Category: NBA

Celtics-Knicks playoff history: A look back at the storied rivalry originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are set to face off in the Eastern Conference semifinals for their first playoff series since 2013.

Although they haven’t met in the postseason in over a decade, these rivals have a storied playoff history. This will mark the 16th series between Boston and New York.

The C’s have won eight of their 15 series against the Knicks, with their victories highlighted by dominant runs in the 1960s and ’80s. They also swept New York in 2011, but lost in six games in their 2013 first-round series.

This year’s series is scheduled to begin Monday at TD Garden. Before the action tips off, here’s a look back at all 15 previous series between Boston and New York:

1951 – East Division Semifinals

Knicks win series, 2-0.

New York swept Boston in the first playoff meeting between the two storied franchises, a best-of-three series in 1951. Max Zaslofsky led the Knicks with 23 points per game. Ed Macauley (22 ppg) paced the C’s in a losing effort.

The Knicks went on to fall to the Rochester Royals in the 1951 NBA Finals.

1952 – East Division Semifinals

Knicks win series, 2-1

The Celtics and Knicks met for a postseason rematch in 1952. This time, the C’s pulled off a win at home in the series opener. They lost Game 2, however, on the road.

Game 3 was a double-overtime thriller that resulted in an 88-87 Knicks victory. Zaslofsky again led New York with 19.0 ppg. Bob Cousy averaged 31 for Boston.

The Knicks again lost in the Finals, this time to the Minneapolis Lakers.

1953 – East Division Finals

Knicks win series, 3-1.

The third time would not be the charm for the Celtics as they fell to the Knicks in the playoffs yet again, this time in the Division Finals. Six players averaged double-figure scoring for New York while Bob Cousy (20.8 ppg) and Ed Macauley (17.5 ppg) tried and failed to carry the offensive load for Boston.

For the second straight year, the Knicks fell to the Lakers in the Finals.

1954 – East Division Round Robin

Celtics win series, 2-0.

At last, the Celtics got the better of the Knicks in both Round Robin matchups. Unfortunately for Boston, it fell to the Syracuse Nationals in the following round.

In the two games against New York, Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy led the C’s with 24 and 21 ppg, respectively.

The Nationals lost to the Lakers in the Finals.

1955 – East Division Semifinals

Celtics win series, 2-1.

The fifth straight postseason with a Celtics-Knicks series had Boston coming out on top with a 116-109 Game 3 victory. Bob Cousy averaged 27.3 points per game, including a 26-point performance in the finale.

Boston fell to Syracuse in the next round.

1967 – East Division Semifinals

Celtics win series, 3-1.

After meeting in five consecutive postseasons, it took 12 years for another series between Boston and New York. In this one, Sam Jones (33.5 ppg) and John Havlicek (24.3 ppg) starred for the C’s. Bill Russell averaged a ridiculous 20.3 rebounds over the four games.

The Celtics won the NBA championship every season from 1959 to 1966 while the Knicks failed to clinch a playoff spot for six straight years. In 1967, however, Boston’s streak of dominance ended with a series loss to Philadelphia in the next round.

1969 – East Division Finals

Celtics win series, 4-2.

The Russell-led C’s took down the Knicks again in 1969, this time in six games to advance to the Finals. Russell averaged 20.8 rebounds in the series, while Havlicek led in the scoring column with 20.7 ppg.

The Celtics defeated the Lakers in the Finals to finish the decade with nine titles in 10 seasons.

Getty Images

1972 – Eastern Conference Finals

Knicks win series, 4-1.

New York’s playoff series losing streak against Boston came to an end in 1972. Havlicek (25.6 ppg) and Jo Jo White (22.6 ppg) did their part for the Russell-less C’s, but Walt Frazier (24.0 ppg) and Co. propelled New York to the NBA Finals, where it would fall to the Lakers.

1973 – Eastern Conference Finals

Knicks win series, 4-3.

The Celtics took Game 1 of the 1973 East Finals at home, but the Knicks took the next three games, including a double-overtime thriller in Game 4. After Boston gutted out two tough wins, New York closed out the series with a dominant Game 7.

Knicks guard Walt Frazier led all scorers with 26.1 points per game in the series. Dave Cowens (24.1 ppg) and Jo Jo White (23.6 ppg) led the way for the C’s but suffered the same fate as the previous season.

1974 – Eastern Conference Finals

Celtics win series, 4-1.

The Celtics avenged their 1972 and 1973 series losses to the Knicks by finally taking them down in their third consecutive East Finals meeting. John Havlicek (29.6 ppg) and Dave Cowens (19.0 ppg, 15.0 rpg) were the stars for Boston.

The C’s went on to win their 12th NBA title, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games.

1984 – Eastern Conference Semifinals

Celtics win series, 4-3.

After their 1974 showdown, it took a decade for the Celtics and Knicks to meet again in the playoffs. This time led by Larry Bird, the C’s emerged victorious in an entertaining seven-game series.

Bird averaged 30.4 points and 10.6 rebounds. Bernard King’s 29.1 ppg weren’t enough to lift New York over the dynastic C’s, who advanced to the Finals and took down the Lakers.

1988 – Eastern Conference First Round

Celtics win series, 3-1.

