In this week’s NBA Power Rankings, we look at which teams have the assets, intrigue and impetus to rule this offseason. Our new look NBA Power Rankings are back, a non-traditional structure for a non-traditional era of professional basketball. The world is no longer just about wins and losses and teams are no longer the
Boston Celtics
Would Rajon Rondo be a Hall-of-Famer with a second NBA championship? The Los Angeles Lakers have two Hall of Fame locks on their team in LeBron James and Dwight Howard, as well as a guy who is on track to end up in Springfield in Anthony Davis. If the Lakers are able to pull out
Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett tries to block LeBron James (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) Eagles lose DeSean Jackson, Dallas Goedert to injury by Rucker Haringey Should the Red Sox bring back Alex Cora as manager? by Brad Berreman Kevin Garnett isn’t as impressed with LeBron James’ career as most KG and Paul Pierce are enjoying
Heat vs. Celtics is the Eastern Conference Finals matchup no one expected. These are the lineup, matchup and strategic issues that will decide a winner. The Eastern Conference Finals are finally set, and the matchup is a familiar one: Celtics vs. Heat. These two franchises met in the playoffs in 2010, 2011, and 2012, though
Jaylen Brown isn’t the best player on a Boston Celtics team featuring two All-Stars in Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, but he may be the most important. The Boston Celtics advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals should come as no surprise, even within the volatile bubble that saw favorites like the Clippers and Bucks bow
Toronto Raptors win Game 3 (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) Deshaun Watson offers to pay rent of elderly woman struggling due to COVID-19 pandemic by Amy Kaplan OG Anunoby hits improbable buzzer-beater to save Raptors from 3-0 deficit (Video) by John Buhler OG Anunoby won Game 3 for the Toronto Raptors and saved their
Many great players never get the chance to be great as part of a great team. Watching Kemba Walker get that opportunity has been a delight. There was a story in the Wall Street Journal on April 13 about Stephon Marbury and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The unlikely duo was at the center of basketball’s
With Game 1 on the line, Bam Adebayo stuffed Jayson Tatum at the rim. Where does one even begin in retelling the epic slugfest that was Game 1 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals? Well, you’d probably have to start with Bam Adebayo’s legendary, game-saving block on Jayson Tatum’s dunk attempt in the waning seconds
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The Boston Celtics have only been outscored by the Miami Heat by a total of eight points so far in the Eastern Conference Finals, but that narrow margin
Game 1 between the Celtics and Heat was an instant classic. With Game 2 looming tonight, what questions do each team need to answer? The Miami Heat escaped Game 1 with a three-point overtime win, thanks to the last-second defensive heroics of Bam Adebayo. It was a crucial win but at least a dozen 50-50
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (Photo by Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images) Bam Adebayo stuffs Jayson Tatum at the rim with game-winning block (Video) by Gerald Bourguet Bam Adebayo made one of the best blocks in NBA playoff history, and Twitter went wild Bam Adebayo blocked Jayson Tatum at the summit, but it’s unlikely he’ll
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce didn’t hesitate in saying he had a better pro career than Dwyane Wade. Over in Boston, Paul Pierce will never have to pay for a beer again. Not only was he an NBA champion with the Celtics, but he’s also one of the best players to ever don one of
The Toronto Raptors stole Game 3 from the Boston Celtics to avoid a 3-0 deficit. What. A. Game. If you didn’t watch the first two games of this series, you wouldn’t have known that the Toronto Raptors were down 2-0. The defending champs put up a fight from start to finish, forging points in ways
The Toronto Raptors kept their season alive with an insane Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics in double-overtime. Time and time again, the defending NBA champions found themselves up against the ropes in Game 6 against a hungry Boston Celtics squad. And every single time, the Toronto Raptors answered the bell with a counterpunch
OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) NBA Twitter freaked out after OG Anunoby’s buzzer beater to win Game 3 by Mark Powell UFC Vegas 9: Jalin Turner was worried about 2020 getting away by Zain Bando OG Anunoby deserves a statue after this game-winner over the Celtics. OG Anunoby stepped on
Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart led the Boston Celtics to a 2-0 lead over the Toronto Raptors. After a somewhat surprising upset in Game 1, the Boston Celtics made sure the defending NBA champions knew they weren’t messing around with a narrow Game 2 victory on Tuesday to take a commanding 2-0 lead in this
In Game 1 of their second-round series, the Boston Celtics smothered the Toronto Raptors. The Toronto Raptors looked like world-beaters during their first-round playoff sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, but with a much tougher opponent on deck in the second round, the defending NBA champions looked just as vulnerable as the league’s other top contenders.
Jaylen Brown, #7, Boston Celtics, (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) 5 Netflix shows to watch after you finish Lucifer by Kimberley Spinney Le’Veon Bell disputes Jets’ report about hamstring injury by Mike Phillips The Celtics and Raptors are continuing to discuss boycotting Game 1 of their second-round series as a statement on the shooting of
Doc Rivers appeared on The Boardroom podcast and did not mince words on the state of the Clippers when he arrived. When Doc Rivers was hired by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013, the team was owned by Donald Sterling and plagued by its decades-long status as a punch-line — particularly compared to its Staples
After going down 2-0 to the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia Sixers absolutely had to win tonight’s game to make it a series. They failed to do so In a must-win game three against the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers fought hard, but it was ultimately not enough as they lost 102-94, falling behind three games
For the second time in three seasons, the Celtics and 76ers will square off in a playoff series. That’s right folks, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are set to play each other this postseason. But since Boston’s 4-1 trouncing of Philly two summers ago, a lot has changed. The Celtics exchanged Kyrie Irving for
The Boston Celtics earned a tough victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1. The Boston Celtics‘ night was started and ended by Jayson Tatum. The Philadelphia 76ers got out to an early 4-0 lead fueled by an aggressive and locked-in Joel Embiid, but when Tatum knocked down a 17-foot jumper 90 seconds into the
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics took Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers in dominant fashion. It turns out that Joel Embiid’s production is not a bellwether for this series. Despite an awesome statline from the big fella in Game 2, the Boston Celtics played their game and clicked on all cylinders. The result was
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The first four games of the 2020 NBA Playoffs gave us a bit of everything — epic scoring performances, a blowout, an overtime squeaker, controversial calls and the
Which fringe players moved from the deep bench into playoff rotations during their team’s NBA bubble games? While teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, and San Antonio Spurs were going full-bore wire to wire in an attempt to secure a spot in the play-in game, other NBA teams used the seeding
No need for a long preamble. The first round of the NBA playoffs is finally here. Let’s break down the most interesting question that will define each series. Lakers vs. Blazers What happens when a stoppable force meets a movable object? The Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the West fairly early in the
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 18: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat defends against Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics in the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics on March 18, 2013 at theTD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Heat kept winning streak going to 24 games in a row, which is the second
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown guards Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) Jaylen Brown called out a photoshop job that appeared to have him troll Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Bucks beat the Celtics On Friday night, NBA fans across the country were treated to an amazing showdown between two of the best teams in the
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 10: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics grabs a rebound against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 10, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of
UEFA President confident Champions League will finish this summer by Allison Cary Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh has no problem coaching without fans in stands by Mark Powell BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 28: Former Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce smiles before The Sports Museums 17th running of The Tradition sports awards ceremony at TD Garden in Boston