Category: Sports News

Winter is over, though perhaps most NBA fans feel as if it’s just beginning. After a midseason slump, the Oklahoma City Thunder have won 12 of their last 13 games They’re clinging to a slim but steady three-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs atop the otherwise chaotic Western Conference. (The Lakers are good now? The Nuggets can’t find their footing? The Rockets can’t even stand up?) The Thunder’s flirtation with vulnerability was fun, but the defending champions look as invincible now as they did during their 24-1 run to begin the season. So, now as then, with nothing to criticize in the Thunder’s basketball, we are compelled to discuss their character and vibes.

Reviews are usually poor. I myself celebrated the Spurs when they recorded a hat-trick of wins over the Thunder in December, simply for injecting intrigue into a season that already seemed decided. The Defector podcast Nothing But Respect recently featured a series of anti-Thunder guests; after discussing the idea that artists don’t like OKC with musician Will Anderson, a host announced, “next week, we will have a real, actual Thunder expert to defend his team’s values”. Most of the comments on that episode seemed unconvinced by Ringer staff writer Tyler Parker’s arguments.

Nitpicking a player or team who has pulled away from the pack is one of sports’ greatest pleasures. But, at the risk of antagonizing fellow artists, I have caught myself feeling endeared by members of the Thunder lately.

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It started with their star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He is a somewhat mechanically brilliant player, deadly in the count-on-it consistency of his midrange jumper. But this season, he has added a step-back three-pointer to his arsenal, with which he produces more viscerally awesome moments than ever before. In a neck-and-neck game on 9 March against the Nuggets, whose Nikola Jokić is arguably the only player in the world better than Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP hit one such three with 14 seconds left to seemingly ice the game. His teammate Jaylin Williams committed a foolish foul as Jokić answered with a three of his own, letting the Nuggets tie the game. In one universe, that play would make its way into basketball fail compilations, the beginning of a Thunder choke. In this universe, Gilgeous-Alexander simply drained one more three-pointer and put the game to bed for real.

A reporter later asked Gilgeous-Alexander if he knew what he was going to do before shooting those marvelous three-pointers. “I have answers to the test, I just have to see the questions first,” he responded.

As Harry Krinsky pointed out on Nothing But Respect, Gilgeous-Alexander has an unfortunate habit of talking in Instagram captions. Still, some transparent aura-farming after authoring one of the brightest highlights of the season is hardly unrelatable. (I regret to say that if in the same situation, the words “in the zone” probably would have passed through my lips.) Another of Gilgeous-Alexander’s most salient personality traits is his love for fashion; he has arrived for games wearing a mustard-colored leather suit and, more recently, a fur coat encircling his head. And Gilgeous-Alexander is hardly the only goofball on the Thunder. OKC frequently do their on-court interviews in groups, as if any given player needs a buddy at all times.

This is, undeniably, quite cringeworthy. And yet it feels something like refreshing for male athletes to bear their authentic selves and show a truth that is merely awkward and not ugly.

Next to Bryce Harper doing a military salute after hitting a home run at the World Baseball Classic, against Venezuela, clothes are a lovely discussion topic. The Thunder recently declined a visit to the White House – not in the strongest terms, citing a “timing issue”, but they did decline it, unlike the US men’s hockey team. (They also didn’t laugh at a quip about their female counterparts on a call with the president.)

Related: The Celtics’ orca-loving Joe Mazzulla is an NBA oddball. He’s also a masterful coach

And it’s not like no other top NBA teams grate. The Boston Celtics are the best story in the league right now, but do not let the romance of Jayson Tatum’s comeback make you forget that, at their best, the Celtics make an agonizing parody of analytics in how much they rely on the three-pointer. Jokić has made a habit lately of lying atop opposing players and squashing them to the ground. Victor Wembanyama can be a little too sanctimonious in his rose-tinted view of how the Spurs play basketball. The Detroit Pistons play defense as physically as the Thunder, or any other team in the league. The Lakers are the Lakers.