Bird (28.3 ppg) and Kevin McHale (24.3 ppg) led the C’s over the Patrick Ewing-led Knicks in four games in the first round of the ’88 playoffs.

Boston advanced to the conference finals, where it fell to the Detroit Pistons.

USA TODAY Sports

1990 – Eastern Conference First Round

Knicks win series, 3-2.

The 1990s were a rough decade for the Celtics after a historic run in the ’80s. It started with a first-round loss to the Knicks, with Ewing (31.6 ppg, 11.4 rpg) outdueling Bird (24.4 ppg).

New York lost to Detroit, the eventual NBA champs, in the next round.

2011 – Eastern Conference First Round

Celtics win series, 4-0.

In the first postseason meeting between these teams in 21 years, the Celtics squeaked out Game 1 and Game 2 victories against the Knicks at TD Garden. They survived a 42-point, 17-rebound performance by Carmelo Anthony in Game 2.

Boston closed the series with back-to-back double-digit wins at Madison Square Garden.

Anthony led all scorers with 26.0 ppg in the series. This was the Celtics’ final playoff series win with the “Big Three” of Paul Pierce (22.3 ppg), Ray Allen (22.0 ppg), and Kevin Garnett (15.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg) still intact. They fell to the Miami Heat in the 2011 East semifinals.

2013 – Eastern Conference First Round

Knicks win series, 4-2.

The last playoff meeting between the Celtics and Knicks came in 2013. Boston was short-handed in the first-round series, losing guard Rajon Rondo to midseason injury.

The C’s lost the first three games of the series but staved off elimination with wins in Games 4 and 5. New York earned an 88-80 victory at TD Garden to close out the series but fell to the Indiana Pacers in the East semifinals.

Anthony averaged 29.2 points per game in the series. Jeff Green led the Celtics with 20.3 ppg. Game 6 was Pierce and Garnett’s final game with the Celtics, as they were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason.

The Knicks advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the third straight season behind Jalen Brunson’s magnificent 40-point performance and series-clinching three in Game 6 over the Pistons in Detroit.

While the performance and the shot were deserved causes for celebration, the team will have to quickly shift their focus from last series to this one, facing the defending champion Boston Celtics. This will be the toughest test the Knicks face this season and perhaps the toughest they have faced in the entire Tom Thibodeau era.

The Celtics won 61 games this year with a top-five offense and defense, going 4-0 against the Knicks by a combined 65-point margin, and come into the series as heavy favorites. 

Can Brunson and New York find a way to pull off the upset? Let’s dive in...

Little went right against Boston during the regular season, with the Knicks struggling on offense and giving the Celtics whatever they wanted on the other end. The focus for New York should be playing their peak basketball in every facet instead of hyper focusing on parts of their game -- unfortunately, we didn’t see much of that in the first round.

Though the Knicks won in six games, it was by a total margin of nine points, with New York regularly trailing and looking lost for entire quarters and halves in a series that was way too close.

New York often displayed a lack of preparation and purpose, especially offensively, where they scored 109.8 points per 100 possessions, which would've ranked bottom-10 in the regular season and was comparable to the Bucks and Lakers' lackluster scoring this postseason. 

Slowing the game down to a 1990s bricklaying, mud-throwing slugfest would be a logical approach to this Boston series after Orlando seemed to bother them a bit with that style, but New York will still need a better offensive showing to stand any chance.

The Celtics’ approach shouldn’t surprise: expect a wing on Karl-Anthony Towns so their big can float off Josh Hart.

This will give the Knicks any matchup they want -- it’s on them to take advantage. Look for early post-ups and cross screens to get there for Towns, who took advantage of this scheme to some success in previous meetings and the Detroit series.  

Playoff Brunson is real, and unstoppable, so he should switch hunt for whoever he prefers. Boston’s bigs Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, and their defensive wings Derrick White and Jaylen Brown offer the biggest strength and speed advantages, respectively. 

But this isn’t the Pistons, and the Knicks cannot talent their way to a winning offense. They’ll need to be much more pointed in getting wings Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby aggressive looks against the smaller Boston guards, and getting Hart involved in so much movement and action that the Celtics either get burned hiding a big on him or switch things up. 

Someone who needs a big series is Miles McBride, who had a huge postseason in 2024 and heightened expectations coming into this season, but struggled through injuries and had a rough first round against Detroit. The Knicks don’t need him to create beyond his means, but he needs much more confidence in his shooting and to step up with some big games if the Knicks want any chance -- as they aren’t getting much else off their bench.

Defensively, expect Brunson and Towns to be tested every possession. That was essentially Boston’s approach in the regular season, and Detroit had lots of good looks attacking those two as well.

Drop coverage is essentially a no-go unless the Knicks want to allow Towns to guard a bunch of elite scorers heading downhill on an island, or give up a bunch of pick-and-pop threes to Porzingis at the top of the key. New York largely abandoned it last series unless Mitchell Robinson was on the floor, so expect a similar approach here.

This series should be more of a switching one for New York. They tried it the last two games against Boston, and though it comes with weaknesses of its own, it seems like the best path to getting the Celtics out of their offensive rhythm.

If Jayson Tatum wants to spend a game isolating Brunson and Towns after getting them screened onto him, why not let him? Pushing him towards a bunch of contested mid-range fallaways and one-on-one drives against a surprisingly mobile seven-footer, even if it’s en route to 40 points, seems preferable to getting in a blender that leads to a bunch of open threes that the Celtics thrive on.

