Category: NBA

The Knicks trailed by 20 points in the third quarter, but mounted a huge comeback to force OT and steal Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, 108-105, on Monday night.

It's their first win against the Celtics all season.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Josh Hart got the Knicks going early, taking advantage of the matchup against Kristaps Porzingis and driving to the basket for two quick buckets. Foul trouble quickly became an issue for Tom Thibodeau's group, with Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns being forced to the bench just five minutes into the game. Jayson Tatum scored 13 straight points to swing the momentum back to Boston, while OG Anunoby hit back-to-back threes to keep things close.

Towns re-entered the game with about two minutes left in the first and scored right away. Just like the Detroit Pistons did in the first round, Boston targeted Mitchell Robinson and forced him to shoot free throws as he missed both and Payton Pritchard capitalized with a three-pointer. The Celtics held onto a 26-25 lead after the first quarter, despite shooting 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from the field vs. the Knicks' 47.4 percent (9-for-19). They held an 11-8 FTA advantage and outrebounded the Knicks 17-14. Miles McBride made two threes off of the bench to help New York stay in it.

-- Towns stayed hot and made two straight jumpers to open the second quarter, giving him 10 points already. Towns picked up his third foul and Boston began to take control of the game, going on a 15-5 run to build an eight-point lead. The "hack-a-Shaq" approach against Robinson continued, slowing down the Knicks' fastbreak offense.

Precious Achiuwa then replaced Robinson, playing for the first time all playoffs, and helped Hart grab an offensive rebound that lead to a much-needed Jalen Brunson three-pointer. That would be the last good possession of the half for New York, as Boston closed on a 13-3 run and took a commanding 61-45 lead at the half. The Celtics upped their shooting to 41.7 percent with Tatum (13 points), Jaylen Brown (14 points), and Pritchard (13 points) leading the way. Towns still had the 10 points at the break for the Knicks, while Brunson had just nine points on 3-for-9 shooting.

-- Things continued to go Boston's way in the third quarter as two Derrick White three-pointers and an Al Horford dunk gave them their biggest lead of the night, 72-52. Towns also picked up his fourth foul on an offensive charge, sending him back to the bench.

But the Knicks didn't give up, going on a 9-0 thanks to two Anunoby threes. A Brunson three with about a minute left in the third quarter cut the Celtics' lead to eight, but a Horford three before the buzzer made it a 84-75 game heading into the fourth. The Knicks won the third quarter 30-23 with Towns on the bench for half of it as Anunoby had 12 points and Brunson had nine.

-- McBride opened the fourth quarter with his third three-pointer and KAT grabbed an offensive board and scored to make it a four-point game. Anunoby stole it from Tatum and went the length of the court for a game-tying dunk. Jrue Holiday made his second three-pointer of the night to go up 89-86 and force a Thibodeau timeout with 6:24 remaining. Brunson tied the game for the ninth and tenth times of the game before giving them a 94-91 lead -- their first since early in the second quarter (33-31). He then hit another three while guarded by Horford, taking advantage of the mismatch on the perimeter.

White and Anunoby traded threes and Holiday tied the game at 100-100 with a layup. Anunoby and Tatum missed go-ahead buckets, giving the Knicks a chance with 5.1 seconds remaining. Brunson inbounded to Towns, who found the star guard on the backdoor cut, but he missed the game-winning floater. NY won the fourth 25-16 to force OT.

-- Mikal Bridges came up with a huge steal in OT, leading to an Anunoby and-one dunk and then hit a three of his own to go up 106-100. It was just his second three-pointer on a tough shooting night. Towns fouled Brown on the floor with three seconds left and Bridges wrestled for the ball with Brown as time expired to complete the comeback and steal Game 1 on the road.

-- The Celtics missed an NBA playoff record 45 three-pointers.

Who was the game MVP?

Anunoby, who took over in the second half and helped lead the comeback. He finished with 29 points on 10-for-20 shooting, including 6-for-11 from three, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

Highlights

WHAT A MOVE BY JOSH HART ON KRISTAPS PORZINGIS pic.twitter.com/hAZF1Quyct

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2025

Deuce from the corner 🎯

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/1D8Kf7FFXv

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2025

JOSH HART HUSTLE ⚡️

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/tp5G7h103o

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2025

Jalen Brunson hits the floater 👀

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/rUVuHBr16j

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2025

JALEN BRUNSON FOR THREE

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/nkugCui5hL

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2025

HERE COME THE KNICKS! pic.twitter.com/sJGUX9kOzB

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2025

ANOTHER OG THREE!

