On Wednesday afternoon, the Needham High School boys volleyball team was masterful in  both of those categories. Westford Academy, however, was not.

It all ultimately led to host Needham sweeping WA, 3-0, in a state semifinal. The unbeaten Rockets (21-0), who haven’t lost a single set in five state tournament matches, will next host Lincoln-Sudbury for the state championship on Friday (4 p.m.).

The North champion Grey Ghosts finished the season at 14-3.

“We wanted to try to not shoot ourselves in the foot,” said Westford head coach Brandon Eang. “We focused on passing, avoiding hitting errors and blocking, coming into the match. But our blocking just wasn’t there and our passing was sporadic. We came out slow and very lethargic. I think there were some nerves.”

Needham won by scores of 25-10, 25-14 and 25-19. Its balance, depth and crisp passing were on full display from the opening serve. The Rockets ran out to an 8-2 lead in the first set and WA could never fully recover in a gymnasium that was jam-packed with amped-up fans.

Junior Derek Yang had three of Needham’s five aces. Junior Ben Putnam and senior Owen Fanning had 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Sophomore Raymond Weng dished out 34 assists.

The Rockets seemed to have potent weapons all over the court.

“It felt like we were comfortable,” said Needham head coach Dave Powell. “It definitely kind of felt like we were poised from the outset.

“We have a lot of athletic, tall, dynamic kids, who play a lot of volleyball. We try to preach resiliency, grit and poise, other than the volleyball stuff. When you combine all that, it makes you a pretty decent team.”

Westford got seven kills and one block from senior outside hitter Fabian Arnold, and six kills and two blocks from junior middle hitter Matthew Zegowitz.

The Grey Ghosts had blanked Lowell and then North Andover in their two previous matches. This time, they got a taste of what it’s like to play catch-up.

Westford never found a rhythm, particularly with its serving, in the first two sets. Fanning, Putnam and junior Nolan Leary (eight kills, three blocks) were very tough at the net for the Rockets.

“They have height, they have power and they’re an excellent passing team,” said Eang of Needham.

Westford did show plenty of fight in the third and final set. An Elliot Bradley kill for WA tied the set at 9-9, and then a Zegowitz block gave the Grey Ghosts their only lead of the day at 10-9.

Needham didn’t panic and rallied right back to seize command.

Westford Academy will graduate seven seniors, who helped lead the program to its first North crown since 2016.

“It was a wonderful experience. I really enjoyed the ride,” said the first-year coach Eang. “The kids worked hard, we just went up against a better team today.”

The fifth-seeded Grey Ghosts, under first-year head coach Brandon Eang, swept their way past No. 10 North Andover, 3-0, in Monday’s North final at Westford Academy. Set scores were 25-20, 25-17 and 25-22.

Westford (14-2) will travel to South champion Needham (20-0) on Wednesday (4 p.m.) for a state semifinal.

“I didn’t know any of these players, because we didn’t have a season last year (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). So that’s why this team is so special,” said Eang, who previously coached the WA girls volleyball team. “They just continued to work hard and work together and believe in each other. They always put 100% in at practice. That’s the way we practice and that’s the way we play the game.”

The Grey Ghosts, who haven’t lost a set in their last two matches, led for nearly the entire match on Monday. They trailed briefly early in the first set, 10-9. With their size at the net, led by senior captain Fabian Arnold and junior Matthew Zegowitz, WA seemed to have an answer every time NA tried to mount a run.

Arnold finished with 11 kills and one ace, and gushed about the bond his team has formed during this already-memorable season.

“It’s really amazing,” said Arnold. “The team came together really well. We have a lot of great players, and the fans and the parents are all really excited. We have one of the best gyms to play in, obviously. We just have a blast playing together.”

If you were looking to escape the unbearable heat outside by attending the volleyball match inside WA’s gym, you were out of luck. It was a packed house, and it was loud, energetic and stuffy.

North Andover (11-5) brought a strong cheering section, but the WA faithful were plenty fired up as well. Riding that momentum, the Grey Ghosts jumped out to a 7-2 lead to start the first set and a 4-0 cushion to start the second set.

The Scarlet Knights were playing catch-up all day. They did put together some impressive stretches, led by senior outside hitter Liam Ross and senior middle hitter Samuel Ursu.

