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So which fifth-division English soccer team will Irving be buying?
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On that note, which film characters are the Celtics? Maybe Jayson Tatum as Batman, always out to prove that he belongs in the pantheon of superheroes despite public skepticism? Or would that make him one of the Ghostbusters? Would Jrue Holiday be Reed Richards so that his wife – Lauren Holiday, a soccer Hall of Famer – would be Sue Storm? Wouldn’t Sue Bird be Sue Storm because she played for the Seattle Storm, which would make Megan Rapinoe … OK, I don’t know enough about extended cinematic universes to make this work.
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The actual news: Kristaps Prozingis can play tonight. Well, maybe.
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Joe Mazzulla says Kristaps Porzingis is available, but he will “only be used in specific instances, if necessary.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 14, 2024
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What “specific instances” would those be? Maybe if Boston has an opportunity to close things out and sweep this series in tonight’s Game 4? Surely they’d want to save him for Game 5 … if necessary. Or Game 6 … if necessary. Or Game 7 …
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That couldn’t happen, right? Don’t tell that to Boston fans. Superstition weighs heavily in the minds of that city’s supporters, the result of going more than 80 years between World Series victories, with many a defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. And if you believe in karma or luck evening out, then Boston must be unnerved knowing that the only Major League Baseball team to come back from an 0-3 deficit to win any playoff series is … the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who went on to end the Curse and win the Series.
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No one has ever come back from 0-3 down in an NBA playoff series. The last team to force a Game 7 was … let’s look this up …
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Wait a minute …
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The Boston Celtics.
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Last year.
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And then they lost Game 7 at home.
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Sports are strange.
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Important Events
Reminder: We’re looking for suggestions for pairing film characters with Celtics and/or Mavericks players.
I’m not sure why, but I’m starting to think of Doncic as Han Solo, and Irving as Obi-Wan? Yoda? Or, given that he’s switched positions a few times in his career, Anakin?
An interesting statistic that ESPN noted: Boston has yet to lose an away game in the playoffs this year, having lost twice at home.
It’s no wonder they have the advantage in this match.
Luka Doncic scores a header. Planning a trip to Euro 2024?
The match starts in 18 minutes. Apparently.
preamble
In his highly recommended article linked below, Andrew Lawrence writes that Kyrie Irving is the Deadpool to Luka Doncic’s Wolverine.
So which football team in the English fifth tier will Irving buy?
So, which movie are the Celtics? Will it be Jayson Tatum as Batman, constantly striving to prove he deserves to be inducted into the superhero hall of fame despite public skepticism? Or will they be one of the Ghostbusters? If July Holiday is Reed Richards, then maybe Sue Storm, since his wife Lauren Holiday is a soccer hall of famer? Isn’t Sue Bird Sue Storm, since she played for the Seattle Storm? In that case, maybe Megan Rapinoe… well, I’m not too familiar with the expanded movie universe to make this story work.
Real news: Kristaps Prozingis can play tonight. Well, maybe.
Coach Joe Mazzulla said Kristaps Porzingis will be available but “only in certain situations if necessary.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 14, 2024
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Coach Joe Mazzulla said Kristaps Porzingis will be available, but “only in certain situations if necessary.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 14, 2024
What “specific example” is that? If Boston has a chance to clinch the series in Game 4 tonight and get a sweep? Surely they’d want to save him for Game 5… if necessary. Or Game 6… if necessary. Or Game 7…
That can’t happen, can it? Don’t tell Boston fans that. Superstition weighs heavy on the minds of supporters in this city. It’s taken them more than 80 years to win a World Series, and they’ve lost so many close calls. And if you believe in karma and luck, you’ll be shaken to know that Boston is the only team in major league history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the championship. Any As for the playoff series… the 2004 Boston Red Sox ended the curse and won the series.
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in an NBA playoff series. The last team to take it to Game 7 was… let’s find out…
wait a minute …
of Boston Celtics.
last year.
And then they lost Game 7 at home.
Sports are strange, aren’t they?
Bo will be here soon. Meanwhile, Andrew Lawrence talks about his series on Kyrie Irving so far.
The Dallas Mavericks were in trouble late in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night. They’d nearly rallied from a 21-point deficit to within three of the Boston Celtics when their superstar scorer, Luka Doncic, fouled out, his first time fouling out in a playoff game.
That left Doncic’s Wolverine deadpool, Kyrie Irving. Irving scored Dallas’ next four points, including an 18-foot jump shot that cut Boston’s lead to one. It looked like the Mavericks were going to make this series a real contest. But it wasn’t to be. Boston was simply too good, too strong. The result was a 106-99 Celtics win on Dallas’ home court, putting the Mavericks at 0-3 in the series. No NBA team had ever come back from that behind. And it happened just as Irving, who led the game with 35 points, had been quiet for the first two games of the series.
This NBA season has been notable for Irving’s silence despite having ample opportunities to voice his opinion. Forget the wars around the world and the protests on American campuses. Irving has been vocal about how his championship-winning running mate, LeBron James, Apparently, he wanted to get away quickly.He said this on a podcast a few days before the final. How long have we not been able to play together? “The most talented player in NBA history”
And there are signs that Irving has been a much better teammate lately. After Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics, Doncic was the first person he thought about.
“You just need to let go for a second,” Irving said of what he wanted to say to his co-star. “Just let some human emotion out. Just give him a hug. That’s it. It’s easy to just blame him and say, ‘You can do better.’ That’s easy to say, and I think he knows that. But, yeah, this is just another indication that I have his back, that we all have his back.”
You can read the full article below.