The Knicks will have to be extremely on point with their rotations and communication. One slip-up or drive-by and the Celtics machine gets churning, their positioning and passing baked in over two seasons together to the point of being nearly automatic.

When New York eventually does get to scrambling, they should prioritize running shooters off the arc, making Boston finish from the mid-range and around the rim. Even if they score efficiently, making them play more in the paint, more physically, and steering them away from their preferred opportunities could pay dividends later in the series.

The Knicks will need masterful individual defensive performances out of Anunoby and Bridges, who brought it against Cade Cunningham and will need to do the same against Tatum and Brown. Brunson and Towns have to be as sharp as ever as the weak points in the defense that Boston will attack.

But the biggest swing factor will likely be the accumulated smaller parts of the game. Half of the Celtics' game is letting you beat yourself. They don’t turn the ball over, they defend hard and do well on the defensive glass, and generate enough efficient looks that even a rough shooting night won’t take away too much from their point totals. 

The Knicks will need championship poise to counter this -- limited giveaways, domination on both sides of the glass, and a defensive focus on getting Boston away from their ideal looks. Put simply, it won’t take many of these unfocused, sloppy stretches we saw in the Detroit series to give this Boston team 20-point leads that New York would struggle to overcome. 

But the Knicks can beat this team. They have the talent, the toughness, and most importantly, Brunson.  

Unfortunately, the cracks that formed in the regular season seemed to have been exposed, if not worsened, in a first round that looked way too difficult for them. That doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence, so barring a major in-series leap from this Knicks team, we’re taking the Celtics in five games. 

DETROIT – This was a few minutes after Jalen Brunson hit his series-ending three-pointer on Thursday night. He’d finished his on-court network interview and was making his way to the visiting locker room.

Brunson stopped at the scorer’s table to shake hands with Clyde Frazier and Mike Breen. He shared a handshake and hug with Karl Towns Sr.

As Brunson stepped off the court, he ran into team president Leon Rose.

Rose put his arm tightly around Brunson while they walked toward a back hallway at Little Caesars Arena.

For the second straight spring, Brunson had willed the Knicks to a victory in an intense first-round series.

For the second straight spring, he ended that series with an embrace from Rose.

“He’s at his best when his best is needed,” Tom Thibodeau said late Thursday. “He’s done it all year. That’s what makes him special.”

What happened on Thursday was the latest in a growing list of unforgettable moments for Brunson.

He shook an all-world defender off of him and pulled up for a three with 5.4 seconds to play. If the shot was off, the Knicks may have been headed back to New York for a high-stakes Game 7 against a tough Pistons team.

A loss in that game would probably lead to major changes. But Brunson didn’t miss. His shot went through the net, shocking the crowd at Little Caesars Arena and sending the Knicks to the second round.

“He’s the Clutch Player of the Year in the NBA for a reason,” Karl-Anthony Towns said afterward.

It was yet another storybook Knicks moment for the Roses and the Brunsons.

Three years ago, Rose put his team presidency on the line when he cleared cap space to sign Brunson to a $104 million deal.

The ties between Rose and Brunson were deep. One of Rose’s first clients during his run as a powerhouse agent at CAA was Rick Brunson – Jalen’s dad. Rose has known Jalen for his entire life. Rose’s son, Sam Rose, is Jalen Brunson’s agent. Rick Brunson is a lead assistant on Thibodeau’s coaching staff. The Roses and Brunsons are practically family.

Because of those close connections, the Brunson signing was a make-or-break move for Rose. The Knicks were coming off a disappointing season.

If Brunson didn’t pay immediate dividends, it might have been CAA-ya later for Rose & Co.

Obviously, it hasn’t played out that way

Brunson, Rose, and Thibodeau have helped build the Knicks into a playoff contender.

They’ve also raised expectations in New York. Merely making the postseason is no longer acceptable. That’s why a loss to Detroit would have been a disaster.

Brunson helped them avoid that fate with several clutch plays in the series. The last one came late Thursday night, when he shook Ausar Thompson and knocked down a three to bury the Pistons. The shot put the Knicks in the second round for the third straight season. And it gave the Brunsons, the Roses – and Knicks fans everywhere – another unforgettable moment.

BATTLES ON AND OFF THE COURT

After watching this series, I think fans on both sides would sign up for another Knicks-Pistons matchup next spring. This series had tough shot-making, physical play, and late-game heroics. Both teams seemed to relish the physicality. There were skirmishes in all six games and there was gamesmanship off the court.

Pistons assistant coaches and Knicks assistant coaches didn’t speak to one another for most of the series. For a first-round series, it was high-stakes and intense. The Knicks entered the series with a "soft" label that had stuck to them for stretches of the regular season. They seemed to shed that label at Little Caesars Arena.

They won all three road games in a series for the first time in franchise history.

“We're a tough group,” Josh Hart said afterward. “Everyone likes to paint us as not, but we’re a tough, physical group. This was a physical series. It was a grueling series. And I think we showed our physicality, our toughness, but also our mental toughness…. During those adverse situations, we banded together.”