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/eYdkOySbs4

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2025

OG THROWS IT DOWN! 💪 pic.twitter.com/h2gxl7Gb7Q

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2025

OG AND ONE pic.twitter.com/9JJqPMDcMg

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2025

What's next

The Knicks and Celtics will play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m.

Clippers All-Star James Harden has been highly criticized for another dismal playoff performance against the Denver Nuggets, but he does have a supporter in the organization.

President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank views Harden as having done a “great job leading the way” while Kawhi Leonard sat out the first 34 games because of right-knee injury management and liked how the team responded to the 16-year veteran.

Frank spoke with reporters at a season-ending news conference Monday about how Harden played in 79 games this season, played the fifth-most total minutes in the NBA (2,789), was fifth in the league in assists (8.7), averaged 22.8 points per game and was the only player this season with 1,500 points, 500 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks.

Read more:Clippers upset they failed to meet their expectations for season: 'I'm pissed off'

Frank did not mention how Harden was underwhelming in the postseason, averaging just 18.7 points per game in the series the Clippers lost to the Nuggets and how he scored just 33 points combined in Games 4, 5 and 7 losses, including seven points in Game 7.

“When it was James this year with no Kawhi, with Norm [Powell] and [Ivica] Zubac and the rest of the group, we really asked James to do a lot,” Frank said via Zoom because he was away with his family at a New York hospital because of a family medical issue.

“And at his age to deliver what he did…[He played in] 79 games, and he does that time and time and time again. We have a deep appreciation for that sort of availability and to be able to deliver and do what he did…We have a great level of appreciation for what James did this year.”

Harden has a player option for next season that pays him $36 million, and he has to let the Clippers know his decision by June 29. He can decide to opt-in, which means he can’t get an extension, or he can opt-out and work with the Clippers on an extension.

Frank said Harden, who will be 36 in August, is the team’s “first priority.”

“Now, because James has a player option, it would be irresponsible for me not to have contingency plans with it,” Frank said. “But I’m going in with the intent that if he doesn’t pick up his option, that we’re going to be able to reach an agreement that works well for James and works well for the Clippers.”

Frank was happy that Leonard was healthy following the season and that his best player has two years left on his deal for $100 million.

Powell, 31, has one year left on his contract at $20.4 million and he also will be looking for an extension. Zubac begins his three-year extension for $58.6 million next season, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic are all under contract and are top role players. Nicolas Batum has a player option for $4.9 million, but is expected to return.

The Clippers will look to improve their team in the draft — they have a first-round pick (29th overall) and a second-round selection. They can use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $14.1 million per season and they have trade exceptions of $6.5 million, $4.2 million and $2.1 million.

“Make no mistake, we want to contend in the present,” Frank said.

Read more:James Harden disappoints again as Clippers are eliminated by Nuggets in Game 7 rout

“We also will plan for the future and we’ll take the necessary steps to implement it.”

Frank said what happened in Game 7 in which the Clippers trailed by 35 points was “extremely embarrassing and also uncharacteristic” for this team. But he offered some perspective on the entire season.

The Clippers finished the season with a 50-32 record, won 18 of their last 21 regular-season games and were the fifth seed in the West.

“So, I don’t want to diminish the fact that we lost in a seven-game series,” Frank said, “and also not share the fact that [I’m] very prideful about the inspired play we had for much of the year.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Celtics' 3-point shooting slumps won't fly against Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics aren’t in Orlando anymore.

They can’t afford to shoot 15-for-60 from 3-point range in the playoffs against competent offensive teams, but that’s exactly what they did in Monday’s Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Boston set new NBA playoff records with 45 misses and 60 attempts from deep.

That kind of performance only flies against teams like the Celtics’ first-round opponent, the Orlando Magic. The worst 3-point shooting team in the league maintained that reputation by shooting just 26.3 percent from 3 in the series, which Boston won in five games despite mostly being held in check from beyond the arc.

Orlando didn’t make more than 10 3-pointers in a game throughout the series. New York shot 17-for-37 (45.9 percent) from distance in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

In Monday’s matchup, the Celtics held a 20-point lead midway through the third quarter. The Knicks cut the deficit to nine by the end of the frame and pulled ahead late in the fourth before finishing off their 108-105 win in overtime.

After going up by 20, the C’s shot just 10-of-40 (25 percent) from the floor and 7-of-29 (24.1 percent) from deep. A whopping 34 of their 41 shot attempts in the second half were 3s.

After the loss, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked whether he was satisfied with his team’s shot selection.

“For the most part,” he said. “Obviously, over the course of the game, you always can find five to 10 shots you want to be better at.”