So it’s hardly the worst thing in the world that the best basketball team is a little bland and corny off the court and a little bloodless on it. There are things to admire, too. Gilgeous-Alexander gifted his teammates Rolex watches after winning MVP last year. The fuel for the Thunder’s vaunted defense is little more than trying incredibly hard, amusingly seen recently when Alex Caruso tried to block a shot with his shoe. (Refs rewarded his creativity with a tech. Cowards.) It is a nice thought that with such common currency as authenticity and effort, the rest of us could excel similarly. Oklahoma City’s quirks will continue to feed animosity for as long as they remain great, but when winter comes for them in earnest, I bet they’ll feel the warmth of more fans.

CLEVELAND — For the first time in five games, the Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t bailed out by their offense as they fell to the Miami Heat 120-103.

“If you want to win in the league, you have to commit to defense,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. “Point blank, you’re not going to win in the playoffs if you can’t defend. … You need that mentality first. Personnel definitely contributes to that. And schemes are a third.”

Right now, the Cavs are missing parts of all three of those ingredients, leading to another poor defensive performance.

Let’s break those elements down in the order Spoelstra laid out.

The defensive mentality just isn’t there for the Cavs. Good defenses aren’t just sometimes making the correct rotations; they do so every time to the point that there’s a sadistic joy in how they’re able to constantly beat their opponent to the spot they want to be, no matter how much effort it takes.

That just isn’t a priority for the Cavs right now. They’ll have a possession where there’s some extra effort, or an individual player might be hustling, but all five guys aren’t on a string like they need to be great.

You can hide bad defensive players. You just can’t hide ones that aren’t competing on that end. The Cavs have too many guys that fall into that latter bucket to be effective right now.

Second, the Cavs don’t have the personnel to be a dominant defense without Jarrett Allen (knee) and Dean Wade (ankle). There isn’t enough resistance at the point of attack to be good. That’s what happens when you have Donovan Mitchell and James Harden in your starting backcourt.

That issue is exaggerated by the lack of wing defense as well. Wade is a good defender, but his injury history and inconsistent offense make it difficult to fully trust him in the playoffs. And there aren’t many good options outside of that. Neither Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson, nor Keon Ellis has the size to handle bigger threes. That, inherently, limits how effective they can be at the point of attack when they’re guarding up a position.

The entire foundation of this defense is based on the idea that Evan Mobley and Allen can clean everything up. They’ve shown they can do so with the Darius Garland and Mitchell backcourt — they just haven’t been on the floor long enough to prove they can with this iteration.

Lastly, the scheme just doesn’t make sense.

The Cavs are overcompensating for their poor point-of-attack defense by collapsing too much into the paint on drives. They’re doing so even when the primary defender is in a good guarding position. This unnecessary help allows for clean three-point looks that are just an easy pass away.

Here are nine examples of the Cavs giving up clean three-point looks because of overhelping.

To the Cavs credit, they did prevent shots at the rim. Miami was in the 11th percentile for shot attempts in the restricted area. However, that isn’t helpful when that comes at the cost of giving up this many open threes.

There’s sound logic to wanting to lock down the paint. However, when it’s taken too far — and the execution falls short — it can lead to disastrous results.

“It’d be great if we sat here and said, ‘Yeah, we have no flaws,’ but no team has no flaws,” Donovan Mitchell said postgame.

It isn’t difficult to figure out that defense is this team’s major issue. However, he’s also right to point out that every team has weaknesses — including the top championship contenders. The teams that are best at hiding their shortcomings are the ones that will separate themselves in what is a wide-open playoff field.

The question is whether the Cavs can mask this issue in a way that isn’t just as simple as scoring 125 points on the other end. That’s what they’re going to be using the last nine games to figure out.

“That’s going to be our entire focus, how can we get to the level defensively that we’ve shown at times this year?” Sam Merrill said.

Despite what NBA coaches say, offense is more important in the postseason.

Coaches never have to get their team to try offensively, but that’s a common issue on the other end. That lends to this being a consistent point of emphasis. At the same time, it’s also fair to wonder how much the defense is going to limit their playoff ceiling, given how elite the offense has been — this game notwithstanding.

The Cavs have been fourth in offensive rating since Harden’s debut. They’ve done so with a much more diverse offensive profile than last year’s team, which isn’t solely built around the three-ball. This version of the Cavs has been elite at generating cleaner looks at all three levels and getting to the line in a way last year’s team wasn’t.