THIRD QUARTER ADJUSTMENT

After blowing halftime leads in multiple games against Detroit, the Knicks decided to try something new on Thursday. They got into layup lines during halftime warmups. The move was spearheaded by Mikal Bridges.

“I guess today, he (was) trying to get the game over. He (was) trying to go ahead and close the series out,” Cam Payne said of Bridges. “Before we walked out (of the locker room), he was like, 'I need everybody out there doing these layups.' But I respect it, I respect it. It got us going. We came out in the third and played well. It was big time, everybody listened to him.”

The Knicks built a 13-point lead with four minutes to play in the third quarter. Maybe we’ll see layup lines before the third quarter in Boston on Monday. Speaking of the Celtics, Bridges and OG Anunoby seem to be trending in the right direction as they enter the second round.

Both players were key in the Knicks’ series win over Detroit. Anunoby and Bridges took turns defending Cade Cunningham. Anunoby had 22 points on 6-for-14 shooting in Game 6. Bridges had 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including a dunk in transition over Cunningham and a key put-back off of a Brunson miss to tie the game with 36 seconds remaining.

“It was big-time. It just shows how much he wants to win the game,” Payne said of Bridges, his former Suns teammate. “I know the fourth win is the hardest win, and you gotta do things you don’t normally do. Big-time dunk from him, big-time putback left hand.

“He don’t even crash (the boards),” Payne added, jokingly. “But when the game (was) on the line, the series on the line, you gotta play your hardest, and he came out and made big plays for us.”

Something unexpected happened in the Clippers’ elimination game on Thursday night.

James Harden actually showed up.

In the Clippers’ 111-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Dome, Harden looked nothing like the player with a reputation for stinking up arenas at this stage of the season.

He was purposeful, he was sharp, and he scored 28 points in Game 6 to extend his team’s first-round playoff series to seven games.

“I know what needs to be done,” said Harden, who won his first elimination game since he played for the Houston Rockets in the NBA bubble in 2020.

Read more:James Harden and Kawhi Leonard power Clippers past Nuggets to force Game 7

Game 7 will be played on Saturday at Ball Arena in Denver.

The performance by Harden was a stark-contrast from his vanishing acts in the Clippers’ losses in Games 4 and 5.

He scored 15 points in Game 4 and just 11 in Game 5.

The Nuggets had the Joker. The Clippers had the Choker.

This looked like more of the same from Harden, who scored a combined 23 points and shot just 25% last year in Games 5 and 6 defeats by the Dallas Mavericks that resulted in the Clippers’ first-round exit.

However, coach Tyronn Lue said he was to blame for Harden’s lack of production, saying he was responsible for creating more space for Harden.

“I need to get you more involved,” Harden recalled being told by Lue on the team’s flight home after a Game 5 loss in Denver.

Lue’s solution: To designate more minutes to a smaller lineup that included Nicolas Batum. The Clippers started the second quarter with Harden, Batum, Kawhi Leonard, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Derrick Jones Jr.

“I wanted to get to the small lineup against their second unit,” Lue said. “I thought we were able to push the pace, get open shots, get to the paint, kind of spread ‘em out a little bit so they couldn’t just load up and try to take away driving lanes.

“Going to that and seeing how good it was just to kind of space the floor was really huge for us.”

Harden thrived in that second quarter, scoring 17 points.

“I thought he did a good job attacking one-on-one,” Lue said. “Our spacing was really good tonight. He was able to get to the paint, get to the basket.”

With the Nuggets mindful of Harden, openings were created for others. Norman Powell scored 11 points in the third quarter, during which they were ahead by as many as 15 points. Leonard scored nine of his 27 points in the same period.

Harden finished with a team-high eight assists.

“He’s been here before,” Leonard said of Harden. “Guys have games where they don’t play well during the season. It’s just another game, so I knew he was gonna be able to come back, or he was going to be aggressive and try to get to his spots.”

The Clippers now have a chance.

They have a chance to take down the Nuggets and advance. They have a chance to advance further than any team in franchise history.

That chance, however, is contingent on Harden continuing to play like this and not reverting to his customary postseason form.

Can his body hold up?

Harden played 47 minutes in Game 6, marking the third time in this series he played more than 40 minutes.

He is 35 years old.

“Tired,” Harden said. “Tired, a little bit.”

Does Harden have another 47 or 48 minutes in Denver?

“Have to, have to,” Harden said. “Whatever the team needs, 47, 48, overtime, whatever, I’ll be willing to do it.”

Lue didn’t think fatigue would be a problem for Harden.

Read more:Clippers search for answers against Nuggets in critical Game 6

“He wants to play every night,” Lue said. “He’s in great shape, trains for these moments. He wants to play.”

Harden averaged more than 35 minutes over 79 regular-season games, and he thinks the workload will prepare him for a Game 7 that will be played 5,280 feet above sea level.

“Prepares your body physically to be able to withstand and just being able to play both ends of the ball,” Harden said. “Your legs are tired, so you’ve been there before. For me, it’s just finding my spots.”

The simple objective could produce monumental changes in reputation — not only for Harden personally but for the Clippers as well.

Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Telling Brunson stat hints at blueprint for Celtics beating Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jalen Brunson is the head of the snake for the New York Knicks.