While the 60 3-point attempts jump off the page, the Celtics shouldn’t shy away from that game plan going forward. They lived and died by the 3 during their 2024 NBA championship run, and they remained an elite 3-point shooting team during the 2024-25 campaign.

Twenty-five of Boston’s 60 3-point attempts were unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s, according to The Volume Sports’ Jason Timpf. Only seven of them went in.

That trend is unlikely to continue, and Knicks guard Josh Hart knows it.

“I don’t think you want to force them into 3s. We don’t want them to shoot more 3s,” Hart said. “They got great shooters, man. We were just trying to make it tough for them, play physical. … We were trying to take away 3s, and they still got up 60.”

Celtics star Jaylen Brown finished with a team-high 23 points, but shot just 1-for-10 from 3-point range. He was asked whether Boston attempted a “knockout punch” with the number of 3s they took in the second half.

“Some of them felt good, some of them felt like we maybe forced the issue,” Brown said. “Definitely our rhythm and our timing was a little bit off. We got a lot of great looks, but there may be some truth to that. We’ve got to look at the film and see what happened in that second half.”

His co-star Jayson Tatum (23 points, 4-15 3-PT) agreed with his assessment.

“Probably some times where we settled,” he said. “I could’ve put more pressure on the rim. But a lot of times, we felt like we got really, really good looks and just couldn’t convert.”

Tatum scored just two points in the fourth quarter, both from the free-throw line. He was 0-for-7 with six misses from deep in the frame.

That won’t cut it against the Knicks, who matched the C’s with a 36.9 3-point shooting percentage during the regular season. Boston will look to bounce back in Game 2 at TD Garden, which is set for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Latest on Porzingis' illness after Celtics star exits Game 1 vs. Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics’ clean bill of health lasted less than a half.

Big man Kristaps Porzingis exited Game 1 of the Celtics’ second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks on Monday with 7:34 remaining in the second quarter and did not return.

The C’s listed Porzingis as questionable to return with an illness but provided no further in-game updates, and Porzingis remained sidelined for the rest of the contest as Boston fell 108-105 in overtime.

Porzingis struggled before his departure, going scoreless in 12:58 of playing time on 0 for 4 shooting with four rebounds, one assist and a turnover. The 29-year-old big man was spotted talking to the Celtics’ trainers during a first-half timeout and departed to the locker room late in the second quarter. While he was back on the bench to begin the third quarter, Al Horford took the floor in his place.

The nature of Porzingis’ illness is unclear, but it’s worth noting he missed eight straight games from Feb. 28 to March 14 due to a viral illness that the team described as an upper respiratory illness.

Porzingis has torched the Knicks since coming to Boston — he’s averaged 22.4 points per game against his former team in a Celtics uniform while making 26 of 52 3-pointers — so his status is definitely worth monitoring ahead of Game 2.

“I haven’t seen him yet,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game when asked about Porzingis. “We’ll check on him. But obviously it impacts the game with his ability on both ends of the floor. It obviously changes sub patterns, it changes what we’re able to do matchup-wise.

“… Hopefully he’s ready for Game 2.”

Tip-off for Game 2 at TD Garden is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. NBC Sports Boston’s coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.

Lacob acknowledges Warriors took initial ‘risk' with Butler trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Joe Lacob recently acknowledged that the Warriors’ trade for six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler initially was risky – but undoubtedly worth it.

In an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick published on Monday, Golden State’s owner assessed how his franchise’s blockbuster deadline deal has paid off.

“Yeah, there were [concerns about Butler],” Lacob told Amick. “But you do your analysis, you make your choices, and, yeah, it was a little bit of a risk. But we’ve got to take risks in this life. And he’s worth every freaking penny. That’s all I can say. He’s fantastic.”

Butler was moved from Miami to San Francisco — as part of a multi-team trade which sent Warriors fan favorite Andrew Wiggins to South Beach — after publicly asking out of the Heat organization and serving team-issued suspensions. 

Known for his love-me-or-hate-me personality, many were skeptical of the 35-year-old forward’s Warriors arrival, especially when Butler reportedly didn’t want to be dealt to Golden State and was reluctant to sign a contract extension there.

But that’s all old news. Butler has flourished in the Bay, and the Warriors find themselves in the Western Conference semifinals against his old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, after defeating the Houston Rockets in a testy seven-game, first-round series.

“Sometimes you get them right,” Lacob told Amick with a laugh. “That’s all I can say.”

Including the NBA playoffs, the Warriors have won 27 of the 37 games Butler has played in. And he is coming off a seven-game series in which he averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists, which is magnified considering the low-scoring, defensive-oriented nature of the postseason.

