NEW YORK (AP) — Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker has been arrested after police say he presented a firearm for inspection without proper credentials at LaGuardia Airport.
Port Authority police said Walker was arrested Friday morning after they responded to a request for a firearms check at LaGuardia’s Terminal C. Police said the 25-year-old had checked in at Delta and had presented a firearm for inspection without proper credentials.
Arthur Aidala, the lawyer representing Walker, said his client voluntarily disclosed an unloaded, secured firearm upon his arrival at the airport. Aidala said Walker was arrested because his license wasn’t valid in New York.
“We are confident the matter will eventually be dismissed,” Aidala said via email.
The Packers’ season ended Jan. 10 with a 31-27 loss to the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs.
Walker has been Green Bay’s first-team left tackle for the last three seasons and has started 48 games since the Packers selected him out of Penn State in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. Walker just completed the final year of his contract and is set to become a free agent in the offseason. He has started each of Green Bay’s four playoff games over the last three seasons.
Two hot teams clash tonight as the Boston Celtics visit the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Nikola Vucevic has been in his bag lately, and my Celtics vs Bulls predictions are eyeing him to score the rock at a high level.
Read more in my NBA picks for Saturday, January 24.
Celtics vs Bulls prediction
Celtics vs Bulls best bet: Nikola Vucevic Over 16.5 points (-115)
Nikola Vucevic isn’t having the best season of his career, but the numbers are still respectable. The big man is averaging 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per contest. Vooch’s numbers from a scoring standpoint have been up a tad in January, averaging 19 PPG.
The center has cashed the Over in points in four of his last five appearances, and he even erupted for 35 points around the middle of the month against the Utah Jazz. The Chicago Bulls are at home this evening, and Vucevic is averaging 17.7 PPG in Chicago compared to 15.9 on the road.
While Vooch only dropped 15 points against the Boston Celtics earlier this season, the Bulls are rolling with four straight victories, and they’re playing like a confident group as a whole. He’ll play his part here.
Celtics vs Bulls same-game parlay
The C’s head into this matchup as winners of two straight, beating the Indiana Pacers and then the Brooklyn Nets on Friday evening. In fact, they’ve won four of their last five contests.
While Chicago is hot, Boston has notched three victories in a row against them, and they’ve also won four in a row against the Bulls at the United Center dating back to February of 2024. The Celtics will get the better of Chicago tonight.
Jaylen Brown is doing it all for the Jayson Tatum-less C’s, and he’s been really dominating on the glass lately. While Brown is averaging only 6.7 boards, he’s comfortably cashed the Over in three straight.
Brown averages 10 rebounds per night during that span, making his presence felt on the glass. Back on January 5, he also brought down eight boards against the Bulls.
Celtics vs Bulls SGP
Nikola Vucevic Over 16.5 points
Boston Celtics moneyline
Jaylen Brown Over 6.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: White Out!
Coby White is showing out right now, hitting the Over in points in three straight appearances.
Celtics vs Bulls SGP
Nikola Vucevic Over 16.5 points
Boston Celtics moneyline
Jaylen Brown Over 6.5 rebounds
Coby White Over 18.5 points
Celtics vs Bulls odds
Spread: Celtics -3.5 (-110) | Bulls +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Celtics -105 | Bulls -115
Over/Under: Over 232 (-110) | Under 232 (-110)
Celtics vs Bulls betting trend to know
The Boston Celtics have hit the Moneyline in 31 of their last 45 away games (+9.45 Units / 8% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Bulls.
How to watch Celtics vs Bulls
Location
United Center, Chicago, IL
Date
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC Sports Boston, Chicago Sports Network
Celtics vs Bulls latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers will meet for the third time this season.
My Knicks vs 76ers predictions call for a close, high-scoring matchup and a dominant performance from Joel Embiid.
Here are my free NBA picks for this heavyweight Eastern Conference showdown on Saturday, January 24.
Knicks vs 76ers prediction
Knicks vs 76ers best bet: Joel Embiid Over 38.5 points+rebounds+assists (-115)
After some early-season struggles, Joel Embiid is rounding into form. Across his last 11 games, he’s averaged 40.6 PRA and hit the Over on his line seven times.
Embiid has been more productive at home than on the road this season, averaging 35.8 PRA at Xfinity Mobile Arena compared to 34.9 on the road. He’s also reached the Over on this combo line in three straight and four of his last six at home.
Saturday’s matchup against a healthy New York Knicks team will require Embiid to be at his best. He went for 26/10/5 in his first matchup with New York, and I expect him to stay productive in a key game in front of the home crowd.
Knicks vs 76ers same-game parlay
The Philadelphia 76ers are 12-12 straight up at home, while New York is just 8-12 on the road. This game is essentially a pick 'em, and picking the Sixers to win outright is slightly more profitable than picking them to cover a one-point spread.
I'll give the home team the advantage, which has a surprisingly clean injury report.
Both teams are expected to be at full strength on Saturday, which should lead to plenty of scoring. Embiid has been hot as of late, and Tyrese Maxey is one of the top scorers in the Association.
With a pair of great scorers and strong role players, Philadelphia can put up points here. Likewise, Jalen Brunson is an electric scorer with a strong supporting cast, and New York should have no problem getting buckets.
Knicks vs 76ers SGP
Joel Embiid Over 38.5 points+rebounds+assists
76ers moneyline
Over 229
Our "from downtown" SGP: Brunson balls out
Jalen Brunson has scored at least 28 in 21 of 39 games overall, and he dropped 31 in his last matchup with Philadelphia.
Knicks vs 76ers SGP
Joel Embiid Over 38.5 points+rebounds+assists
76ers moneyline
Over 229
Jalen Brunson Over 27.5 points
Knicks vs 76ers odds
Spread: Knicks -1 (-105) | 76ers +1 (-115)
Moneyline: Knicks -110 | 76ers -110
Over/Under: Over 229 | Under 229
Knicks vs 76ers betting trend to know
The Philadelphia 76ers have hit the team total Under in 26 of their last 40 home games (+10.10 Units / 22% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. 76ers.