A two-time All-Star and the reigning NBA Clutch Player of the Year, Brunson led the Knicks in scoring (26.0 points per game) and assists (7.3 per game) this season while taking more than 20 percent of their shots. He poured in 31.5 points per game in New York’s first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, including the dagger 3-pointer in Game 6 on Thursday that punched the Knicks’ ticket to the second round.

JALEN BRUNSON FROM 3 TO WIN IT FOR THE KNICKS 🔥🔥🔥

KNICKS ARE ADVANCING TO EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIS!!!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/sGmjcWhNdj

— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2025

So naturally, the Celtics’ No. 1 priority in their Round 2 playoff matchup with the Knicks should be keeping Brunson in check.

Or so you’d think. But there’s some compelling evidence to the contrary.

Consider this: Brunson played 65 games this season and was held to 20 points or fewer in 17 of them. The Knicks went 14-3 in those games. When Brunson scored 21 or more, New York was a pedestrian 26-22. So, the fewer points Brunson scored, the better the Knicks’ were chances of winning.

Some context is required: A few of those 14 wins were blowouts in which Brunson rested down the stretch. But he played 30-plus minutes in 13 of his 17 games with 20 points or fewer, suggesting that this was a real pattern for the Knicks and their star player.

The Celtics should hardly be surprised, of course; Brunson scored at least 22 points in all four regular-season matchups vs. Boston and lost all four times. His “best” game against the C’s (36 points) came in New York’s most lopsided loss, a 131-104 Celtics rout on Feb. 8.

What Joe Mazzulla and Co. may have known — and what they’ll try to replicate in this series — is that an essential key to beating the Knicks is shutting down their role players.

Of the five Knicks outside Brunson who averaged 25 minutes or more per game this season, nearly all have the expected correlation of more points leading to more wins. For example, New York was 21-8 when OG Anunoby scored 21 points or more, and just 16-17 when he was held to 15 points or fewer.

The Knicks won 85 percent of their games (22-4) when Mikal Bridges contributed 21 or more points, and 73 percent of their games (8-3) when Miles McBride crossed the 15-point threshold.

While the correlation was less strong with Karl-Anthony Towns — 34-17 record when Towns scored 21 or more; 12-9 when he scored 20 or fewer — the Celtics got a first-hand look at how the Knicks big man can impact a game.

Two of Towns’ worst scoring performances of the season came in New York’s two biggest losses to Boston (nine points in the 27-point loss and 12 points in a 132-109 defeat on Opening Night), while Towns’ best effort against the C’s (34 points) came in the one game the Knicks kept close, an overtime loss on April 8.

The Celtics obviously can’t let Brunson run wild in this series; just ask the Pistons. But the bigger concern for Boston when the second-round matchup begins Monday at TD Garden should be preventing scoring outbursts from Brunson’s supporting cast.

With Game 6 against the Pistons tied and just under five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Knicks star Jalen Brunson drilled a three-pointer that lifted New York to victory.

Here's how the New York City back pages reacted...

Here's our @nydnsports back page. @nyknicks@nba@apse_sportmedia#jalenbrunsonhttps://t.co/5a7W6PgQi9pic.twitter.com/HbWoHVWV3v

— Back Page Guy NYDN (@BackPageGuyNYDN) May 2, 2025

The back page: LEGEND

Captain Clutch adds to his lore as Knicks survive Pistons war

Read more: https://t.co/bpqiXRRNVppic.twitter.com/nbcpfdyTUj

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 2, 2025

I’m gonna go get the papers, get the papers: back page edition. pic.twitter.com/CsHfPh6CwT

— Robert Shields (@rshields37) May 2, 2025

Gregg Popovich done coaching Spurs, will transition to team's front office originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s the end of a legendary era in San Antonio.

Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich will no longer be the head coach of the Spurs and is transitioning into the role as president of basketball operations, he and the team announced on Friday. The Spurs officially named assistant coach Mitch Johnson as their new head coach soon after.

Popovich, 76, has been with the Spurs since 1994 and served as head coach since the 1996-97 season. He is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with 1,422 regular season victories to go along with five NBA championships, three NBA Coach of the Year awards and a gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement released by the team. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November, and the team announced in February that he would not be returning to the sidelines the rest of the season. Johnson filled in as interim coach, guiding the Spurs to a 34-48 record and missing the playoffs.

Popovich spent nearly 35 years in all with the Spurs. He was an assistant coach from 1988-92 and returned to the team as its executive vice president for basketball operations and general manager in May 1994. He fired head coach Bob Hill in December 1996 and named himself head coach, holding the role until Friday’s announcement.

During the 2023 offseason, Popovich signed a five-year extension with the team to remain head coach and team president. That announcement came weeks after the team selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the NBA draft.

“Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said. “His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”

Johnson has been a Spurs assistant coach for the last six seasons after joining Popovich’s staff in 2019. He served as the Spurs’ acting head coach for the final 77 games of the 2024-25 season and was officially named Popovich’s successor.

“I am truly grateful and honored to receive this incredible opportunity,” said Johnson. “I am thankful for Coach Pop, RC (Buford), Brian (Wright) and Peter trusting me to carry on our culture and I promise to give this responsibility everything I have to make Spurs fans proud.”

The Spurs have young core featuring the NBA’s last two Rookie of the Year winners in Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. The team added point guard De’Aaron Fox in a February trade and enters the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with the eighth-best odds (6.0%) at landing the No. 1 pick and a chance to select Duke star Cooper Flagg.

