STANDARD LOOK TO THE STARTERS
Udoka sticks with double-big lineup for Game 3
Though he alluded to making changes in his lineup following the Celtics’ Game 2 loss to Golden State, Ime Udoka decided to go with the same starting lineup in Game 3, with the same double-big tandem of Robert Williams and Al Horford.
It’s important, according to the Celtics coach, not to give in too quickly to the urge to change, even in the NBA Finals.
“It’s something we look at in depth and more so than that, it could be a few other things we look at before changing the lineup, switching coverages, switching matchups and things, our substitution patterns and what lineups are working well together,” said Udoka. “There is a big-picture approach, as well, a core group that we want to build with going forward and understanding how to guard every situation.
“And so for us to put Rob or any others in their best situation is beneficial, as well,” he said. “And so dealt with this in years past in the Finals or in the playoffs in general, and kind of finding that balance of when to stick with it if something is not working but also look at the big picture and how well we’ve done throughout the season, adapting to different teams, different schemes, and we’ll go from there.”
Udoka, through his championship experience in San Antonio, has been part of teams that made successful changes in the midst of the Finals in the past, including Gregg Popovich’s decision to turn more to Boris Diaw in the 2014 Finals.
But he wasn’t quite ready to alter his starting lineup in Game 3.
“We’ve had success with this unit. We’ve obviously been the best defensive team and had success against a myriad of different teams and lineups,” said Udoka. “So it’s worked well for us. Part of it is that he’s not 100 percent, so that plays into it, as well, and from there, like I said, big-picture approach going forward in the future. This is a core group, and we need to be able to make adjustments and play against any type of team. But you’re here in the Finals and you have to do what you have to do to win it. Understanding that, and our team is selfless, they understand that part of it, and whatever we decide to do, if we do something different, the one thing is not panic, it’s 1-1 right now. We didn’t play a great second half and guard better, play better offensively and be in a better position.”
A multi-generational beef
The back and forth between Cedric Maxwell and Draymond Green — the latter insinuated that most former players in the 1990s and 1980s like the Celt
ics radio analyst were “bullied” by a handful of NBA tough guys — continued during a Maxwell appearance on NBA Sports Boston Tuesday night.
“Draymond, ask your daddy who I was,” Maxwell said during an interview with Michael Felger and Michael Holley, pointing out that Bill Laimbeer — one of the so-called bullies singled out by Green, actually suffered a “beat down” at the hands of Robert Parish.
Green had gone on the following rant earlier in the day:
“I saw what Cedric Maxwell said. One thing that baffles me about the ’80s or the ’ 90s, or whenever you want to call it when basketball was so much more physical, is some of the guys that be talking weren’t the guys that were punching people. They act like guys was just walking around the court, like, ‘I’m hitting this guy in the nose.’ There were a few guys back then that would lay you out, that would knock you out, that would foul you and get thrown out the game. Bill Laimbeer. Rick Mahorn.
“But everybody running around acting like they were that. Y’all were getting bullied. So it baffles me when every guy, just because they played in the ’80s, just because they played in the ’90s, is like, man, if you played in our day, you’d get knocked out. No, not really, because it wouldn’t be you. OK, so you’re saying Rick Mahorn would have knocked me out? Rick Mahorn probably knocks you out. Bill Laimbeer probably lays you out. So were there enforcers of that time? Of course. Would they have knocked you out? Of course. Their fine was also $2. It’s just not the same day and age. If I go knock somebody out, I probably get fined a million dollars. It just don’t work the same. When guys get to making these comparisons or talking about, ‘oh, if you played in this day and age,’ like yeah. And if you played in this day and age you would have had to be way more skilled than you were. It’s just different. Comparing the physicality of the game and everybody acting like they were just the most physical and brutal enforcers, it’s like everybody acting like they shoot the ball like Steph Curry today.
“You know, it’s like then it was physical, now it’s shooting. Everybody can’t shoot the ball. Imagine me in 20 years, like, man, if you played in my day you had to shoot. Like, yeah, guys did shoot better and more. But that don’t mean you shot that well.
“So it just baffles me when guys get out here talking and they ain’t got — we got Youtube. You can pull up them highlights and they ain’t got no YouTube fights. You see them on the court getting bullied, but they talking about you ain’t got punched in the face. These people be killing me.”
Celebrities
Nelly, Jayson Tatum’s hometown idol, performed at halftime Wednesday night, and was far from the only celebrity in the crowd.
Also in attendance were Udoka’s wife — actress Nia Long — along with rapper Jadakiss, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick, Rockets point guard John Wall, celebrity chef Guy Fieri, rapper Millyz and Boston musician and producer Michael Bivins.
Celtics legends Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker, Charlotte Scott, ML Carr, Leon Powe, Dana Barros and Eddie House were also in the house, along with Patriots James White, Don’t’a Hightower, Damien Harris, Davon Godchaux and Byron Cowart.