How to watch Knicks vs 76ers
Location
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Tip-off
3:00 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Knicks vs 76ers latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Two teams jockeying in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff pack collide for the first of a home-and-home set, as the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Orlando Magic.
The Cavs, with wins in four of their last five, still find themselves as one-point underdogs in the NBA odds.
These teams have found a way to turn most games into rockfights, so my Cavaliers vs. Magic prediction and NBA picks are targeting the Under.
Cavaliers vs Magic prediction
Cavaliers vs Magic best bet: Under 228 points (-110)
Not a banner week for the Orlando Magic, who were crushed 126-109 in London against the Memphis Grizzlies, before returning stateside and getting hammered by 27 at home against Charlotte.
Their offense is already middling (19th), but as the Magic have dropped three of their last five, they are averaging just 99.0 points per game in their losses.
It's been a lot of the same offensive futility recently for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were blown out 136-104 by OKC, while scoring just 94 points in a win over Charlotte.
Most recently, they beat Sacramento 123-118, and while that might have been a get-right game, SacTown owns a Bottom-4 scoring defense in basketball.
Injuries should play another role in this potential slugfest.
Orlando F Franz Wagner (ankle) has already been ruled out, though Jalen Suggs (knee) has been upgraded to probable.
For the Cavs, they're still without regulars Darius Garland (hand) and Max Strus (hand), while Sam Merrill (hand) missed Sacramento, and his status is uncertain.
Orlando allows just 113.7 points per game at home this season, which would rank inside the Top 10 overall, a big reason the Under has cashed in each of the last four games between these teams at the Kia Center.
While the Under has hit in six of the last 10 head-to-head meetings, these two have landed Under the 228.0 scoring line set for Sunday a whopping nine times.
Cavaliers vs Magic same-game parlay
Evan Mobley has been the Cavs' leading rebounder the past two games, pulling down 13+ in both. But he's struggled against Orlando, pulling down at least nine boards just three times in nine games.
Desmond Bane had hit multiple threes in a game just once in his last seven, but he sure likes lining it up from deep against Cleveland, hitting at least two 3-pointers six times in eight career meetings with the Cavs.
Cavaliers vs Magic SGP
Under 228 points
Evan Mobley Under 8.5 rebounds
Desmond Bane Over 1.5 made threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Dime Droppers!
Let's go deep with a pair of leading scorers who have been dealing the rock well lately. Paolo Banchero has led Orlando in assists in five of the last six, with 5+ assists in each of those games.
Donovan Mitchell has led the Cavs in assists in six of the last eight, but he's mostly a bucket-getter against Orlando. Mitchell has just a pair of 7+ assist games vs the Magic in nine games since joining the Cavaliers.
Cavaliers vs Magic SGP
Under 228 points
Evan Mobley Under 8.5 rebounds
Desmond Bane Over 1.5 made threes
Paolo Banchero Over 4.5 assists
Donovan Mitchell Over 6.5 assists
Cavaliers vs Magic odds
Spread: Cavaliers -1 (-110) | Magic +1 (-110)
Moneyline: Cavaliers +100 | Magic -120
Over/Under: Over 228 (-110) | Under 228 (-110)
Cavaliers vs Magic betting trend to know
Orlando has won eight of its last nine home games following a loss. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Magic.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Magic
Location
Kia Center, Orlando, FL
Date
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Ohio, FDSN Florida
Cavaliers vs Magic latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed will take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic after shooting 5-under 67 on Saturday, as Rory McIlroy's chances of a record-extending fifth title virtually disappeared.
Reed, the former Masters champion who now plays on the LIV Golf circuit, tapped in at No. 18 for his seventh birdie of the third round at Emirates Golf Club to move onto 14-under 202 for the week.
Leading the chase was David Puig, another LIV player, who shot 66 to jump to second place. A further shot back was Viktor Hovland, who had a 65 that tied the lowest round of the day, and Andy Sullivan (71).
“I know it’s not going to be easy, it never is, and doesn’t matter how big of a lead you have," said Reed, who won nine times on the PGA Tour — including at Augusta National in 2018 — before joining LIV in 2022.
As a LIV player, the American won LIV Golf in Dallas last year and then in Hong Kong on the Asian Tour in 2024.
As for No. 2-ranked McIlroy, the tournament headliner started the round seven strokes behind overnight leader Reed and talking up his chances of a weekend charge on a course where he has won four times.
The Northern Irishman made par on each of his first nine holes and bogeyed the last after missing a 2-foot par putt to shoot 71, and was 11 back.
Tommy Fleetwood, ranked No. 3, has yet to break par this week after adding a 73 to rounds of 73 and 72.
Another high-profile name, Tyrrell Hatton, made six bogeys in a 76 to drop to a tie for 42nd.
Puig has already won on the European tour in the 2026 season — at the Australian PGA Championship in November — and the 24-year-old Spaniard was tied for third at the Dubai Invitational last week.
Hovland eyes second title
Hovland's last win on the European tour was at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2022, when he started the final round six back and triumphed in a playoff over Richard Bland.
The No. 14-ranked Norwegian has changed his swing in recent years and still doesn't feel entirely comfortable, despite being bogey-free on Saturday.
“Still doesn’t feel like I can stand on the tee and kind of swing for the fences and swing loosely,” said Hovland, who is playing his first event of 2026. "It’s all very contrived and manufactured, and it happened to go straight today. If I get off the tee and in a decent position, I can really do some damage.
“But I really would like to be able to stand on the tee box and swing hard and know that the ball is going to go fairly straight.”
We are two weeks from the trade deadline, and the Celtics are among a handful of teams rumored to be buyers seeking a positional upgrade to prepare for a postseason run.
The rumor mill has swirled around Boston’s frontcourt in particular, and anyone even a little online has seen the team linked to big names like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ivica Zubac over the past month. Both options would require a substantial trade package, likely involving draft capital and the expiring $27.6 million contract of Anfernee Simons, but what if the Celtics aren’t looking at a splashy move?