Gregg Popovich done coaching Spurs, will transition to team's front office originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It’s the end of a legendary era in San Antonio.

Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich will no longer be the head coach of the Spurs and is transitioning into the role as president of basketball operations, he and the team announced on Friday. The Spurs officially named assistant coach Mitch Johnson as their new head coach soon after.

Popovich, 76, has been with the Spurs since 1994 and served as head coach since the 1996-97 season. He is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with 1,422 regular season victories to go along with five NBA championships, three NBA Coach of the Year awards and a gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement released by the team. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November, and the team announced in February that he would not be returning to the sidelines the rest of the season. Johnson filled in as interim coach, guiding the Spurs to a 34-48 record and missing the playoffs.

Popovich spent nearly 35 years in all with the Spurs. He was an assistant coach from 1988-92 and returned to the team as its executive vice president for basketball operations and general manager in May 1994. He fired head coach Bob Hill in December 1996 and named himself head coach, holding the role until Friday’s announcement.

During the 2023 offseason, Popovich signed a five-year extension with the team to remain head coach and team president. That announcement came weeks after the team selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the NBA draft.

“Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said. “His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”

Johnson has been a Spurs assistant coach for the last six seasons after joining Popovich’s staff in 2019. He served as the Spurs’ acting head coach for the final 77 games of the 2024-25 season and was officially named Popovich’s successor.

“I am truly grateful and honored to receive this incredible opportunity,” said Johnson. “I am thankful for Coach Pop, RC (Buford), Brian (Wright) and Peter trusting me to carry on our culture and I promise to give this responsibility everything I have to make Spurs fans proud.”

The Spurs have young core featuring the NBA’s last two Rookie of the Year winners in Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. The team added point guard De’Aaron Fox in a February trade and enters the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with the eighth-best odds (6.0%) at landing the No. 1 pick and a chance to select Duke star Cooper Flagg.

Warriors' Game 6 approach vs. Rockets simple: Feed Steph and Jimmy originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The subjects were Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III, and the question was directed to Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

How do you feel about possessions when Steph and Jimmy are both on the floor and neither one of them touches the ball?

Kerr did not skip a beat, his reply coming a fraction of a second after I closed my mouth.

“I’m not a big fan of that,” Kerr said Thursday afternoon.

As the Warriors prepare for Game 6 of their playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Friday night, this was Kerr’s message for everyone on the roster not named Curry or Butler: Feed them.

Give Curry another opportunity to prove his right thumb doesn’t fear the worst intentions of Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson. Give Butler chances to outsmart Houston defenders or send them to the bench with foul trouble.

In each of the first five games, three of which the Warriors won, there have been several possessions during which the ball never reaches the team’s primary offensive engines. With the Rockets effectively taming Draymond Green’s playmaking, the task falls to others, with Brandin Podziemski first in line.

Though Kerr trusts Podziemski, the coach does not want the team’s fate dictated by a postseason rookie. Not when he’s sharing the court with two of the most dynamic playoff performers in the NBA.

The second-year guard lacks Green’s devotion to giving Curry and Butler opportunities to make a play for themselves or a teammate. Podziemski continues to fight a tendency to overdribble, which eats into the shot clock and relegates Curry and Butler to spectators.

Podziemski has gotten better at recognizing this oversight but still lapses into possessions in which the ball stays with him and ends with him taking the shot.

Kerr is “not a big fan” of zero-pass possessions – unless it’s Curry dipping into his wizardry warehouse. That’s allowed because, well, there is a history of success. Butler’s pass-first mentality guides his decisions, so his forays into paint often represent his last, and maybe best, option to score. He has a gift for navigating his way to the foul line.

Everyone not named Curry or Butler is there to benefit from their presence. Golden State’s offense is designed with those two as the primary impact players. The offense in these playoffs will go as far as they take it.

“I prefer when each one touches the ball, or at least one of them,” Kerr said. “There were several possessions like that. And it’s something that we’ve talked about all season. We have to play off Steph because of the attention he draws. And then once we got Jimmy, that became a part of the mantra as well. Get the ball to Jimmy.

“So, we’ll do a better job of that (Friday) night.”

Though Golden State’s defense is its surest path to winning Game 6 and advancing to the Western Conference semifinals, the offense must find ways to produce against a very good defense making smart use of zones. That, Kerr said, was part of the conversation during the team’s Friday afternoon walk-through.

It’s reasonable to expect more sets designed to give Draymond more opportunities with the ball. To exploit his chemistry with Curry. Or to get the ball to Butler and give him room to maneuver.

“We can definitely get Draymond into spots to help his playmaking,” Kerr said. “And it’s something that we’ve talked a lot about. We’ve walked through a couple things today to get him in spots where he can create a little bit like he normally does. We’ve got to do a better job of it.”

More Draymond with the ball – and less Podz – is a reasonable approach, particularly since Podziemski’s scoring has been more rewarding than his decision-making in this series.

Both teams have made game-by-game adjustments, but it’s imperative that the Warriors find some semblance of offensive flow. The Rockets, long and athletic, have made it difficult. The Warriors are averaging 24 assists per game, well below their regular-season average of 29.1.