It’s also worth pointing out that defenses typically get better in the playoffs. The amount of game planning you can do, combined with the increased physicality, naturally lends itself to better defensive play. Offense is what truly separates teams, and what has led to the Cavs’ downfall in their last three playoff runs. And they still will have two elite rim protectors in Allen and Mobley to help mitigate some of the issues we’re seeing.

Even though the on-court product hasn’t been great, the Cavs are confident that they can turn things around before the games really start to matter.

“I have no doubt that everyone in this locker room is ready,” Mitchell said of the playoffs. “We have some things that we can clean up and fix. We have time to fix it, and we’re going to continue to build upon that. … We have a group that’s ready, that’s hungry, and I think we’ll be ready to go.”

The men's NCAA Tournament resumes Thursday with the first half of the round of 16 in action.

The teams assigned to the West and South Regionals take the stage first. An accomplished quartet will be on display in San Jose, where three power conference tournament champions along with one of the last teams to squeeze into the at-large pool hope to continue their winning ways. In Houston, the home-town Cougars must outlast three more representatives of the Big Ten in their quest to make it back to the Final Four.

Here’s everything you need to know about the matchups, including TV channels and tip times.

No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 11 Texas

Time/TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS

The Boilermakers were expected to be here at the start of the campaign, though they hit a slump during the Big Ten schedule that had some observers wondering if their lofty preseason ranking was misplaced. The conference tournament seems to have flipped a switch for them, but the Longhorns have also unlocked something after a break-even SEC run. Purdue’s triumvirate of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn, who’ve been playing together for multiple years, gives the team something of an old-school vibe. Matt Painter has made use of the portal as well, of course, adding a post presence in the person of Oscar Cluff. He’ll be needed to keep Texas big man Matas Vokietaitis at bay. Longhorns guard Tramon Mark has hit his share of big shots in his collegiate career, but the alpha dog for this group is Dailyn Swain, the team leader in points, assists, rebounds and steals.

No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Iowa

Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV

This might not have been the encounter between conference opponents we expected in the Big Dance, but there’s no disputing the Cornhuskers and Hawkeyes won their way here. The rivals from neighboring states actually met twice during the regular season, each winning on its own home court in close fashion. Nebraska gets much of its production from versatile forwards Pryce Sandfort and Rienk Mast, who can score from any level. But much of their work is facilitated by point guard Sam Hoiberg, who also battles his way to 5.3 rebounds a game despite often being the smallest guy on the court. The good news for Iowa is the team managed to survive a rare bad shooting game from Bennett Stirtz. His slump likely won’t continue, but Taveon Banks and Alvaro Folgueiras can help.

BOLD PREDICTIONS: Forecasting how the Sweet 16 will shake out

FIRST-TIMERS: Ranking the 10 Sweet 16 teams that haven't won a national title

No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 4 Arkansas

Time/TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, CBS

This heavyweight bout between the champions of the Big 12 and SEC should probably not be happening in the round of 16, but relitigating committee business is moot at this juncture. What is not pointless is noting the high magnitude of star power that will be on display in the San Jose nightcap. The brightest in the constellation is Razorbacks’ do-everything lead guard Darius Acuff Jr. Members of his supporting cast like Meleek Thomas and Trevon Brazile have done their share to contribute to Arkansas’s journey to this point, but expect the ball to be in Acuff’s hands when the game is on the line. The Wildcats are aware of that, of course, and they have no shortage of options themselves for offense and defense. Freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat are often the finishers, but the veteran presence of Jaden Bradley makes the entire operation run smoothly. But Arizona’s biggest advantage might be on the glass, where the Wildcats average a double-digit rebound margin and the Razorbacks can struggle at times.