At this point, you’re probably wondering why, in the year of 2026, the name Mike Muscala is holding any relevance to this franchise. Muscala is perhaps the quintessential modern journeyman by force, a living and breathing trade throw-in whose 11-year career featured seven teams, seven trades and a lot of perfectly fine stretch shooting off the bench.
To some, he’s a hero (he may never buy a beer in Philadelphia again for his contributions to the selection of Tyrese Maxey); to others, he was a welcome bench piece, and to the Celtics specifically, he was a passing ship, whose 26-game pit stop started right at the trade deadline for a team in need of an additional bench big.
Boston finds itself in a similar spot. Between Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, the Celtics have surprised many NBA pundits that predicted a league-worst frontcourt, but they’re still in search of another big man to round out that spot. The bigger names will earn all the headlines, but today we’ll be searching for low-cost, low-risk options that likely don’t push the needle significantly, but also don’t require significant trade assets to improve the position.
Utilizing the Muscala Model (not a real thing, nor quantifiable), we’ll see if this dive into the bottom and mid-level of the NBA’s frontcourt barrel can help the Celtics in the short-term.
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 04: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics competes for position against Marvin Bagley III #35 and Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on December 4, 2025 in Washington, DC. 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Marvin Bagley III
There’s a reason we’re starting with Marvin Bagley on this list.
Bagley, in his second stop with the Washington Wizards and fourth team overall in his seven-year NBA career, may fit the Muscala Model better than anyone.
In fact, Bagley was miraculously involved in a trade with the Moose himself, getting moved by Detroit alongside Isaiah Livers and a second round pick in a swap for Muscala and Danilo Gallinari. We all remember where we were for that Shams notification right?
In all seriousness, Bagley, currently on a one-year minimum deal with Washington, is having a fine season off the bench for one of the league’s premier tanking organizations.
In 36 games and under 20 minutes a night, the 6-foot-10 center is averaging 10 points on a career-best 62% efficiency, 6 rebounds and 1.5 assists. In seven starts in place of an injured Alex Sarr, he’s averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists.
When it comes to Bagley, what you see is what you get. In a lot of ways, he’s exactly the player he was when he came out of Duke as one of the most hyped one-and-done freshmen in the country.
His shooting range never extended beyond the arc in a way many hoped it would out of Duke, and he’s long been considered a negative defender in his various career stops, yet he has earned a living as a capable, and still quite athletic, paint finisher.
This year, Bagley has cut a lot of the fat out of his scoring, and focused entirely on the areas he already thrived in. He has taken shots out of the mid-range and beyond almost entirely out of his shot diet, and his current 91% shot volume from inside of 10 feet would easily mark a career-high.
Bagley’s game is not complicated. While still a frequent post-player, something we likely see little of if he was traded to Boston, he makes his living as a putback glass-crasher, dunker spot dump-off threat and play-finishing roll man.
Defensively, while a fine rim deterrent and solid rebounder, the expectation would be that, for a third center option, he’s fine, albeit unexceptional, if occasionally frustrating. If we were talking about him as a starter? It’d likely be a different, more concerning story.
All to say, while it can be hard to separate the Bagley that could have been from the Bagley we see today, I think it’s safe to call him an entirely playable backup big, and on his minimum contract, it would take pennies to acquire him, with zero strings attached beyond this season.
Washington is easy to please these days: a late draft pick in any form is a win to them, considering Bagley willingly came back after the trade that netted them Marcus Smart. Between some form of a second round pick attached to the minimum contracts of either Xavier Tillman or Chris Boucher, the Celtics could be bringing in a third center to their rotation that’s a capable rebounding and scoring threat.
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 4: Nick Richards #2 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics on April 4, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
Nick Richards
Keeping in trend with their current frontcourt options, obtaining the services of Nick Richards would provide the Celtics with their third big man option to have been drafted in the second round that worked their way from the G-League into an NBA rotation.
Before last year’s deadline, Richards was the first of a few trades around the fringes for the Suns, who picked him up in a swap with Charlotte for Josh Okogie in an attempt to solve their interior defensive dilemma.
But now, Richards has found himself low on the Phoenix pecking order behind Mark Williams, Oso Ighodaro, and the small-ball tenacity of Dillon Brooks. Add to that the lottery selection of Khaman Maluach, and it’s clear Richards really doesn’t have a place in the Suns rotation in the short or long-term once his contract expires this summer.
The rumor mill backs that up, and it’s clear it wouldn’t take a lot to get Richards off their books to duck the tax.
Despite falling out of Phoenix’s favor, Richards has been a proven commodity in a bench capacity during his six years in the NBA. In Charlotte and in his first season with Phoenix, Richards proved to be a physical paint deterrent and a scrappy rebounder, whose mission on offense was to screen hard and roll straight into board-crashing duties. His 5.58 defensive rebounds per game last season had him in the 93rd percentile in that category, and his 2.6 on the offensive glass had him even higher in the 95th percentile.
While he has an interior-minded defensive game, he shows enough foot speed to defend out to the perimeter, not exclusively sticking his feet in the paint and waiting for a slasher to attack.
Richards’ game is not complicated, and his effort in the minute details has always stood out, particularly during his final season and a half in Charlotte. He does not need to be significantly involved with the ball in his hands to make an impact, something we’ve seen from Garza this year as a screener and rebounder in his own right.
For a Celtics team looking for additional rebounding and paint protection, Richards checks the box as a career bench big that’s willing to play his role in an effectively high-motor manner.
It helps that Richards is also a quality rim protector. Last year’s tape shows a player whose 7-foot-4 wingspan aided a Suns team that desperately lacked shot-blocking options. It was a temporary breath of fresh air for one of the league’s worst defenses.
Like Bagley, obtaining Richards would not require a significant haul. It’s unlikely a trade would take more than a second round pick to acquire Richards. In Boston’s case, that deal could work as is, however, they could also attach one of their veteran minimum contracts alongside the pick to also make it happen.
