Celtics one win away from Banner 18; remembering NBA legend Jerry West; Patriots retire Brady’s No. 12

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Good morning everyone, but especially…

THE BOSTON CELTICS

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, it appeared that the Celts would take a 3-0 lead into the NBA Finals, proving that their top-end talent and excellent supporting cast are simply too much, as they have been all season.

But when things fell apart, they proved – perhaps most impressively – that they also have the mettle of a champion. Now they’re one win away from turning that combination of skill and will into the Banner 18. Boston squandered nearly all of its 21-point lead in the fourth quarter before rallying behind its biggest stars and ultimately holding on to the Independents106-99, to take a 3-0 series lead.

• Dallas led 51-50 at halftime, but Boston exploded for 35 points in the third quarter and led by 15 late in the game. That pushed the lead to 21 less than a minute into the quarter.
• Then Boston’s offense went absolutely ice cold and with 3:37 left Kyrie Irving (35 points) cut the lead to one, 93-92. This came shortly after Luka Doncic suffered a failed bang-bang blocking call.
• That was as close as the hosts got, and Jaylen Brown was a big reason for that. He put back a foul Jayson Tatum fired in to push the lead back to three. When Dallas cut it to two with just over a minute left, Brown responded with a mid-range rainbow jumper.

Brown and Tatum combined for 61 points, with Brown adding eight rebounds, eight assists and +13 plus-minus, the best of any starter. And then when you take into consideration what he does defensively, Brown is more than deserving of Finals MVPwrites Brad Botkin.

• Botkin: “He allowed his teammates to stay on task with his ability to not only challenge, but sometimes overwhelm, Luka Doncic alone at the point of attack. Brown is the first player since Tim Duncan in 2002 to have three steals and three blocks in Game 1 of the Finals. This is your prize to lose.”

There are not enough good things I can say about Boston. Brown is excellent on both ends, and both he and Tatum have made huge strides as point guards. Depth, as we discussed, is absurdly goodas shown by Boston do it without the hurt Kristaps Porzingis.

In previous iterations of the Jays-led Celtics, they let the lead slip away completely and never recovered. They never get out of that offensive routine. But credit their growth not just to their individual games, but also to their collective balance. Boston will go to the rare NBA Finals sweep tomorrow night in Dallas.

Honorable mentions

And it’s not such a good day for…

THE DALLAS MAVERICKS

We can give the Mavericks credit for their spirited comeback, but that would be false. This is the NBA Finals against the best team in the league. Dallas doesn’t want to hear anything about a good effort, and while it was nice to see, we’ll leave it at that.

The Mavericks need to be close to perfect to beat the Celtics, and they weren’t close. The thin margins they can’t afford to lose, frankly, start with the Dallas star.

As incredible as Doncic can be offensively, he can be equally annoying defensively, as Brad Botkin explains. Examples include: leaving Sam Hauser – who practically only catches and shoots – open in a catch-and-shoot 3 and not returning to defense several times, either for trying to draw a foul or for complaining to the referees. He even complained about the lack.

In a vacuum, this is just a possession here or there. In the long run, these are absolute killers. Play one supporting cast that just didn’t step upand that’s how you go down 3-0. No team in NBA history has overcome such a deficit in any best-of-seven playoff series, and it’s nearly impossible to see the Mavericks turning that around.

Not-so-honorable mentions

Jerry West, The Logo, dies at age 86

You may know him as “The Logo” or “Mr. Clutch,” and you may remember him best as a famous college and NBA player, an Olympic champion, or a revolutionary executive — he was, after all, elected to the Hall of Fame. Fame to all three. However you recognize it, Jerry West is a basketball icon whose impact will remain after West died Wednesday at age 86.

• West entered West Virginia, his hometown school, as an aspiring teacher in 1956. He left as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,039 points – a record that still stands – a three-time All-America selection and an All-America Tournament Most Outstanding Player. NCAA. David Cobb has more about a legendary college career.
• After winning Olympic gold in 1960, West began a wonderful 14-year career with the Lakers. He was an All-Star in all 14 seasons, made 12 All-NBA teams, finished in the top five in MVP voting eight times and won the 1969 NBA Finals MVP. as a member of the losing team before winning his only NBA championship in 1972.
• In 1969, the N.B.A. turned West’s silhouette into the league’s logo, although the league never admitted it was him. Do yourself a favor and read Sam Quinn’s take on this fascinating story.
• West retired in 1974, but returned to the Lakers as coach in 1976, became a scout in 1979 and became general manager in 1982, a tenure that lasted 40 years in all. As an executive, West might have the greatest offseason in NBA history when he put them both down Kobe Bryant It is Shaquille O’Neal into separate businesses in the summer of 1996. In 2002, he became general manager of Grizzliesand later served as advisor to the Warriors It is Clipperscollecting a total of eight titles as an executive.
• West was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and as a member of the 1960 Olympic team in 2010. He will be inducted as a contributor this year. He is the only person to be voted as both a player and a contributor.

Going back to those nicknames for a second, because how many people have, not one, but two iconic nicknames? James Herbert says “Mr. Clutch” best pays homage to West.

• Herbert: “West’s most famous clutch shot is his 60-foot buzzer-beater in Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. When he threw, the Knicks guard Clyde Frazier He thought to himself, ‘The man is crazy,’ the Hall of Fame player-turned-broadcaster told ESPN. ‘He looks determined. He thinks it’s really happening! … West is a titan of the sport and will be remembered as one of its most competitive, competitive and compelling players.

See how the world of the NBA – including LeBron James, Magic Johnson It is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — reacted to the news of West’s passing.

Revealing the top 10 players of the Golazo 100

We reached the summit! We reveal the 10 best players in the Golazo 100:

1. Kylian Mbappé — advance, Real Madrid
   
2. Vinícius Junior — Left wing, Real Madrid
   
3. Jude Bellingham – midfield, Real Madrid
   
4. Erling Haaland — advance, City of Manchester
   
5. Rodrigo – midfield, City of Manchester
   
6. Harry Kane — advance, Bayern Munchen
   
7. Kevin De Bruyne – midfield, City of Manchester
   
8. Phil Foden – wing/midfield, City of Manchester
   
9. Mohammed Salah — Right wing, Liverpool
   
10. Lautaro Martinez — advance, International
    

Yes, they are the three best players in the world at Real Madrid and four of the next five at Manchester City. (Unsurprisingly, these teams lead the clubs with the most players in the top 100also.)

But why Mbappe took the crown, defeating two of his now teammates? Jonathan Johnson explains.

And finally, to finish on the male side…

What will we watch on Thursday

We are watching the US Open. See how.
Storm in the Wings7pm on ESPN
Stanley Cup Final – Game 3: Panthers at Oilers8pm on ABC
Angels in Diamondbacks9:40 pm on FS1