynamic of the organization after Boston’s big three eras. In Stevens’ eight seasons as the Celtics’ head coach, he has had a 333-263 record along with three Eastern Conference Finals appearances. The question has recently been what’s next for Stevens as the leader on the sidelines? Is he the key to help Boston win a championship? So far this season, it has not looked that way.</p><p>The Celtics are certainly dealing with injuries. The problem is that Stevens seems to cannot motivate his players to play well. Watching the Celtics on the floor, the team hasn’t been on the same page on both ends. The chemistry issues have been on Stevens due to not making sure that his players are locked in. The terrible play on the floor has also poured into the locker room as well, where Stevens doesn’t seem to have control either.</p><p>The Celtics should potentially look into firing Brad Stevens and bring in a new head coach. As a historic organization, it’s only so long where a team can wait on a coach to deliver a championship before it’s too late. Stevens has seemed to hit that stride recently. As Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to evolve as franchise players, having the right coach to take them to the NBA Finals is necessary. Unfortunately, Stevens has failed to make one Finals appearance in his eight seasons. As the Celtics have teams like Brooklyn and others in their way, their chances to make it out of the East is slim to none at this point.</p><p>The next head coach who comes in for the Celtics must understand the importance of this team’s valued players. Utilizing role players around stars is one of the important factors to becoming successful. Players in Robert Williams, Payton Pritchard, and others can contribute in a huge way for Boston when given the opportunity. As the second half of the NBA season is underway, the role players should be used to a higher extent to help the Celtics return to the winning column. It is more likely impossible for Boston to land a top seed with the way they have struggled. But there’s still a chance that the team can finish the season with momentum in their favor.</p><p>Both Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge seem to have a great working relationship. But as Ainge is known to be, he shows no fear in making business decisions that will benefit the franchise. Brad Stevens’ tenure in Boston should come to an end. As the Celtics’ two stars continue to grow and mature, Boston’s front office should find a coach who understands what it takes to lead a team to an NBA championship</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics must fire Brad Stevens to save their season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/image_2021-02-26_105951.png"></figure><h1>Celtics’ Kevin Garnett reveals what Lakers legend Kobe Bryant told him after losing 2008 NBA Finals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-25T19:09:59-08:00">February 25th, 7:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-25T19:09:59-08:00">February 25th, 7:09pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kevin Garnett got his first and only title in 2008 by beating none other than the Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers. Perhaps the most famous clip after the Boston Celtics finally won is Garnett screaming his lungs out before calming himself down for a post-game interview. But in Garnett’s new memoir, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/kevin-garnett/2743/bio">legendary big man</a> shared the heartfelt conversation between him and Kobe right after the NBA Finals.</p><p>Via <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2933193-kevin-garnett-uncensored-excerpt-when-kobe-and-i-were-the-future">Bleacher Report</a>, below is a snippet from From KG: A TO Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between, Garnett’s new memoir. Garnett shared how Kobe congratulated him but at the same time, told him to keep his guard up.</p><blockquote>“Congratulations, man,” says Bean.“Enjoy this, cause there ain’t gonna be too many more. I’ll see yo b—h ass next year.”I have to get in my blows, have to say: “We activated now. This ain’t that Minnesota s–t.”“We’ll see.”“Say hi to Vanessa and the kids,” I say.“Love you, my brotha.”“Love you too, dawg.”</blockquote><p>After their exchange, Kevin Garnett wanted to find out where the Lakers were headed after the loss. Bryant didn’t seem to have any intention of staying for long in their arch rivals’ town, definitely with plans to start preparing for the next year. True enough, Kobe Bryant led his team to the next two titles.</p><blockquote>Then I give him one of those gorilla hugs around the neck and ask, “Bean, y’all out tonight?”“Hell, yes,” said Kob, “we getting the f–k outta this b—h.”</blockquote><p>It’s another revealing story about the man and the legend that is Kobe Bryant. Right after suffering the toughest losses of his life, Bryant was ready to get back up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics’ Kevin Garnett reveals what Lakers legend Kobe Bryant told him after losing 2008 NBA Finals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Bulls-Michael-Jordan-Celtics-Kevin-Garnett.jpg"></figure><h1>Kevin Garnett recounts Bulls legend Michael Jordan’s savage troll job on Celtics champion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-25T18:58:34-08:00">February 25th, 6:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-25T18:59:16-08:00">February 25th, 6:59pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kevin Garnett is easily one of the best story-tellers in the entire history of the NBA. This is exactly why his new book is likely going to come off the shelves real soon. The book entitled <i>KG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between</i>, features an awesome story involving Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan — one that continues to bite KG in the butt to this very day. </p><p>On a recent appearance on the <a href="https://youtu.be/pffV6CA5zNw"><i>Jimmy Kimmel Show</i></a>, Garnett recalled the one and only time he made the mistake of trash-talking MJ. To cut the long story short (although we strongly advise that you watch the video on the link above), KG’s trash-talking resulted in Michael dropping 40 points on him in three quarters. According to Garnett, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/chicago-bulls/schedule">the Bulls</a> legend never fails to bring up that encounter whenever they see each other in person:</p><blockquote>“It’s definitely burned into my brain, but whenever I see Jordan, he always does the same thing every time,” Garnett said, via <a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/kevin-garnett-michael-jordan-trash-talk-troll-story-video/">Robbie Kalland of Uproxx</a>. “He always palms my head and says, ‘you remember when I gave you 40 in three quarters?!’ And I’m always like, ‘man, go ‘head.’ And then he has like this sidekick of people around him and he’s like, ‘Go pull that up.’ And this guy goes and pulls it up [on his phone], and I’m like, ‘What is this?! Who walks around with content like, teed up.’ But it was an experience where, I quit talking trash to Michael Jordan.”</blockquote><p>This is probably not the first time you’ve heard this KG story about Jordan, but the way he tells it never fails to produce laughter. Garnett is an all-time great and definitely one of the greatest trash-talkers ever. However, even he found his match in Michael Jordan.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Garnett recounts Bulls legend Michael Jordan’s savage troll job on Celtics champion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/celtics-news-brad-stevens-identity-thieves-love-target-way-more-than-he-does.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics coach Brad Stevens’ identity thieves love Target way more than he does</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-25T12:00:21-08:00">February 25th, 12:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-25T12:00:21-08:00">February 25th, 12:00pm</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With a 127-112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, the Boston Celtics have lost three straight and eight of their last 11 games. They fell to 15-17, putting them two games below .500 <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/nba/recap?gameId=401267650">for the first time this season</a> and into a tie with the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>But aside from the Celtics’ on-court struggles, head coach Brad Stevens has also had to deal with identity theft recently, which he revealed in an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday.</p><p>Stevens revealed that he had dealt with identity theft issues, with the thieves opening cards in his name and specifically calling retail store Target to open a card, something he said he wouldn’t be interested in right now given his team’s struggles.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brad Stevens explaining his identity theft issues to <a href="https://twitter.com/hardy985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@hardy985</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Marc_Bertrand?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Marc_Bertrand</a> last week: "It was the real stuff. People were trying to open up cards and all this stuff. Calling Target, like I would have a lot of interest in opening up a Target card right now in this stretch."</p><p>— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianTRobb/status/1365000125425197057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It wasn’t the only less than ideal experience that the 44-year-old coach had to deal with recently, as he also had a root canal, which he added were “two of his better days last week,” per Celtics reporter Marc D’Amico.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brad Stevens – and I'm not sure if he was joking or serious about this – just said on <a href="https://twitter.com/985TheSportsHub?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@985TheSportsHub</a> that he had a root canal and had his identity stolen in the last week… "and those were two of my better days last week," he joked in reference to the Celtics' struggles.</p><p>— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) <a href="https://twitter.com/Marc_DAmico/status/1364997623849967616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>After his experiences in recent weeks, Stevens would want the next few days to bring better experiences, both on and off the court. The Celtics have four games remaining before the All-Star break and hope to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-danny-ainges-brutally-honest-rant-on-bostons-collapse/">get some momentum</a> before the halfway point of the season.</p><p>Before their loss to the Hawks, Boston also had tough defeats in overtime against the New Orleans Pelicans, and a three-point loss to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Stevens and the Celtics look to end their losing streak on Friday against the Indiana Pacers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics coach Brad Stevens’ identity thieves love Target way more than he does

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Danny-Ainge-Celtics-Brad-Stevens.jpg"></figure><h1>Danny Ainge drops hint on Brad Stevens’ job security with the Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-25T07:38:37-08:00">February 25th, 7:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-25T07:39:35-08:00">February 25th, 7:39am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics are in a bit of a rut recently, as they’re currently on a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics/schedule">three-game losing streak</a>. It’s been quite the roller coaster for this franchise this season, as last year they were one of the hottest teams in the league. Currently ranked ninth in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics could potentially shake things up a bit to right the ship. Danny Ainge, the general manager of the Celtics, has been putting the blame on himself and made some interesting points on “Toucher and Rich,” a popular Boston sports show.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Takeaways from Danny Ainge on <a href="https://twitter.com/Toucherandrich?