Jalen Smith
This has long been a rumored low-cost center of interest for the Celtics, really up until Jalen Smith penned a 3-year, $27 million contract with the Bulls in 2024.
Smith, a former 10th overall selection for the Suns, has carved out a respectable NBA career as a bench stretch big, ramping up his outside shooting volume this season with the Bulls. In the past four seasons to this point, he’s averaged 9 points on 50/34/75 splits in under 20 minutes, and in Chicago, he’s been heavily encouraged to shoot the rock, with 55% of his shots coming from beyond the arc.
In this new role in Chicago, he’s been less of a pick-and-pop big, and more of a jumbo, movement-shooting compliment to Nikola Vucevic, who is the team’s primary screening operator. Chicago runs an entirely different brand of offense from Boston behind Josh Giddey and Coby White, pushing one of the fastest paces in the league and relying on first-read shooting that can often leave Smith in the corner or trailing up the floor with the intent to fire off the catch. In Boston, the role would certainly look a little different, possibly utilizing him in the screen game similar to Al Horford’s role as a stretch shooter.
While it’s inherently intriguing to see a big man with that confidence and range, he has been a mostly below-average 3-point shooter since he shot 42% from deep in his final season with the Pacers, which played a big role in his new contract.
So, does he provide anything else? Luckily, he is more than just an off-the-catch shooter. Smith has proven to be a strong rebounder, averaging 1.97 offensive boards per game, which places him in the 88th percentile in that category according to Basketball Index, and he is in the 98th percentile in defensive rebounding talent, a value that factors in opportunity creation and conversion on the defensive glass.
He is also a solid interior defender despite being slightly undersized at 6-foot-8, using his strength to handle business in the post while being an athletic and active help defender. The field goal percentage for opponent shots contested at the rim by Smith compared to expectations is -7.10%, and while not often a switch defender, Smith is a mobile big that displays swift foot speed in drop coverage and good instincts defending the rim.
Of the three players listed, he probably fits the Muscala Model the least, having been traded just a single time with a price tag that’s possesses more risk/reward than your average Bagley or Richards transaction (although his lone trade was Muscala-coded with a swap of second round picks and Smith moved for Torrey Craig).
Yet, everything outside of Matas Buzelis and Giddey seems to be on the table for the Bulls, who once again find themselves in Play-In Purgatory.
When it comes to Smith, you’re getting a pretty intriguing stretch forward/center capable of getting Boston back into its double-big roots, but the only way a direct trade makes real sense is if it involves the contract of Sam Hauser, a championship piece currently on a fiery hot streak that’s not easy to part with, even with Boston’s wing depth being a strength area so far this season. A more expansive multi-team deal is not out of the question to get it done in a way that adds more moving parts, but if Boston was looking at this option, a hard decision would need to be made.
Barring a trade next week that settles Boston’s trade market strategy, I’ll be back next week for another search for that Muscala-sized void the Celtics could look to fill.
What low-cost trade options do you see as a possible boost to Boston’s rotation?
I’m still shell-shocked. As I type this, I’m still trying to process what Friday night actually was. What it was supposed to be was simple. The end of a road trip. The last stop before coming home for five games, a chance for the home crowd to applaud the effort, the grit, the survival of a long six-game slog away from Phoenix. What it was supposed to be was an exorcism in Atlanta. Instead, the demons won.
Jalen Green, injured. Devin Booker, injured, leaving the building on crutches. Sit with that for a second. What the fuck just happened?
Injuries have been everywhere across the NBA this season, like a creeping fog that eventually finds everyone. For the most part, the Suns had avoided it. They ducked. They weaved. They stayed upright. Then Friday night arrived, and the bullet did not miss. It caught them square in the chest, center mass, no warning.
Now comes the waiting. Waiting for updates. Waiting for timelines. Waiting to understand what the next phase of this season even looks like, and how long these guys might be gone. Waiting while wondering why there always seems to be a tax for loving a team that dons purple and orange.
The irony stings. I spent most of the night before the game writing about my favorite Suns teams I’ve ever watched. A love letter, really. A piece I’ll probably publish later today once I finish sanding down the edges. And like every Suns story I’ve ever told, there’s a familiar thread running through it. No matter how bright the vibes feel in the moment, no matter how hopeful the setup, it always bends toward disappointment. Not immediately. Not gently. Eventually, and violently.
So yeah, I’m sitting in the doom tonight. I’m swimming in frustration. I’m carrying that heavy, familiar depression that only comes with the very specific experience of being a Phoenix Suns fan. None of this is their fault. Nobody asked for this. And yet somehow, every time, we’re the ones left paying for it in emotional damage.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
You ain’t stopping J Good! His energy is infectious, and it infected the second team unit in the Suns’ win over the 76ers. Make it 4 BSB’s for the Dogg.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 45 against the Hawks. Here are your nominees:
Before the big snowstorm of 2026 hits us here on the East Coast, the Sixers will look to turn up the heat at Xfinity Mobile Arena as they host the New York Knicks. While the Knickerbockers have generally had Philadelphia’s number in recent years, the Sixers have turned the tide this season, securing a pair of wins at the Garden in December and earlier this month. With the great Bo Bichette debacle this baseball offseason, Philadelphia sports fans will take our wins over New Yorkers where we can get them.
Head coach Nick Nurse may have his full complement of players to work with, as only Joel Embiid and Paul George were on the injury report, both probable to play. On the opposing sideline, New York just has Karl-Anthony Towns lists as questionable (back).
Despite their third-place position in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks have been in something of a freefall lately. Prior to their comical 120-66 win over the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week (winning by 54 points is good, so credit where it’s due there), New York had lost nine of 11 games. It seems like Towns is being scapegoated here, with all sorts of media and blogosphere types coming up with trade proposals in recent weeks to ship him out of the Big Apple. Sourced reporting has indicated, though, that the Knicks have no plans to trade him before the deadline in February. I would agree that the Jalen Brunson-Towns pairing is not viable defensively, something the Sixers have greatly taken advantage of in the meetings this season. Brunson is certainly more of the favored son in NYC, so moving Towns makes sense from that perspective.
