Signing coup for Phoenix
South East Melbourne has pulled off one of the biggest coups of this year’s free agency period, with former NBL grand final MVP Derrick Walton Jr set for a bombshell return to the Australian league.
The American import is set to sign with the Phoenix – and star forward Mitch Creek’s stint in China paved the way for talks with the brilliant 2023 Sydney Kings’ title winner.
It’s understood Walton Jr, who was also in China with Zhejiang Lions, reached out to Creek, currently with Xinjiang Flying Tigers, and expressed an interest in an NBL comeback with South East Melbourne.
The club’s greatest player alerted Phoenix brass of the opportunity to secure a talent who would instantly be among the NBL’s finest point guards and an intercontinental meeting with the Detroit-born Michigan product was quickly organised.
Despite the riches available in China, sources said Walton Jr, who was last year named grand final MVP in the Kings’ 3-2 series win over New Zealand, craved a return to Australia, relishing the intensity and competitiveness of the NBL.
The Boston Celtics crushed the Miami Heat 118-84 to complete an emphatic 4-1 series victory and book their place in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The post-season top seeds – upset by Miami in last year’s Eastern Conference finals – avenged that loss in spectacular fashion with a onesided wire-to-wire rout at the TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 25 points apiece to lead Boston, who barely noticed the absence of the injured Kristaps Porzingis.
The Celtics threw down the gauntlet in the first quarter, racking up a whopping 41 points to open up a commanding 18-point advantage. They extended that lead to 22 points by halftime, and kept up the pressure in the third quarter to lead 98-66 heading into the final frame. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla could afford to rest his frontline players for the fourth with the game effectively won against an injury-hit Miami team missing Jimmy Butler and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Boston will now face either the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers or fifth seeds Orlando in the Eastern
Conference semi-finals. Cleveland leads that series 3-2.
White’s 25-point haul included five three-pointers while Jayson Tatum added 16 points including 12 rebounds with three assists.
Sam Hauser added 17 points off the bench while Jrue Holiday also cracked double figures with 10 points.
Bam Adebayo led Miami’s scoring with 23 points.