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@toucherandrich</a>: </p><p>* Believes team is lacking confidence and resolve<br>* “I still am a believer that our team can make a run.”<br>* “It’s a me problem.”<br>* Goes to bat for Brad. “This is a Danny Ainge, + our player commitment issue more than anything else”</p><p>— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisForsberg_/status/1364945402831785986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Based on these <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-danny-ainges-brutally-honest-rant-on-bostons-collapse/">takeaways</a>, Ainge sounds like he’s looking to make a change to the roster. However, it is important to note that Ainge believes the team is, “lacking confidence and resolve.” That very well could be a coaching problem, or maybe the team isn’t getting along like they did a year ago.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisForsberg_/status/1364945405138583552">Chris Forsberg shared another tweet</a>, speculating on Ainge’s possible maneuvers in the near future. According to Forsberg, “Ainge reaffirmed he won’t make a deal to make (a) move just to make a move but wants to add help. Says he’s always exploring ways to upgrade the roster.”</p><p>Either way, it sounds like Danny Ainge has something cooking for the Celtics. He may make a trade soon, or fire Brad Stevens, as those seem to be the two decisions he’s boiling down to. The NBA trade deadline is March 25th, so if the front office makes a move, expect it to happen between now and late March.</p><p>Boston is a city used to winning, so being in this situation isn’t something the fan base enjoys. Ainge is likely to do what he believes is necessary to get the Celtics back on track this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Danny Ainge drops hint on Brad Stevens’ job security with the Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Danny-Ainge-Celtics-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Danny Ainge’s brutally honest rant on Celtics’ collapse</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-25T07:23:29-08:00">February 25th, 7:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-25T07:25:13-08:00">February 25th, 7:25am</time><address><a>Skyler Carlin</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics have hit a rough patch recently, prompting many to believe that changes need to be made to the roster. Following Boston’s lopsided loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Danny Ainge had a brutally honest rant about the Celtics’ recent collapse, via <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1364940319322738691">Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Danny Ainge on the Celtics struggles: "It's hard to explain. The intensity level hasn't been there. I don't know how to explain it. Our team isn't playing well. They don't play hard all the time. I don't have an explanation. It's been frustrating for the players and the coaches."</p><p>— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1364940319322738691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>With their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-trae-young-uses-clever-trick-for-in-bounds-basket-vs-celtics/">blowout defeat</a> to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/atlanta-hawks">Hawks</a>, the Celtics have fallen to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings">15-17 on the season</a>. Boston has won only five of their 14 games in February thus far. If the playoffs were to begin today, the Celtics would be involved in the play-in tournament for a chance to advance to the postseason.</p><p>Despite the breakout years that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have had, some believe they’ve been part of the issue. In response to the people calling out Tatum and Brown, Ainge said it is ludicrous to place blame on either of them on Boston’s recent skid.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ainge: "I think to put it all on Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown) isn't fair."</p><p>— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1364940704204664839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>After defending Tatum and Brown, Ainge did make some interesting comments on what the Celtics need moving forward. Ainge shared that Boston needs another go-to scorer and depth off of the bench if they want to stop the bleeding.</p><p>While Ainge has had opportunities to make moves in recent seasons, he’s taken responsibility for the roster that is currently constructed. Another interesting aspect of Ainge’s rant was that he never mentioned Kemba Walker, who is viewed as the third-best player on the roster.</p><p>Ahead of the trade deadline, the Celtics will likely be looking to make a move that could salvage their season. And of the players on their roster, Walker seems to be the most logical choice as a player that could be put on the trade market in hopes to land a difference-maker moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Danny Ainge’s brutally honest rant on Celtics’ collapse

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/jaylen-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Jaylen Brown speaks out on Celtics’ biggest problem amid 3-game slump</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-24T20:22:41-08:00">February 24th, 8:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-24T20:22:41-08:00">February 24th, 8:22pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jaylen Brown isn’t a happy camper right now for the Boston Celtics. The Cs lost another game on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks as they finish their road trip 0-3.</p><p>Brown is clearly unhappy with his team’s current slump and firmly believes that Boston can do so much more.</p><blockquote>“As long as you got that Celtics jersey on, you should never be comfortable with losing,” Jaylen  Brown said after the Celtics’ 127-112 loss in Atlanta via <a href="https://twitter.com/ASherrodblakely/status/1364782360772939778">A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report</a>). “We’ve had the opportunities (to win) and we haven’t…I can tell the mental focus, it’s not there. It’s not enough. I don’t know. We have to be better going from game to game; have the right mentality. It’s tough but we have to do it.”