The Sixers will have their own decisions to make at the trade deadline, but for now, they’ll hope to see what sort of team they have with everyone available. Tyrese Maxey is an All-Star starter for the first time. Joel Embiid just played 46 minutes and put up a 32-point triple double. VJ Edgecombe will be in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Paul George is having an excellent defensive campaign and settling in as a third or fourth offensive option. Kelly Oubre Jr. is playing the best ball of his career. Dominick Barlow will be getting a well-deserved standard contract any week now. The East is a strange kettle of fish, and this Sixers group deserves to see where they fall in the pecking order.
Zooming back into this afternoon, my main focus will be on VJ Edgecombe vs. Jalen Brunson Chapter III. The rookie did an outstanding job slowing down the All-Star guard in the first two meetings, and I’m eager to see how Brunson responds without the “we were on a back-to-back” excuse Knicks fans threw out after the games in New York. The Joel Embiid vs. Mitchell Robinson matchup is also interesting given the history of that feud(?) and how Robinson’s relentless attacking of the glass falls under a weaker area of Joel’s game.
Make sure you have your groceries stocked up and settle in for what should be a fun afternoon of basketball before the skies open up and blanket us in a foot-plus of powder.
Game Details
When: Saturday, January 24, 3:00 p.m. ET Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA Watch: ABC Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers
The Houston Rockets were struggling on the road and on the second night of a back-to-back, but they went into Detroit and beat one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference anyway, downing the Pistons 111-104 behind a total team effort.
Kevin Durant once again led the way, scoring 32 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including 5-for-11 from deep. He also pitched in 7 boards. 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He also played pretty good defense all night, and the middie game was working.
Alperen Sengun had 19 points and 5 assists on 6-for-11 shooting. He had a lovely poster dunk, but he also doesn’t look completely healthy, which he has been open about. Reed Sheppard had 18 off of the bench, and though his three-ball wasn’t there, going just 1-for-7, he contributed down the stretch, hitting Cade Cunningham with a nasty hesi to take him to the cup for a bucket.
Reed Sheppard hesi. KD middy.
Rockets playmakers came up big down the stretch to secure the win in Detroit 😤 pic.twitter.com/TCXWKipZx7
He also played 25 minutes, and Ime Udoka must finally be listening to us, as Reed closed the game and was an essential component of the victory.
Amen Thompson pitched in 15 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and a block, while Jabari Smith Jr. had 11 points, 10 boards, 2 steals and a block and played the Dillon Brooks role by picking fights and being the emotional backbone on the court. He was also 5-for-9 shooting, the kind of side role we need to see from Jabari every night. Again, the man is just 22, one of the youngest on the team. High-end role player is still the ceiling with some more consistency.
Clint Capela had 5 points, 9 boards and 3 blocks as the backup center, and these type of performances will be needed to weather the storm with Steven Adams potentially out all year now.
This was one of the best team wins we’ve seen in a while, and especially with Houston’s road struggles, it meant much more. The Rockets move to 27-16 and are on roughly a 52-win pace, the same as last season. They currently sit in the four-seed and will be back in action Monday versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
Hope you’re all staying warm out there. Here in Pennsylvania, it’s current -7 degrees outside, and we’re waiting on a storm later today that’s dropping 12-16 inches of snow. A total of 45 states are currently under weather emergencies this weekend. Wherever you are, we hope you’re staying safe.
I am going to try my hardest to remain calm during this. To keep things relaxed, I’ll start with a simple list of things that happened during that Celtics win:
Late substitution, choreographed Hugo Gonzalez game tying three with .4 seconds left in overtime… ok? All that after a comeback to take a big lead before blowing said lead and almost losing however not losing and reversing a dead-to-rights situation because of two of the nastiest plays you’ve ever seen to get two clutch threes and of course only winning in double OT because of massive AMARI WILLIAMS minutes in BOTH OVERTIMES because both Luka Garza and Neemias Queta fouled out?!
We also had Ron Harper Jr. minutes? Baylor Scheierman second on the team in rebounds? Did I mention Hugo Gonzalez had a few plays where he looked like LeBron? And Payton Pritchard had a few where he looked like Curry? Do we have Steph and LeBron at home? Am I freaking out?
More conventionally, we had a Jaylen Brown triple-double (sure), 32 from Pritchard (yep), and the Celtics have played a quadrillion combined minutes without Derrick White on the first night of a back-to-back during a home game against the Brooklyn Nets. Of course, it was in Brooklyn, but it was a home game. Jaylen was getting MVP chants in OT, it was sick.
Yes, the Celtics were playing the Nets, not exactly your idea of a monstrous juggernaut. But come on man… no Tatum, no DWhite, both centers fouled out, not much from Simons, Jaylen Brown is just John Snow standing there alone drawing his sword against charging horses in that one Game of Thrones scene… and we get it done? I mean that’s just a ridiculous win. Ridiculous!
Look, I don’t have any profound thoughts about this other than what I’ve already said about this team: I don’t really understand it, parts of me refuse to accept it, and yet it clearly, unmistakably works. It is the ultimate example of how, in sports, you really just have to judge the results because we really can’t understand what’s up and what’s down. I had no idea any of these guys were going to be playable, let alone half as good as they actually are.
So, in judging the results, we need to decide if the lunacy that just won us that game is a glorious flash in the pan or if there’s real stuff to build on. For Amari Williams, his performance in a position of dire need is the stuff of Greek myths, like both centers foul out and he has to come in and make some ad-hoc home run touch pass to Pritchard while standing on deaths door? And the game-sealing and-one into the block in OT? Though he obviously has a long way to go, that will stick in my head for a while.