No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Illinois

Time/TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV

The Fighting Illini have certainly played in their share of road environments, which this almost certainly will be even if it isn’t the Cougars’ actual arena. What is more concerning for Illinois faithful, however, is how the team handled late-game situations over the last month of the campaign – or rather didn’t handle them. The Illini have avoided that issue thus far in the Big Dance by winning comfortably, but that isn’t likely to be the case against the well-drilled Cougars. Houston has a solid mix of veterans from last year’s national runner-up squad like Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler, joined by high-impact recruits Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac. Illinois has its own standout freshman in Keaton Wagler. Perhaps even more important, the Illini’s big front line featuring David Mirkovic and the brothers Ivisic, Tomislav and Zvonimir, are capable of generating second chances, which will likely be needed against the Cougars’ pressure defense.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness games today: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 schedule

The men's NCAA basketball tournament now enters its second week. Even though the teams remaining still have to win four more games to claim a coveted national championship, this is the part of the tournament at which teams and their fans can realistically envision the possibility that it really can happen. That is the case even for programs that have never managed to get over the hump.

Ten of the 16 teams still alive in the Big Dance are seeking that elusive first title, but several others haven’t raised a banner since the turn of the millennium.

Here’s a cursory ranking of the eight matchups on tap this week in the Sweet 16.

1. Connecticut vs. Michigan State

Time/TV: Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET

This is the only matchup left in the field featuring coaches with national titles, though it’s been considerably longer since Michigan State and Tom Izzo hoisted the trophy in 2000. Dan Hurley and the Huskies will be seeking their third crown in four years.

2. Arizona vs. Arkansas

Time/TV: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET

This is arguably the game with the most next-level talent on display. The Wildcats have several likely future pros, but the Razorbacks’ Darius Acuff is often the best player on the floor.

3. Duke vs. St. John’s

Time/TV: Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET

These big-name programs with plenty of history also happened to be among the hottest teams in the country entering March Madness. This contest should in truth be happening in a later round, as the Red Storm were curiously given a No. 5 seed despite winning the Big East championship, and the committee by extension did the Blue Devils, ostensibly the top overall seed, no favors with this difficult region.

4. Houston vs. Illinois

Time/TV: Thursday, 10:05 p.m. ET

These two programs have been on the doorstep of claiming the title but have yet to do so. The Cougars, agonizingly close a year ago, hope to make the most of this opportunity in their home city, but the Fighting Illini are capable of matching shots with them.

5. Michigan vs. Alabama

Time/TV: Friday, 7:35 p.m. ET

This would be a compelling matchup on the gridiron as well, but both these schools have also won their share of basketball games in recent years. The Wolverines topped the polls for a large chunk of the season, but the high-octane Crimson Tide are capable of upending anyone if their 3-point shots fall.

6. Nebraska vs. Iowa

Time/TV: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET

There’s a curiosity factor for this one to be sure, as the Cornhuskers have never reached this round of the tournament and it has been a very long time for the Hawkeyes. It’s actually their third meeting of the season, with each winning at home during Big Ten competition, but obviously the stakes are elevated for this one.

7. Purdue vs. Texas

Time/TV: Thursday, 7:10 p.m. ET

There is mismatch potential for this one, as the red-hot Boilermakers hope to keep riding the momentum from their Big Ten tournament title. The Longhorns are the lowest remaining seed left in the field but have clicked since their First Four victory.

8. Iowa State vs. Tennessee

Time/TV: Friday, 10:10 p.m. ET

This might be the least appealing contest of the round in terms of historical pedigree, but there are plenty of subplots to monitor even if you don’t know much about these programs. The Volunteers are in the Sweet 16 for a third consecutive year but still seek a first Final Four appearance, while the Cyclones hope to take another step after last season’s run was cut short by tough injury luck.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness Sweet 16 games ranked from best to worst

Mark Pope whistled past the graveyard this week. He probably thought it sounded like a hopeful tune, but my ears detected more of sob story, set to a sad trombone.

Pope compared himself to John Calipari on his radio show, and he thought the comparison made him sound good. Say what?

In a four-minute monologue, Pope explained how, in his mind, his two seasons as Kentucky men's basketball coach deserve a little more love than Big Blue Nation is offering. Keep in mind, his Wildcats just got trounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“This is what’s going to shock you," Pope said. "If you take the four years before we got here and compare them to the two years since we’ve been here, we actually have a higher winning percentage in the last two than we did in the four preceding (years, under Calipari) — barely, but a higher winning percentage.”

Whew, buddy, where to begin.