Westford’s depth and ability to avoid unforced errors was just too much for NA. Senior outside hitter Elliot Bradley had 13 kills, one block and one ace, while junior Jake Aylward added three big blocks.

“We have that grit and that ‘It’ factor,” said Eang. “They just know how to win.”

That showed through in a major way in the third and final set.

North Andover landed some momentum when it won a huge point, courtesy of junior Andrew Matzouranis after a lengthy rally that had the crowd roaring. That cut WA’s lead to 19-16 and Eang called a timeout.

Later in the set, NA’s Ursu had a kill to tie it at 22-22. Westford responded by taking the next three points to close out the match and win the North trophy.

The Westford fans then stormed the court.

“We have a team that works really well together, we have a lot of fun at practice, we know each other really well, and it just clicks with us,” said Arnold. “It’s just a good chemistry.”

Unfortunately, one fan just couldn’t help it on Sunday night and provided the latest example in the NBA of a “fan” going way too far.

The fan was identified by police Monday morning as 21-year-old Cole Buckley of Braintree who is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court on one count of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, police report.

As Irving was exiting the court after the Brooklyn Nets’ 141-126 Game 4 victory over the Celtics to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series, a person threw a water bottle at Irving before he entered the tunnel on the way back to the Nets’ locker room. The bottle narrowly missed hitting Irving in the head. The fan was promptly apprehended by police.

It was an embarrassing blemish for Celtics fans, and NBA fans in general.

“It’s unfortunate that sports has come to a lot of this crossroads where we’re seeing a lot of old ways come up,” said Irving. “It’s been that way in history in terms of entertainment, performers and sports for a long period of time with underlying racism and treating people like they’re in a human zoo. Throwing stuff at people, saying things — there’s a certain point where it gets to be too much. I called it out, I just wanted to keep it strict to basketball. But people just feel very entitled around here. They pay for their ticket, great. I’m grateful that they’re coming in to watch a great performance. We’re not at the theater, we’re not throwing tomatoes and other random stuff at people that are performing. It’s too much.”

TD Garden spokesperson Tricia McCorkle released a statement saying: “A guest was arrested by Boston Police at the end of tonight’s Boston Celtics game for throwing an object. We will support and provide assistance to Boston Police as this incident is under review. We have zero tolerance for violations of our guest code of conduct, and the guest is subject to a lifetime ban from TD Garden.”

A near-full capacity crowd of 17,226 was in attendance. Most of them were anxiously awaiting the opportunity to shower the former Celtic with boos. It was Irving’s first game back in Boston in front of a significant crowd. Game 3 on Friday featured nearly 5,000 fans.

However, Irving was never rattled by the loud and rowdy Green-Teamers. He scored 39 points on 11-for-24 shooting (6-for-12 from deep) and grabbed 11 rebounds in 41 minutes.

“Fans got to grow up at some point. I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic got a lot of people on edge, got a lot of people stressed out,” said Nets’ forward Kevin Durant, who had 42 points. “But when you come to these games, you got to realize that these men are human. We’re not animals, we’re not in a circus. You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan, so have some respect for the game, have some respect for the human beings, and have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn’t be proud of you throwing water bottles at basketball players and spitting on players, or tossing popcorn. Grow the (expletive) up and enjoy the game. It’s bigger than you.”

During these playoffs, a fan in Philadelphia dropped popcorn on Washington Wizards’ guard Russell Westbrook, and a New York Knicks fan spit at Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.

“It used to happen back in the day, a lot of older players went through it,” Irving said. “Any great person, great entertainer understands that when you’re achieving something bigger than you, you’re going to have a lot of adversity, animosity, and you just got to figure out a way to deal with it. Tonight, I thought we collectively dealt with it. Anything could’ve happened with that water bottle being thrown at me. But my brothers were surrounded around me, I had people in the crowd.”

It was an Irving two-handed put-back dunk in the middle of the third quarter that gave the Nets their first 20-point lead of the game.

Irving flourished while crushing the spirits of the rowdy Green Teamers, who were still scorned by his messy departure in free agency in 2019 and had so wanted to see him struggle.

But Irving came out assertive and had 23 points in the first half. In the second half, he unleashed a 3-point barrage that reminded Celtics fans why they once wanted to build the franchise around the 6-foot-2, 29-year-old superstar.

Even in the fourth quarter, with the game way out of reach, the crowd tried to sting Irving with unfriendly chants aimed in his direction. But those died down quickly.