</blockquote><p>It clear that Brown and the Celtics haven’t been sage-ing enough as of late to get the bad vibes out. For the first-time All-Star, their last three games have definitely been very winnable; unfortunately, the effort hasn’t been there.</p><p>They Celtics were up as much as 24 points against the New Orleans Pelicans last Sunday but still lost 120-115 in OT. This tough defeat was followed by another one, as Luka Doncic hit back-to-back threes in the dying seconds of Boston’s visit to the Dallas Mavericks to hand them a 110-107 heartbreaker. On Wednesday, they were victims to a red-hot shooting evening from Danilo Gallinari after the 32-year-old vet torched Boston with a career-high 10 threes en route to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/boxscore/boston-celtics-atlanta-hawks-2-25-2021/718f1287-8b76-4b92-9904-00ff27c0bd35" rel="noopener">blowout loss</a>.</p><p>Almost halfway through the season, the Celtics have looked quite different from last season’s squad that was two games away from booking a trip to the NBA Finals. They’re now hanging on for dear life at the East’s eighth spot with a 15-17 record, with the New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets breathing down their neck.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaylen Brown speaks out on Celtics’ biggest problem amid 3-game slump

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/danilo.jpg"></figure><h1>Danilo Gallinari’s confident remark to Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce in ‘special’ game vs. Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-24T19:51:52-08:00">February 24th, 7:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-24T19:51:52-08:00">February 24th, 7:51pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce knew that forward Danilo Gallinari was in some sort of zone against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. But just to be sure, Pierce asked the Italian native if he can maintain his immaculate shooting stroke for long. And Gallinari responded with utmost confidence.</p><p>After the game, Pierce shared their conversation after he noticed that Gallinari was shooting lights out from deep. Gallinari assured Pierce that he can and will remain hot.</p><blockquote>“That first stretch, you see there’s something special going on, the only thing I asked him is ‘Can you keep going?’ He goes ‘I can go 48 right now, coach,’” Pierce said per <a href="https://twitter.com/sarah_k_spence/status/1364774282660896768">Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal Constitution</a>.</blockquote><p>In the Hawks’ 127-112 victory over the Celtics, Gallinari came off the bench and casually dropped 38 points. He started off scorching hot from downtown, hitting all seven 3-point attempts in the first half. He finished the game <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-danilo-gallinari-sets-new-franchise-record-10-made-3-pointers/">shooting 10-of-12 from deep</a>.</p><p>John Collins echoed Pierce’s sentiments. He was in awe of the Italian and the entire Hawks squad loved every single minute of it.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Gallinari! I mean honestly dude is on fire, could not miss. We love it. The entire team loves it."</p><p>– <a href="https://twitter.com/jcollins20_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@jcollins20_</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/gallinari8888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@gallinari8888</a>'s career night. <a href="https://t.co/RtBopgl0qg" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/RtBopgl0qg</a></p><p>— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1364775228568727552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Below is one of Gallinari’s 3-pointers. It was a heat check of some sort. The Italian was 6-of-6 from downtown and tested his stroke by launching it from the logo.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">GALLINARI FROM THE LOGO 😳</p><p>He's up to 23 Pts, 7-7 from three-point range. <a href="https://t.co/wvJoinxn4R" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/wvJoinxn4R</a></p><p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1364747520899866624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>So far in the season, Gallinari is averaging just 20.2 minutes per game — the lowest since his rookie year. Perhaps that’s the main reason why Pierce was concerned. But after showcasing how much of a potent scorer he is, Hawks fans may see more of the Italian in the coming games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Danilo Gallinari’s confident remark to Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce in ‘special’ game vs. Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Trae-Young-uses-clever-trick-for-in-bounds-basket-vs.-Celtics.jpg"></figure><h1>VIDEO: Hawks star Trae Young uses clever trick for in-bounds basket vs. Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-24T17:48:23-08:00">February 24th, 5:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-24T17:48:23-08:00">February 24th, 5:48pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young may be in just his third season in the NBA, but there’s no denying that he’s already playing like a seasoned vet. Case in point is this clever trick play he pulled off against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.</p><p>Young took full advantage of a Celtics defender turning his back on him as he attempted an inbound pass from the baseline. The Hawks guard’s deceptive play resulted in an easy deuce (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1364749654819151873">ClutchPoints</a> on Twitter):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Trae Young goes off the back of the Celtics' defender and scores in under a second 🤣<a href="https://t.co/cEfPtc1QLo" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/cEfPtc1QLo</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1364749654819151873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Clutch play from Young too, with just one second remaining on the shot clock.