And Hugo, my goodness gracious, I do not know what to think of this man. His effort level is breaking the scale; he’s not actually scoring that much, and every game, it feels like he has 20 more points than he actually does. But it’s all well and good because his play is completely additive. Not sure I’d want him playing 30 mins in a playoff series, but he’s like a hot potato to throw at the other team and force them to juggle it for 10-20 minutes per contest. He creates situations to capitalize on.
He also has one “so that might be something” play per night. He had a step-through in transition that, I kid you not, kind of looked like LeBron. He used his physicality to create space in a way that is generally the bag of much more mature players. I’m not saying he’s going to be LeBron, but I’m officially not not saying that. Deal with it.
This might be bad for tomorrow’s result, given that Jaylen Brown just played 46 minutes and now they have to fly to Chicago where it’s like -652 degrees outside. If the snow storm/extreme cold forces the NBA to move the game from 8 p.m. to noon like they did for the Hornets game tomorrow… well then, just pack it up we’ll get ‘em next time. I imagine they would have already announced that, but I just wanted to mark it in case it was still possible.
I know the Celtics are on a serious Boston fan backburner this week with the Patriots playing in the AFC Championship, but I hope you all spent your Friday night watching that absurdity. It was well worth our time.
After leaving Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks early with an injury to his knee and ankle, Jonathan Kuminga will miss Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with knee soreness. That will halt his consecutive games streak at two.
Kuminga came back from 16 straight DNP-CDs with 30 points in 30 minutes of play Tuesday and Thursday. Jimmy Butler’s injury opened up a spot for Kuminga in Steve Kerr’s very expansive rotation, and the 23-year-old forward took advantage by providing instant and ample offense off the bench.
It would have been exciting to see Jimmy Butler play against his old team in a nationally-televised game Saturday afternoon. Failing that, it would have been interesting to see if Kuminga could continue his scoring binge, after averaging 24.3 points in the last four game’s of last spring’s playoff series with the Wolves. Now, America will get to watch Gui Santos and Will Richard try to slow down Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards.
Kuminga mildly hyperextended his knee Thursday, so the team is holding him out. It does not sound like his twisted ankle was serious. There’s an immediate rematch with the T-Wolves Monday, so the Warriors could see Kuminga back on the floor, if only to feature him for their rumored acquisition of Andrew Wiggins.
The fear is that Kuminga aggravates his knee issue and is once again injured at the trade deadline, happening Feb. 5. And then we have to keep writing about Kuminga trade rumors for eight more months. Perish the thought.
The 7-foot center's return to the Crimson Tide is one of the biggest storylines in college basketball, as he was recently granted a temporary restraining order to return to Nate Oats' program after playing in the G-League after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft.
He's the latest player to re-enter college basketball after being in the NBA draft and playing in the G-League, a growing laundry list of players that started with Thierry Darlan and London Johnson committing to Santa Clara and Louisville, respectively.
Here's what to know about Bediako and his situation at Alabama ahead of the 17th-ranked Crimson Tide's SEC clash against Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET inside Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama:
Yes, the expectation is that Bediako will play for the Crimson Tide on Saturday against Tennessee. Alabama added Bediako to its official roster on Friday, Jan. 23, and he will wear No. 14.
"First of all, the system is clearly broken and I'm all for figuring out a way to fix it, but since the NCAA has already allowed professionals to play virtually every team we've played this year or will play as a former professional player on their roster, you tell me how I'm supposed to tell Charles and the team that we're not going to support them when he's been deemed legally eligible to play. So Charles is still within his five-year window. He's 23 years old. He's pursuing his degree here at Alabama," Alabama coach Nate Oats said on Jan. 23 during a media availability.
"We've got our roster spot open so this is not taking any opportunities away from a high school recruit or anybody else. Charles shouldn't be punished for choosing to go the academic route out of high school rather than the professional route like the international players did. So again, my personal opinion on all this is we need a uniform and transparent system that doesn't punish the Americans, that takes the hypocrisy out of it, that gives equal treatment to Americans and international players both, while also allowing high school players the opportunities they need coming out of school.
"So someone should be able to come up with a system that checks all those boxes, but for now we're going to continue to support Charles, our team, and we're working closely with our administration, our compliance department on all of this. So that's what I've got on that. Now for the Tennessee game, listen, and I know Charles will draw a lot of attention for this game, but yeah, we are planning to play him. He's eligible to play. We're going to follow the court orders."
The Crimson Tide forward declared for the NBA Draft following his sophomore season with the Crimson Tide in 2023 but was not selected by one of the NBA's 30 franchises. A veteran G-League player, Bediako most recently was playing for the Detroit Pistons' G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. He had four points and three rebounds in the Cruise's 127-103 win against the Birmingham Squadron on Jan. 17.
As noted by the Tuscaloosa News — part of the USA TODAY Network — the NCAA denied Alabama's initial request to restore the 23-year-old's eligibility to return to the Crimson Tide. In a countermove, Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA with the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court on Tuesday, Jan. 20 to use the remainder of his eligibility. He's enrolled in classes at Alabama as well.
On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Judge James Roberts Jr. granted Bediako a temporary restraining order to return to the Crimson Tide as a collegiate student-athlete until his next injunction hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The NCAA shared its displeasure with the judge's decision in a statement on Jan. 21.
"These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students," the NCAA said in a statement. "A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules."
An added layer to the headlines that this situation has created is that Judge Roberts is a frequent guest lecturer at Alabama and is listed by the Crimson Tide Foundation as an active "Circle" level donor in the Lifetime Giving Society.
In a statement shared on Jan. 23, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt spoke on the pre- and -post NBA Draft eligibility rules that the NCAA has and the NCAA's withdrawal deadline.
"If these rules surrounding the NCAA pre- and post-draft rules cannot be enforced, it would create an unstable environment for the student-athletes, schools building a roster for the following season and the NBA," Gavitt wrote. "The NCAA membership has a set of rules in place regarding the pre- and post-NBA draft eligibility that have clearly been in place and supported by all parties until these recent court challenges."