“Mental toughness, (Irving) is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Nets’ guard James Harden, who had 23 points and 18 assists. “For him, all of the emotions, or whatever is going through his mind, which I’m sure a million things are going through his mind, he goes out there and blocks everything out and is himself.”

For Irving, it was a nice recovery from his poor performance in Friday night’s Game 3 at the Garden. In his first appearance in Boston with fans in the building since leaving the Celtics, he shot just 6-for-17 and had 16 points in a 125-119 loss to the C’s.

Joe Dwinell contributed to this report.

The second-year guard logged a playoff career-high 27 minutes, delivered six points and six rebounds and was a team-best plus-21 in the C’s 125-119 Game 3 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The win trimmed the heavily-favored Nets’ first-round series lead to 2-1 entering Sunday night’s Game 4 at TD Garden.

Langford only appeared in 18 regular season games and only played at least 27 minutes twice. In fact, he averaged just 15.7 minutes per game.

Still, there he was on the court trying to slow down Nets scoring machines Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.

“It was fun to be able to compete with the best guys in the world, and coach trusting me to go out there and do my best and guard those guys,” said Langford on Saturday. “It felt a little different, especially for me, since that was my first time playing those significant minutes against a team like that, against players like that this year, and it being a playoff game that was basically a must-win for us.”

Langford said Stevens didn’t inform him before the game that his playing time would increase. To that point, Stevens said he fully intended to use the more offensive-minded Jabari Parker in Game 3, but altered that plan after the defensive-minded Langford’s first stint in the contest.

Parker never left the bench.

“Jabari played really well in Game 1, and I had every intention of playing him (Friday night), but Romeo’s first stint went so well that we stayed with that,” Stevens said. “I talked to Jabari today about that, and talked to those guys when they didn’t play about staying ready and being prepared. The bottom line is every playoff series and every game is unique, and there are certain match-ups that make more sense against other teams than not. Sometimes you get into the rhythm of a game and something looks good for that night.”

The Celtics are dealing with injuries to important players. Big man Rob Williams is doubtful for Game 4 with a left ankle sprain, and guard Kemba Walker is questionable and fighting through a left knee medial bone bruise. Walker had just six points on 3-for-14 shooting in Game 3.

It’s all heightened the necessity for players down the bench to stay ready. Langford did his best to do just that, even though Harden scored 41 on 11-for-18 shooting and Durant put up 39 on 13-for-24.

“I thought (Langford) did some good things. There was some things on film, and we went through it today, that we got to do better — both him and as a team,” said Stevens. “I think it’s just important, everybody out there has to defend at their best level. There’s certainly nowhere to hide.”

Langford is not particularly known for his outside shooting. But he did knock down a pair of 3-pointers and six of his seven shot attempts were from downtown. He said he’s comfortable taking those shots.

“As soon as I came in, got drafted by the Celtics, shooting was a big part of my progress and development as a player,” said Langford, who shot 27.8% from deep during the regular season. “Started from Step 1, just getting my guard hand off the ball and then going from there. To now it’s just really all about me getting reps in games. I can make all the shots I want in a workout. Now it’s just about getting reps in games, getting shots in games, feeling more confident with my shot in games, seeing it go in. I just feel like I work too much and too hard on my shot at this point to not keep shooting.”

Packed house

There will be a near full capacity crowd on hand for Game 4 at the Garden.

It’s expected close to 17,000 fans will be in the arena, up from the 4,789 for in Game 3.

Celtics guard Evan Fournier is looking forward to it.

“I think home-court advantage is big for that reason — playing in front of your fans and really getting the boost and feeding off the fans. It’s real, you know, it’s a thing,” said Fournier. “I think it was 5,000 people (Friday night) and they were very loud. So, 17,000 I can’t even imagine. I always thought about playing in front of huge, huge crowds like that and being very loud, so I’m extremely excited.”

Stevens agreed the hometown crowd can make a massive impact.

“There’s a reason why people play for home-court all year,” he said. “Obviously, it’s great to play in front of fans anywhere. I think we’re all even more thankful for that since our experiences in the (Orlando) bubble and then earlier this year. I’m happy for our guys that have been here the last two years — especially our second-year guys and a couple of our guys that have been in the playoffs here before and have played in these big playoff games and these big moments and did so not in front of fans. I’m thankful that they get a chance to experience what the playoffs are like and what the environments are like.”