</p><p>Trae Young is playing with a bit of a chip off his shoulder these days following news that he ended up being snubbed for the All-Star reserves team for the East. He’s been playing at an elite level of late, but it hasn’t been enough to earn a spot for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-trae-youngs-take-on-all-star-game-amid-player-backlash/">All-Star game</a>, which incidentally, is set to take place in his home city of Atlanta.</p><p>Young will be intent in proving that he is indeed an All-Star caliber player and the fact that he was playing against two All-Stars on Wednesday in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the Celtics just adds a bit more spice to this narrative.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Hawks star Trae Young uses clever trick for in-bounds basket vs. Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/wyc.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics owner blames Kyrie Irving’s departure for struggles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-24T15:34:24-08:00">February 24th, 3:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-24T15:34:24-08:00">February 24th, 3:34pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There’s no love lost between the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving. Despite parting ways nearly two years ago, Cs managing partner, CEO, and Governor Wyc Grousbeck recently went on the record to say that it was Kyrie’s departure that led to the team’s recent <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-danny-ainge-believes-as-it-stands-now-boston-will-fail/">struggles</a>.</p><p>In a recent interview with <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1364693476135305226">NBC Sports Boston</a> Grousbeck explains why he believes Irving’s decision to jump ship continues to have an adverse effect on Boston to this very day:</p><blockquote>“We had hoped Kyrie would stay forever and lead us all the way,” Grousbeck admitted. “He’s on maybe the best team on the league right now and so that’s that. That change touched off a lot of stuff because he left, we weren’t maybe able to recruit free agents in the same way, and a bit of a domino effect. But it is what it is. We went for it with Kyrie. We had a good year with him. He tried hard and then he moved on.”</blockquote><p>Talk about keeping a grudge, right? Grousbeck tried to be as neutral as he could, but it is clear in his statement above that he continues to rue Irving’s decision to leave the Celtics to join Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2019.</p><p>To be fair, Boston still made the Conference Finals last year sans Kyrie. You also have to remember that they also lost him to injury towards the latter part of the 2017-18 season, where they would also make a trip to the East Finals. In the one season they had Irving healthy for a playoff run (2018-19), they were ousted by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the second round. Just stating facts here.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics owner blames Kyrie Irving’s departure for struggles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NBA-news-Celtics-Nets-Warriors-Clippers-tip-off-national-TV-slate-for-second-half-of-2020-21-season-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics-Nets, Warriors-Clippers tip off national TV slate for second half of 2020-21 NBA season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-24T12:57:26-08:00">February 24th, 12:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-24T13:03:20-08:00">February 24th, 1:03pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA officially released the <a href="https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2021/02/2020-21-SECOND-HALF-SCHEDULE.pdf">second half</a> of the 2020-21 schedule on Wednesday.</p><p>The second half officially begins with the Washington Wizards traveling to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Wednesday, March 10. The San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks also face off that evening.</p><p>Thursday marks the first two nationally televised games of the second half, with the Boston Celtics traveling to Brooklyn to take on the Nets and Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors headed to L.A. for a matchup with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers return to action against the Indiana Pacers on March 12.</p><p>The full list of TNT’s televised games can be seen <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1364667585682280448">here</a>. Note the May 6 crosstown showdown between the Lakers and Clippers, and those two teams will also be playing on Easter Sunday (April 4 on ABC).</p><p>The regular season officially concludes on May 15. The NBA plans to hold its play-in tournaments for the Nos. 7-10 seeds between May 18-21, with the playoffs officially beginning on May 22.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The NBA says its Play-In Tournament for the Nos. 7-10 seeds in each conference will take place May 18-21 and that the 2021 playoffs will begin May 22</p><p>— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1364668864852754432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Some other notable nationally televised games to watch include the Milwaukee Bucks visiting the Philadelphia 76ers in mid-March. Just a week later, the Big Three Nets travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings" rel="noopener">currently the best team in the NBA</a>.</p><p>The second half will provide plenty of intrigue. As things currently stand, the Eastern Conference is very top-heavy, while the West is deeper and more of a dogfight at the bottom of the playoff picture.</p><p>Of course, anything can happen over the course of the final few months, and teams will have the opportunity to upgrade their rosters ahead of the NBA trade deadline on March 25.</p><p>The midway point is nearly here. It will be time for playoff races soon enough, and the second half of the season should bring plenty of drama.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

BostonCeltics NEWS

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