The priorities are clear for the Warriors, who are desperate to avoid the danger that would come with making another trip to Houston for Game 7. Limit their live-ball turnovers, keep the Rockets’ offense in the halfcourt as much as possible and make an early statement against an opponent that thrives when generating momentum.

And, yes, remember the importance of riding the offensive production – scoring and playmaking – of Curry and Butler.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Celtics' looming roster changes shouldn't distract from Banner 19 quest originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Can we all just enjoy the ride?

The Boston Celtics are fast approaching a roster reckoning that we all knew was coming. But for the next seven weeks, our entire focus should be on the quest for a second title, and not the second apron.

Change was inevitable. The Celtics’ roster is prohibitively expensive and the punitive measures placed on big spenders under a new collective bargaining agreement will soon force Boston to trim costs in order to remain competitive long term.

But there is no sense worrying about those changes now. We couldn’t help feeling like Ferris Bueller after consternation about Boston’s future cropped up on Thursday with the Celtics still in the afterglow of a Round 1 victory over the Magic.

The NBA moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Things almost will certainly look different in July — although we’d quietly remind you that if Boston keeps winning titles, we suspect every effort will be made to keep as much of this core in place (even if Bill Chisholm and his new ownership group will be forced to spend big money in the short term to do so). Getting below the second apron will be a priority sooner than later, and key pieces of this roster invariably will be moved to keep the Celtics in position to compete long term.

But the roster looks the same right now. A Boston team that steamrolled the competition en route to Banner 18 last spring remains well positioned to make a run at being the first Celtics team in more than a half century to win consecutive titles. 

The focus right now should be on a Round 2 matchup with the Knicks. And not the nickels and dimes of the 2025-26 roster.

From the moment the Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday, we knew there would be a narrow window with this core. Brad Stevens handed out $1 billion in extensions in little more than a year’s span to secure all of Boston’s assets, but everyone knew the team eventually would have to make tough decisions on which pieces would comprise its long-term core. 

Jayson Tatum’s maximum-salary contract extensions kicks in next summer and the Celtics have $228 million worth of salaries on the books before addressing the futures of free-agents-to-be Al Horford and Luke Kornet. Boston is already $20 million above next year’s projected second apron.

Derrick White would be Boston’s cheapest member of the projected starting five next season, earning $28.1 million. Tatum and Jaylen Brown will combine to earn $107.2 million in a league with a projected salary cap at $154.6 million next season. It’s fair to question if Boston can carry championship luxuries like Holiday long-term when he’ll earn $32.4 million in the second season of a four-year, $134.4 million extension. 

Sam Hauser’s four-year, $45 million extension kicks in next season, too. Can the Celtics afford that splurge, or would it make more sense to throw the keys of that role to a rookie-contract player like Baylor Scheierman? Payton Pritchard’s $7.2 million salary for next season is one of the best values in the NBA; could he elevate to a starter role if the team elects to move on from a member of its starting five?

Inside Pritchard’s rise with Celtics and the trade that never happened

The Celtics have multiple pathways to get below the tax. They must examine all options and identify the deals that can help both shed salary and bring back players who will take some of the sting away from losing core pieces. 

But there will be ample time to examine the team’s options in late June/early July. Invariably, it’s going to sting to see the Celtics move pieces from this title core. That doesn’t mean Boston won’t still be in the title mix; it’s just going to look a little different.

But we’ll say it again: It’s not different now. This Celtics team, with only minor tweaks from a season ago, has a chance to be the first NBA squad in nearly a decade to repeat as champs.

Joe Mazzulla routinely implores his players to stay in the moment. We ought to do the same. Savor this playoff journey rather than fret what comes after it.

Popovich ends legendary Spurs coaching career after 29 seasons originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s the end of a legendary era in San Antonio.

Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich will no longer be the head coach of the Spurs and is transitioning into the role as president of basketball operations, he and the team announced on Friday. The Spurs officially named assistant coach Mitch Johnson as their new head coach soon after.

Popovich, 76, has been with the Spurs since 1994 and served as head coach since the 1996-97 season. He is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with 1,422 regular season victories to go along with five NBA championships, three NBA Coach of the Year awards and a gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement released by the team. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November, and the team announced in February that he would not be returning to the sidelines the rest of the season. Johnson filled in as interim coach, guiding the Spurs to a 34-48 record and missing the playoffs.

Popovich spent nearly 35 years in all with the Spurs. He was an assistant coach from 1988-92 and returned to the team as its executive vice president for basketball operations and general manager in May 1994. He fired head coach Bob Hill in December 1996 and named himself head coach, holding the role until Friday’s announcement.

During the 2023 offseason, Popovich signed a five-year extension with the team to remain head coach and team president. That announcement came weeks after the team selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the NBA draft.

“Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said. “His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”

Johnson has been a Spurs assistant coach for the last six seasons after joining Popovich’s staff in 2019. He served as the Spurs’ acting head coach for the final 77 games of the 2024-25 season and was officially named Popovich’s successor.

“I am truly grateful and honored to receive this incredible opportunity,” said Johnson. “I am thankful for Coach Pop, RC (Buford), Brian (Wright) and Peter trusting me to carry on our culture and I promise to give this responsibility everything I have to make Spurs fans proud.”