Sure, Butler was a risky acquisition on the surface, but Lacob evidently was right to trust his second-year general manager, Mike Dunleavy. The Warriors were an aging lottery team during the 2024-25 NBA season before Butler’s arrival; now, they’re an aging contender.

“It’s nice,” Lacob told Amick of beating the Rockets. “But we have 12 more [wins] to go. That’s all I can say. Four down, 12 to go.”

The Warriors’ trade for Butler might go down as one of the greatest deadline moves in NBA history if Golden State ends up winning its fifth championship in 11 seasons. And that feat surely is in Lacob’s plans.

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Hield shares how wholesome relationship with Butler evolved originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler has been a revelation for the Warriors since he arrived in the Bay at the NBA trade deadline, but his hilarious interactions with teammate Buddy Hield have been a welcome addition as well.

From taking joking shots at each other in postgame press conferences to trolling one another on social media, Butler and Hield are the iconic duo Dub Nation never knew it needed.

“I knew of him, but I was a big fan of Jimmy [before he came to the Warriors],” Hield told Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky on 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” the day after his epic Game 7 performance against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. “I’ve always loved Jimmy. My mom loves Jimmy. I just loved the way he competes and he carries himself, man. That was big.

“And I just knew that when he came here, it was going to be easy to get along with him. That’s what I love about him. He’s a great connector, he’s a great team guy. And off the court, he’s a great guy that I hang out with. He invited me to his house. We go to dinner. He takes care of me, man.”

These two 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/3pi2ukywfc

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 5, 2025

The pair’s comical chemistry was on display after Sunday’s big win, when Hield introduced Butler to the media for his press conference in a funny back-and-forth.

These two will never let each other rest 😂 pic.twitter.com/Gz3cSltug2

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 5, 2025

It seems to be a match made in heaven. And the humorous banter appears to be a direct reflection of the good vibes in the Warriors’ locker room — a good sign as Golden State looks to make a deep NBA playoff run.

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Draymond clowns Chuck for failed Warriors Game 7 prediction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Many counted the Warriors out after they let their first-round NBA playoff series against the Houston Rockets reach seven games despite starting with a 3-1 lead. 

One doubter was NBA on TNT host Charles “Chuck” Barkley. Before Sunday’s Game 7 tip-off, he dished one of his infamous “guarantees” in favor of the Rockets – but he was a bit off the mark as the Warriors won 103-89 and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals.

Longtime Warriors icon Draymond Green caught wind of Barkley’s failed prediction and made a sarcastic Instagram Story post about it.

Green wrote, “MY OG Brother doesn’t understand Championship pedigree,” adding, “We love you Chuckster!”

Ouch – Green spared no mercy.

Barkley, a retired 16-year NBA veteran and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, accomplished virtually everything a player would want to. However, Barkley failed to reach one massive goal.

Barkley retired ringless.

Green, on the other hand, has won four NBA championships with the Warriors thus far in his 13-year career in the Bay. He rightfully doesn’t care for doubts coming from those who have accomplished less than him.

Still, Green quietly – with a teeny-tiny font – acknowledged Barkley’s international career with Team USA.

“You do have a couple golds though,” Green wrote about Barkley’s pair of Olympic gold medals. Ironically, Green has two gold medals, too.

To the anticipation of Dub Nation and others, Green and Golden State lived to see another day and earned a second-round series with star guard Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

But the Warriors’ prevailing caught Barkley off guard. And Green is having fun with the analyst’s incorrect “guarantee.”

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How Perkins believes Steph can enter NBA's GOAT conversation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As usual, many are wondering if Steph Curry now belongs in the NBA’s GOAT conversation after he pulled off more heroics; in this case, the Warriors superstar has everyone’s attention by helping Golden State defeat the Houston Rockets in seven games during the 2025 Western Conference playoffs first round.

Retired NBA veteran and ESPN “Get Up” panelist Kendrick Perkins, at least, believes Curry is on the cusp of being in the GOAT conversation, needing to reach two specific goals before retiring.

“Here’s the thing: Steph Curry is one championship away and one Finals MVP away from entering the GOAT conversation,” Perkins said Monday. “Real talk. And I would dare somebody to try and argue or make me seem like I’m saying something ridiculous. What he has done for the game … he has changed the game forever. Forever.

“He’s given life to all the guys who are under [6-foot-3]. Not just because of his shooting ability, but because what he brings to the table night in and night out on a day-to-day basis as a true professional, and now he’s getting it done on both ends of the floor.”

"Steph Curry is one championship away and one Finals MVP away from entering the GOAT conversation."