Mark Pope: 'Do the math.' OK, let's do it

Let’s start here: Winning percentage, are you kidding me? Pope should know Kentucky doesn’t hang banners for a .639 winning percentage. That winning percentage will get him a buyout check from Kentucky, not applause.

The next time Pope wants to compare himself to Calipari, stop. Just stop. Big Blue Nation wanted Calipari gone at the end of his tenure. Pope admitting he’s "barely" performed better than the end of Calipari’s reign is not the compliment Pope thinks it is — especially, when you consider Pope has delivered none of the success Calipari previously supplied, before Cal fizzled and flopped in March his final few years.

Calipari has six Final Fours (four at Kentucky) and a national championship. Pope has three tournament wins. He’s never won a Sweet 16 game or an SEC title. End of comparison.

Oh, one more thing: Calipari’s current Arkansas team won the SEC tournament, and he’s strutting like a rejuvenated mafioso into the Sweet 16, while Pope uncorks excuses, cites his winning percentage, and comes armed with strength of schedule metrics to an offseason radio show.

Coach rankings: We rank the coaches at the Sweet 16. See where John Calipari ranks

UNC coaching search: Who will replace Hubert Davis? Expect big names linked

“Go do the math yourself,” Pope said, in defense of his record.

Yes, because if there’s one thing that’ll fire up a ravenous fan base, it’s whipping out a calculator and celebrating .639.

Calipari’s winning percentage his final four seasons: .635.

Well, glory be, I detect a whisker of progress!

Except, then you consider Calipari’s winning percentage his final three seasons was .703. I guess we’re not supposed to do that math.

To Pope’s credit, his Wildcats avoided the gut-punching first-round losses Calipari suffered to Saint Peter’s in 2022 and Oakland in 2024. That’s where the credit ends. Otega Oweh's banked-in 40-footer kept Pope's second season from ending with a first-round loss to 10-seed Santa Clara. Then, Iowa State busted out the whoopin' stick.

While we’re talking numbers, here are a few more: Calipari won 29 games his second season at Kentucky and went to a Final Four. He won 38 games his third season and delivered a national title.

That’s the bar. That’s the standard. That gets you a banner and praise. Not .639.

“We haven’t met our goals, clearly,” Pope said, “but we are making progress.

“We know where we need to go.”

So do I. To the Final Four, next season, or start packing.

Big Blue Nation doesn’t want to solve math problems. It cares about one number: One.

As in, it expects to be No. 1.

That’s what the Kentucky job demands. Same as North Carolina.

North Carolina firing Hubert Davis gives a warning to Mark Pope

If Pope needed a hint as to what .639 will get him, check out Hubert Davis. He’s unemployed today. Despite being a well-respected alumnus, like Pope is at UK, Davis failed to meet UNC’s blue-blooded standard for unflinching excellence, no matter the circumstances.

Davis’ winning percentage in five seasons at North Carolina: .698.

His winning percentage this season: .727.

A lot better than .639.

Fired anyway.

Numbers that come after a decimal point don’t matter at blue bloods nearly as much as banners do.

Iowa State smashed Kentucky, as Cyclones dealt with an injury

Pope, during his monologue, explained injuries affected his team the past two seasons. Kentucky’s savvy fans didn’t need Pope to repeatedly remind them of those injuries, but it’s true his Wildcats dealt with “some misfortune,” as Pope put it.

An injury didn’t keep Iowa State from steamrolling Kentucky in the second round. While prolific scorer Joshua Jefferson sat out with an ankle injury, the Cyclones nonetheless made a mockery of the Wildcats after halftime, in an 82-63 rout.

Know who else got bit by the injury big? North Carolina.

The Tar Heels weren’t the same after losing leading scorer Caleb Wilson to injury in early March. That injury to a superstar didn’t keep Davis off the firing line when the Tar Heels lost in the first round.

Davis took UNC to the national championship game his first season and to a Sweet 16 two years ago, but North Carolina decided he wasn’t an elite coach. So, it became time for him to go, so the Tar Heels can try again to hire a coach who'll hang a string of banners.

Let UNC’s firing of Davis be a warning to Pope: Win, or walk.

