Celtics name Mazzulla permanent coach
BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla has been so steady guiding the Celtics through a franchise-shaking crisis that their turbulent offseason has taken a back seat to their title aspirations.
The team rewarded him by turning a temporary opportunity of a lifetime into a permanent one.
Boston named Mazzulla its full-time head coach Thursday, removing the interim tag he had held since stepping in for Ime Udoka in the preseason.
Udoka initially was given a yearlong suspension before training camp for having an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the organization. The 34-year-old Mazzulla, previously an assistant under Udoka, will now replace his former boss, who is no longer with the team. Mazzulla is the NBA’s youngest head coach.
“Since I’ve been here I always knew where I stood,” Mazzulla said Thursday. “And even though it was an interim position ... I knew I was going to get a fair shake and get an opportunity. I knew I was going to be able to do it the way that I thought to give us the best chance to be successful without any pressure because of that.”
Terms of his new deal were not released, but the team said his promotion includes a contract extension.
Mazzulla’s Celtics have the best record in the NBA (42-17) and lead Milwaukee by a halfgame in the Eastern Conference. Boston won’t play again until after the All-Star break.
Durant says Suns have ‘all the pieces’
Kevin Durant watched the Phoenix Suns from afar over the past few years, admiring the budding nucleus of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
Now he’s thrilled to be a part of it.
“We’ve got all the pieces to be successful,” Durant said.
The 13-time All-Star was introduced Thursday on the floor at Footprint Arena in front of about 3,000 fans, who showed up in the middle of the afternoon just to hear the veteran forward answer a few questions.
Many were already wearing his No. 35 jersey, which has been a hot seller at the downtown fan store since GM James Jones pulled the blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets just before last week’s trade deadline.
The 34-year-old Durant is still playing at an elite level, averaging nearly 30 points per game this season. He initially asked for a trade last summer and the Suns were interested before Durant patched things up with Brooklyn. They finally got him, less than 24 hours before the trade deadline.
The Suns, who entered Thursday fourth in the West at 32-27, paid a hefty price, sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, and other draft compensation to the Nets. Bridges was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year while Johnson has evolved into a versatile scorer.
Durant is recovering from a sprained knee ligament, and when he returns he will join a Phoenix lineup that suddenly could be one of the best in the Western Conference. He said he hopes to be back soon after the All-Star break.
Love, Cavs discussing a possible buyout
Kevin Love’s long, winding run with the Cleveland Cavaliers could be ending after nearly nine years.
The five-time All-Star forward has discussed the possibility of a contract buyout with the Cavs after being dropped from their rotation, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. Love is in the final year of a $120 million, four-year extension he signed in 2018.
The 34-year-old hasn’t played in the last 12 games and his representatives approached the Cavaliers about the buyout, said the person who spoke to the AP.
Love has been with Cleveland since 2014, and one of the NBA’s most versatile big men is the last remaining link from the 2016 title team, which ended the city’s 52-year pro sports championship drought.
Bucks beat Bulls but lose Giannis to injury
Giannis Antetokounmpo broke Milwaukee’s career assists record before leaving the game because of a sprained right wrist, and the Bucks won their 12th straight, beating the Chicago Bulls 112-100.
Brook Lopez scored a seasonhigh 33 points.
The Bucks were never seriously threatened. But Antetokounmpo’s injury early in the second quarter cast a cloud over a team that appeared to have so much going for it heading into the All-Star break.
The two-time MVP finished with a season-low two points and three assists, giving him 3,274 over 10 seasons to break Paul Pressey’s record of 3,272 from 1982 to 1990. He also had seven rebounds.
WIZARDS 114, TIMBERWOLVES 106
Bradley Beal had 13 of his 35 points over the final 4½ minutes to help Washington polish off its rally from a 20-point first-quarter deficit to win at Minnesota.