—@KendrickPerkinspic.twitter.com/jLUgg1MASF

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 5, 2025

Curry, a slender 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, could enter the GOAT conversation in Perkins’ eyes during Golden State’s current playoff run. All Curry would have to do is, well, lead the Warriors to a 2025 NBA Finals victory and be the series MVP.

Perkins, though, admitted that Curry deserves much respect for Golden State’s first-round series victory over Houston. Regardless of the GOAT conversation, Curry stepped up big time against likely the toughest defense the Warriors will face all postseason.

“We have to give him credit about his conditioning and how much he puts into his body,” Perkins said. “That was a tough-ass series he just went through. You’re talking about Amen Thompson, who was physical with him. We’re talking about a [6-foot-7], bigger guy who was face-guarding [Curry] at times, trapping him. 

“He damn near ran two miles – but it was two miles of physicality. It was like running two miles with a 15-pound weight vest.”

The second-seeded Rockets tried everything to stop Curry. Yet, the NBA’s all-time greatest shooter and his Warriors advanced after he averaged 24.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists over the seven-game gauntlet.

Curry also averaged 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game and locked down whomever when the lights were brightest. 

He might not be known for being a stout defender, but Perkins raved about that aspect of Curry’s game as it helps his case for being the GOAT.

“He’s been getting it done on both ends of the floor,” Perkins said. “In his fourth championship, against the Boston Celtics, they were trying to pick on him, and I thought that’s when he leveled up and took it to the next level defensively.”

Curry and the Warriors have a long way to go before earning their fifth NBA title in 11 seasons. But if they do, Perkins apparently would put Curry in the GOAT conversation.

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Kerr reveals his role in Edwards' rise to NBA stardom with Wolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As the Warriors wade into the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves beginning Tuesday, they are in some ways responsible for their biggest challenge.

That would be Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, whose rise to stardom traces back to a pre-NBA draft workout in 2020 under the observation of Golden State coach Steve Kerr, general manager Bob Myers and CEO Joe Lacob.

“Ant goes out to work out with his trainer,” Kerr recalled on Monday. “We’re the only five people in the whole gym. And after 15 minutes of just watching him lazily shoot 15-footers, I thought, you know, when’s the workout going to start? And it turned out that was a workout.”

Unimpressed, Kerr urged Edwards to bring more energy. More gusto. More sweat.

“I said, ‘Hey, can we see something more?’ ” Kerr said. “And I think he was kind of surprised, and so they picked it up. They picked up the pace a little bit. More than anything, it was just a reminder of how young Ant was. I don’t think he really knew what a hard workout was at that point.”

Edwards, 19 and the presumptive No. 1 overall pick from the University of Georgia, thought he was crushing it.

“I thought I was working hard,” Edwards told reporters in Minneapolis in the summer of 2023. “When [Kerr] came, I was going through drills and he kept stopping them, like, ‘That’s all you got? That’s all you got?’ And I’m like, ‘Bruh, I’m going hard as you want me to go. What you want me to do? I’m sweating crazy.’ ”

It was not enough for the Warriors, holding the No. 2 overall pick and one year removed from five consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals, winning three times. It was not enough for Kerr, who was a teammate of the maniacally driven Michael Jordan and had coached the likes of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

It wasn’t until that night after the workout that Kerr, with some name-dropping, got Edwards’ full attention.

“He’s like, ‘Man, you’ve got to see Steph, KD and Klay work out,’ ” Edwards said. “They still was continuously telling me, ‘You didn’t work hard enough. If we had the No. 1 pick, we wouldn’t take you.’ And I was just like, ‘Damn, that’s crazy.’ ”

That conversation resonated with Edwards, even though Kerr did not know how much at at the time. He did, however, notice a change in the youngster’s approach.

“He was genuinely captivated by hearing stories about those guys, but I didn’t think anything of it,” Kerr said. “We went back and worked him out two weeks later, and the workout was way better. He really went hard and at that point, we were sure. We weren’t sure after the first one. Then, after the second one, we were sure. And you could see he was just exploding with talent and charisma.”

Yet it was that first meeting with the Warriors that left Edwards with a nugget that still drives his effort.

“Me and my trainer riding home after dinner and we’re just talking like we got to pick it up,” Edwards said. “I don’t know how, I don’t know what we got to do. But we got to pick it up. After that. I became a madman at the gym.”

Edwards has been selected to three NBA All-Star teams and, at age 22, led the Timberwolves to the 2024 Western Conference finals. He has become one of the new faces of the league.

To put a finer point on it, Golden State now must go through Edwards to eliminate the Timberwolves and reach the conference finals.

Listening to the right advice and making it a part of the daily routine, it seems, can take one to high places.

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