Mark Pope will get new boss soon

Kentucky is in the process of hiring an athletic director. The last AD retired, after hiring Pope and stroking a $38 million buyout to football coach Mark Stoops. Among the tasks for Mitch Barnhart’s successor: Make Kentucky basketball great again.

Kentucky came miles short of greatness the past two seasons. By Pope’s own admission, Kentucky fared “barely” better than Calipari’s last four seasons.

If you had to describe Kentucky in a single word under Pope, opt for a number instead.

.639.

Too bad for Pope this job demands banners, not calculators.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mark Pope comparison to John Calipari at Kentucky is bad look

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown baited a foul on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, using the reigning league MVP’s signature move to get to the line with under eight minutes in the fourth quarter. It worked — and Brown cracked a smile on his way to the stripe. He called it “payback.”

“He got me last time we played them,” Brown said following Boston’s 119-109 win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. “He got me on the upfake, and I knew it was coming, and I still jumped forward. So, I guess that was a little payback.”

It wasn’t until 8:21 in the third that Brown attempted his first free throw of the night. More than four minutes later, Gilgeous-Alexander attempted his first before finishing with 12 total — two shy of Brown’s 14. The much-anticipated potential NBA Finals preview between the Celtics and Thunder didn’t end with anyone in Boston’s locker room looking back with regret or disdain for the officiating.

When it was only a matter of seconds until Boston officially ended Oklahoma City’s 12-game winning streak and split the season series, Brown looked toward the TD Garden crowd. With both arms raised in, he urged Celtics fans to rise to their feet. The Celtics had avoided falling victim to Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-merchant ways — and instead, it was Brown who had beaten last season’s Western Conference leader in free-throw attempts (8.8) at his own game.

That took time — a career-high 11 technical fouls, one ejection, and one $35,000 fine in January.

“I feel like I play the same style, but maybe complaining is giving more notoriety to how the game is officiated, and I feel like I’ve gotten more calls,” Brown said. “I thought the officials did a good job tonight. Every call is not gonna be perfect, but I thought they did a great job of trying to keep it balanced or keep it the same both ways. So I didn’t have no complaints.”

Brown added: “If they’re gonna get those calls, as long as we get them too, then I feel decent about it.”

Two weeks ago in Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander baited Brown with the same move. Just over eight minutes into their matchup on March 12, Brown fell for the upfake and fouled Gilgeous-Alexander.

Knowing he messed up, Brown could only grin in frustration with himself.

So with the Celtics struggling to break out against the top-seeded teams in the West, having gone 1-8 against the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Rockets before Wednesday night, Brown knew it was time to flip the script. Boston had just lost to an Anthony Edwards-less Minnesota team to begin the week, so it was time to reassess and establish a game plan once Oklahoma City arrived.

“That was a well-needed win,” Brown admitted. “I really wanted that win — we needed that as well. We know we can play anybody, but when you get a win on your home floor against the team that has the best record in the league, it feels good — especially after dropping the game I feel like we should’ve won against Minnesota, so (it was) very encouraging and it’s a step to build in the right direction.”

Brown finished with 31 points, combining for 50 with Tatum.

Boston outclassed Oklahoma City in second-chance points, rebounds (43-35), assists (25-17), and 3-point shooting (44% to 32%) — all without Nikola Vučević, still sidelined with a finger fracture since March 6. While Coach Mark Daigneault fielded a full-strength Thunder team, Coach Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics logged their most impressive victory of the season without their newly acquired trade-deadline star.

“This team has just been awesome all year,” Brown said. “It’s been a very fun season.”

Brown’s latest 30-point performance increased his Eastern Conference lead to 33 this season. To Tatum, his partner-in-crime’s rise has come as no surprise. Brown has spent the entirety of the year holding the fort down as the team’s leader through Tatum’s nearly-10-month-long absence, amassing a convincing league MVP campaign in the process.

Through their previous eight seasons together, Tatum knew Brown was more than capable of sitting in the driver’s seat while keeping the Celtics their usual competitive selves, regardless of circumstances.

“He’s made big plays in every game that we’ve been in, but this season he’s been able to take more ownership,” Tatum said of Brown. “Obviously, him and all the other guys (have) just been able to carry more weight, and obviously we all know he could do it. It was just when guys get more of an opportunity, they get to show it.”