The Spurs have young core featuring the NBA’s last two Rookie of the Year winners in Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. The team added point guard De’Aaron Fox in a February trade and enters the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with the eighth-best odds (6.0%) at landing the No. 1 pick and a chance to select Duke star Cooper Flagg.

Gregg Popovich done coaching Spurs, will transition to team's front office originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s the end of a legendary era in San Antonio.

Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich will no longer be the head coach of the Spurs and is transitioning into the role as president of basketball operations, he and the team announced on Friday. The Spurs officially named assistant coach Mitch Johnson as their new head coach soon after.

Popovich, 76, has been with the Spurs since 1994 and served as head coach since the 1996-97 season. He is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with 1,422 regular season victories to go along with five NBA championships, three NBA Coach of the Year awards and a gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement released by the team. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November, and the team announced in February that he would not be returning to the sidelines the rest of the season. Johnson filled in as interim coach, guiding the Spurs to a 34-48 record and missing the playoffs.

Popovich spent nearly 35 years in all with the Spurs. He was an assistant coach from 1988-92 and returned to the team as its executive vice president for basketball operations and general manager in May 1994. He fired head coach Bob Hill in December 1996 and named himself head coach, holding the role until Friday’s announcement.

During the 2023 offseason, Popovich signed a five-year extension with the team to remain head coach and team president. That announcement came weeks after the team selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the NBA draft.

“Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said. “His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”

Johnson has been a Spurs assistant coach for the last six seasons after joining Popovich’s staff in 2019. He served as the Spurs’ acting head coach for the final 77 games of the 2024-25 season and was officially named Popovich’s successor.

“I am truly grateful and honored to receive this incredible opportunity,” said Johnson. “I am thankful for Coach Pop, RC (Buford), Brian (Wright) and Peter trusting me to carry on our culture and I promise to give this responsibility everything I have to make Spurs fans proud.”

The Spurs have young core featuring the NBA’s last two Rookie of the Year winners in Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. The team added point guard De’Aaron Fox in a February trade and enters the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with the eighth-best odds (6.0%) at landing the No. 1 pick and a chance to select Duke star Cooper Flagg.

When the story of Game 6 from this season's Knicks-Pistons playoff series is told, Jalen Brunson's game-winning three will be front and center, and for good reason. The NBA's Clutch Player of the Year lived up to his moniker by sealing the series and helping New York advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

But that shot was just the final chapter. The journey to getting to that instant-classic moment was paved by the play of Brunson's teammates, especially Mikal Bridges.

Bridges, who has become much-maligned among a vocal portion of Knicks fans, had his best game of the series on Thursday night. He scored 25 points -- second to Brunson's 40 -- on 69 percent shooting while coming down with four rebounds, dishing three assists and adding a block to his statline. He was a huge reason the Knicks clinched the series on Thursday, and Brunson made sure to acknowledge him.

"I stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure that my teammates give me. I wouldn’t be in that position without the play of the man next to me, the way he played tonight," Brunson said of his shot, seated at the podium next to Bridges after the game. "Everyone’s going to say a lot about the last shot, but throughout the game, the ups and downs of it, and the way he played tonight, I give a lot of credit to my teammates. None of this happens without them."

While Brunson was going off for 15 points in the first quarter, Bridges was right there with his eight. Bridges scored four to match Brunson's five in the second, and then 11 points in the third to Brunson's 10.

That scoring from both, and the team as a whole, was thanks to an aggressive approach of getting to the rim, and playing uptempo to not allow this physical Pistons team to get set in their defense.

"Just being aggressvie. Us playing fast, knowing the weapons we have, just trying to be aggressive," Bridges said. "They tried to take them away and we have to punish them sometimes when they deny [Brunson] and let other guys play. Just trying to play the right way and try to win."

The final quarter saw the Knicks blow a 12-point lead and get down by as much as seven with less than three minutes to go. Bridges wasn't involved in the offense much, taking just one shot, but it was the second-biggest of the game.

New York had just cut the Pistons' lead to two when Karl-Anthony Towns was fouled with 1:19 remaining. The big man missed the second of his free throws and Detroit had just put the lead back up to two with 50 seconds remaining, and the Knicks had the ball. Brunson drove to the bucket and attempted a fadeaway, but missed. Bridges crashed the board and tipped the ball in while falling out of bounds to tie the game at 113 apiece.

That would eventually set up Brunson's game-winner.

"Everyone out there contributed at the end of the game. Huge shout-out to Kal. The shot wasn’t falling in this series but he was doing everything else," Josh Hart said. "He was guarding and his defense was amazing in this series. With 30 seconds left had one of the biggest plays with that effort tip-in. JB's shot was huge, but big credit to him for keeping it up and keeping mentally strong and playing his game."

"Big time. He got a left-hand dunk. I don't think anyone in New York thought he was going to pull that off," Towns said of Bridges' play. "Shoutout to him, man. We all found a way to help our team win... a great job from all of us in this locker room, executing, staying disciplined, staying emotionally involved in this game. With so many ups and downs, anyone in this locker room could have let go of the rope, but that's not how we're built."

"The putback, just trying to find a way to win. Just being there," Bridges said. "My coaches been on me all year, all playoffs to rebound. Just try to do my best.

"I love my teammates. Try to go out there and make a play. I play for them."