Statement from NCAA senior vice president of Basketball Dan Gavitt about collegiate eligibility. pic.twitter.com/x559XtzI3p
Since leaving Alabama, Bediako appeared in 82 G League games across three seasons with the Austin Spurs, Grand Rapids Gold and Motor City Cruise.
Here’s a look at his stats from his professional career:
2023-24 (Austin): 5.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 14.6 minutes per game
2024-25 (Grand Rapids): 9.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game
2025-26 (Motor City): 4.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 15.1 minutes per game
Charles Bediako college stats
In two seasons at Alabama, Bediako averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game while shooting 67.3% from the field and 48.8% from the free-throw line.
Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Bediako's stats at Alabama:
2021-2022: 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 0.7 assists per game while shooting 69.2% from the field
2022-2023: 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 0.6 assists per game while shooting 65.9% from the field
How old is Charles Bediako?
Born on March 10, 2002, Bediako is 23 years old.
Charles Bediako draft
Bediako entered the 2023 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at Alabama, but went undrafted. He instead signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and joined their G League affiliate in Austin, Texas.
The history of college basketball matchups of fathers and sons coaching against one another has been heavily tilted toward the fathers in recent history.
This will be the fifth time the Pitinos have faced off against one another. Rick has a 3-1 record against his son, including the Red Storm's 85-71 win over Richard's New Mexico on Nov. 17, 2024.
Here's what you need to know about fathers and sons coaching against each other in college basketball:
Father-son matchups in college basketball history
Overall, father-son coaching matchups have occurred 22 times before Saturday, with fathers posting a 19-3 record in that time.
Western Kentucky coach Ed Diddle faced off against his son, Middle Tennessee coach Ed Diddle Jr., 12 times between 1957 and 1962. Diddle Sr. got the better of Jr. in 11 of those 12 matches.
Outside of the Pitinos, the only other father-son coaching matchup since 2014 happened between Tubby Smith and G.G. Smith. The father and son faced off in 2014 and 2017, with Tubby earning wins with Texas Tech and Memphis over Loyola-Maryland.
Jan. 30, 1957: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 79-72
Feb. 20, 1957: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 86-82
Jan. 23, 1958: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 69-67
Feb. 18, 1958: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Middle Tennessee 81-75
Jan. 19, 1959: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 89-65
Feb. 28, 1959: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 110-85
Feb. 6, 1960: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 109-89
Feb. 27, 1960: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 109-80
Dec. 1, 1960: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 70-67
Feb. 25, 1961: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 84-73
Jan. 20, 1962: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 89-69
Feb. 10, 1962: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 87-81
Dec. 1, 1981: Ray Meyer (DePaul) vs. Tom Meyer (Illinois-Chicago) | DePaul 78-53
Jan. 6, 1994: Butch van Breda Kolff (Cornell) vs. Jan van Breda Kolff (Hofstra) | Hofstra 70-56
Anytime that Rick Pitino and Richard Pitino go head-to-head against each other as father and son, it's a national storyline.
That's once again the case on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET inside the Cintas Center, when No. 25 St. John's travels to Xavier. But there's an extra layer to it this time around, as the elder Pitino is chasing career win No. 900 against his son, a feat that would put him in sole possession of fourth place among Division I men's basketball coaches for all-time wins.
"I think he will do everything humanly possible to stop it," Rick Pitino said following the Red Storm's 65-60 win over Seton Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 20. "... This is going to be a lot of fun. Great game. If we lose, I'll leave my team in Cincinnati."
Saturday's game marks the first time the father-son duo will go head-to-head against each other in the Big East, after Richard Pitino was hired to lead the Musketeers this past offseason following Sean Miller leaving for Texas and the SEC. It's the fifth overall time in their careers that they will go head-to-head.
In true father-son fashion, Richard Pitino had some fun on X (formerly Twitter) with his dad's milestone ahead of his media availability on Friday, Jan. 23.
"Can’t believe I’m going for my 258th win vs. my dad. What are the odds???" Richard Pitino wrote on X on Jan. 23.
Here's what to know about Rick Pitino's coaching career, and the head-to-head history of the father-son duo:
Where is Rick Pitino coaching now?
Rick Pitino is in his third season at St. John's, "New York's basketball team." He was hired by the Johnnies in March 2023 following a three-year stint at Iona, which served as his unofficial reinsertion into college basketball after a brief stint away from it following his exit at Louisville.
Last season, Pitino led St. John's to one of the program's best seasons since the Lou Carnesecca era in Queens, as the Red Storm finished with a 31-5 overall record, won their first Big East tournament title since 2000 and grabbed a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Rick Pitino coaching career
Here's a stop-by-stop breakdown of Rick Pitino's coaching career, which includes multiple college basketball programs and NBA organizations:
Head coach position unless noted otherwise
1974-1976: Hawaii (assistant)
1976-1978: Syracuse (assistant)
1978-1983: Boston University
1983-1985: New York Knicks (assistant coach) *
1985-1987: Providence
1987-1989: New York Knicks *
1989-1997: Kentucky
1997-2001: Boston Celtics *
2001-2017: Louisville
2018-2020: Panathinaikos **
2020-2023: Iona
2023-Present: St. John's
* Denotes NBA job
** Denotes EuroLeague job
Rich Pitino coaching record
Career record: 889-316
NCAA Tournament record: 55-22
Final Four appearances: 1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2012*, 2013*
National championships: 1996, 2013*
* Denotes vacated by NCAA
Rick Pitino holds an 899-316 overall record across his 38 seasons as a Division I men's basketball head coach, including a 65-23 record in three seasons at St. John's.
The 73-year-old coach made history last season when St. John's earned the No. 2 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament, as he became the first Division I men's basketball coach to take six different schools — the others being Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville and Iona — to March Madness.
He's won two NCAA Tournaments in his coaching career, though his second one at Louisville was vacated by the NCAA. His first national championship came in 1996 at Kentucky.
Pitino's 2013 NCAA Tournament ring being vacated is a major reason why he's coaching at St. John's today. The ex-Louisville head coach was fired for cause by the Cardinals after an FBI investigation was prompted by Adidas paying recruits to go to Louisville. Pitino, who in 2020 said he deserved to be fired at Louisville after years of saying the opposite, was charged by the NCAA with a Level II violation in 2020, citing him for "failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance" during his tenure at the University of Louisville.
What is Rick Pitino's record vs. son Richard Pitino?
Saturday's matchup between Xavier and St. John's will be the fifth iteration of the Pitino rivalry, with Rick holding a 3-1 lead in the all-time series.
The first head-to-head matchup between the father-son duo came in 2012, when Rick was at Louisville and Richard was at Florida International University, in which the elder Pitino's fifth-ranked Cardinals won 79-55. The two then met two years later in 2014 during Richard's second season at Minnesota; that game also went to Louisville.
Richard Pitino's lone win against his father came in Rick's final season at Iona in 2022, when New Mexico defeated the Gaels 82-77 down in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at The Pit.
The most recent Pitino clash came last season at Madison Square Garden. St. John's RJ Luis Jr. led the Red Storm to an 85-71 win at "The World's Most Famous Arena" over Richard's Lobos, scoring 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds.
"It is what it is. It comes with the territory," Richard Pitino said during his Jan. 23 media availability. "There's a lot of amazing things that come with being his son, and there's every now-and-then 2% is a little bit annoying, but the other 98% is phenomenal."
Here's a game-by-game breakdown of the Pitino vs. Pitino rivarly:
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla threw rookie Hugo González into a critical spot in Friday night’s 130-126 win over the Brooklyn Nets in double overtime — quite literally.
It was a contrasting moment for González as earlier, in the first quarter, Mazzulla yanked the 19-year-old with visible frustration after a mental mistake led to a Michael Porter Jr. 3-pointer. González took it in stride and admitted that Mazzulla’s call was the right call.
“He was right,” González told reporters, per CLNS Media. “You can be mad if you think that you did the right thing and he subs you out, but he was right. What I did was some bull****.”
For many rookies, getting subbed out and being met with disappointment on the sideline could rattle confidence. González, however, isn’t like most rookies. He took his seat on the bench, patiently waited, and when the final 2.5 seconds of the team’s first of two overtime periods arrived, it became redemption time.
Mazzulla used his left arm to push González onto the court, replacing Boston’s only active center at the time, Amari Williams. Immediately, González was thrust into a crucial moment in crunch time. He caught the inbound pass from Baylor Scheierman and decided to keep things simple.
“Just basically try to make a play, try to catch it, and try to find somebody,” González recalled.
Instead, the play demanded much, much more from González. He cut from the right elbow to the left corner, causing defensive miscommunication as Porter and Noah Clowney focused on Brown. Scheierman fed him, and with space to fire away, González drilled a clutch game-tying 3-pointer, sending the Celtics and Nets into a second overtime, tied 118-118.
He maintained the very mindset Mazzulla makes an effort to reward. González stayed poised and prepared enough to provide the Celtics with whatever the game called for. It just so happened that this time, it called for González to be the hero.
“You gotta be ready to play in any position, especially when you’re not (a veteran),” González told reporters. “You’re gonna need to be ready to play in any single (spot), and if you need to play center, you’ve got to play center and do whatever the team needs and try to help teammates like (Jaylen Brown), Payton (Pritchard), and Sam (Hauser) to make plays — just try to make them better.”
As much as González wants to make a difference, none of his impact is forced. It goes unnoticed sometimes, but it’s all authentically Hugo. He’ll turn up the jets like his legs are powered with NOS from The Fast and the Furious. He’ll challenge anyone at the rim, dive for any loose ball, and go the extra mile, no matter what that requires. Teammates and coaches noticed the signs during Summer League, and the fact that González can provide that version of himself — whether he’s playing extended minutes or limited minutes — has kept him from any G-League trips down to Maine ever since Opening Night back in October.
None of what González has experienced in Year 1 was planned, including his biggest shot in the NBA.
The reason Mazzulla placed González in that situation was simple: trust. With Brown, Pritchard, Hauser, and Scheierman around him, he trusted that González would come through, even without the instruction of a playbook. It was about trusting one’s instincts and letting everything else play out.
“The play wasn’t necessarily for him,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “Need threes are a crapshoot. You never know what defense they’re in — are they reading the floor? Are they reading after? Are they matching up? Are they on the body? Off the body? So it was really just a read where those four guys had to make a play, and Hugo made a great play and a great pass.”
That singular play highlighted Mazzulla’s tactical mastery. Sure, circumstances have forced him to lean on inexperienced players like González, but it’s how Mazzulla is doing it that’s made a difference. Everyone involved is benefiting. Playing González in that spot carried risk, especially with the Toronto Raptors inching toward Boston’s No. 2 seed spot, but it worked. It allowed González to boost his confidence, showed teammates they can trust him to take a big shot, and further weaponized a shorthanded Celtics team that has continued to raise its own bar.
The Celtics have reached the point where they can confidently say they know what to expect from González — and that’s huge. His foundation is pure, raw hustle. That’s something coaches can’t teach. Those are intangibles a player either has or doesn’t. From there, everything else can be developed: his 3-point shot, his ball-handling, his strength. González is a developmental piece who, even as-is, can make a difference and impact winning.
For a rookie, that’s rare to come by.
“That was a big-time shot from the rookie,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “He’s been playing well all season, and to see him make that shot for us to get a big-time win — that was a big moment for us as a team, and a big moment for him too.”
González took only four shots on Friday night, and that included two attempts in overtime: two jumpers, a transition layup leading a fastbreak, and a tip-in off a Scheierman miss. Before his overtime attempts, González hadn’t recorded a single field goal attempt since 2:34 of the third quarter. Still, he stayed ready to deliver whenever the Celtics determined his time to contribute had arrived.
“It’s also easy when you got a coach that’s trusting in you, teammates that are trusting in you, that if you take a shot, you’re gonna make it,” González told reporters. “That helps a lot.”