Of course, all eyes will be on Irving as he plays in front of a packed house in Boston for the first time since bolting the Celtics for Brooklyn in free agency in 2019.

Supporting cast

Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum had 50 points in the Game 3 win. He became the sixth player in franchise history to reach 50 points in a playoff game and it was his fourth 50-point performance since April 9.

He had plenty of help as well, as Marcus Smart (23 points), Tristan Thompson (19 points) and Fournier (17 points) all put points on the board at an impressive clip.

But that will need to continue as the Nets adjust how they deal with the talented Tatum.

“Obviously, I think (Sunday) we can expect a little bit more double teams on JT, and the rest of us are going to have to make the most of that,” said Fournier. “It’s all about the spacing, really. (Tatum) is going to have the ball in his hands and he’s going to have to make his decisions, whether to shoot it or pass it. We have to be an outlet for him, we have to make life easier for him, and then when he gives us the ball and we have an advantage, we have to make the most of it.”

Tuesday night’s 129-121 loss to the Miami Heat at TD Garden all but guarantees that the C’s will be playing in the dreaded play-in tournament, which will determine the 7th and 8th seeds in the upcoming Eastern Conference playoffs.

It’s been a brutal few days for the Celtics, who had been competing with the Heat for the No. 6 spot and the opportunity to make the playoffs outright and avoid the play-in tourney. But the Green Team came up empty in two head-to-head meetings in Boston against Miami, also losing 130-124 on Sunday.

The Heat (38-31) now have a three-game lead on the Celtics (35-34) with three regular season games remaining, and also own the tiebreaker by winning the season series.

On top of that, the Celtics announced Monday that they have lost all-star Jaylen Brown for the remainder of the season, due to a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist. Brown is expected to have the torn ligament surgically repaired later this week.

Oh, and the C’s are now 1-4 in the month of May. So, really, things haven’t been going well at all.

Now they have to hope they can make the best of a tough situation.

“There’s going to be a lot more required of our best players, and that’s a challenge they’re going to have to step up to,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “We’ve been here before when some of our best players aren’t available and you head into the postseason. We’ll see where we land and we’ll see what happens. But we have enough in the room to be a nuisance.”

One season after advancing to the Eastern Conference finals in the Orlando bubble, the C’s were expected to be more than a nuisance. But their play never reached its potential.

As of now, they sit in the No. 7 spot, which would put them in the best available place in next week’s play-in tournament. The C’s would face the No. 8 Charlotte Hornets, with the winner getting the 7-seed in the playoffs. The loser would face the winner of the game between the No. 9 Washington Wizards and the No. 10 Indiana Pacers. And the winner of that game would secure the 8-seed in the playoffs.

Essentially, the Celtics would have two chances to win one game and earn a playoff spot.

Of course, the reward for that would be to face one of the premier powers in the East — the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks — in a first-round best-of-seven series. Without the services of Brown, that would be a very tall task.

The New York Knicks lost 101-99 in overtime to the Lakers Tuesday night in Los Angeles. For the C’s to avoid the play-in, the Knicks have to lose three upcoming home games against San Antonio, Charlotte, … and Boston. The Celtics must win out at Cleveland Wednesday, at Minnesota Saturday and at New York Sunday.

Nobody is banking on that happening.

Now, a team marred by inconsistent play and an inability to rise to the moment in a key game will likely face a must-win mini tournament to keep their season alive and get to the real postseason.

“I guess it doesn’t really matter at this point. We wouldn’t like to be here, obviously, but whenever you have an opportunity to still make the postseason, you can’t complain about that,” said guard Kemba Walker. “You got to find a way to be better together, find a way to win. At this point, you got to take it for what it is and try to move on.”

It’s been a year where the opportunity to compete has been far from a guarantee for athletes. But for Desmarais, the COVID-19 pandemic was just another bump in a four-year career that presented its fair share of turbulence and tested his perseverance.

Desmarais, who has starred for the Middies as a lacrosse goalie, wrestler, and running back, lost his junior lacrosse season due to the health crisis. With lacrosse his primary sport, it was a painful blow.

The adversity was nothing new. Thanks to two separate ACL tears — one in each leg — he has learned how to handle misfortune.

Now, more than 22 months since his last lacrosse game, Desmarais is healthy and excited to have a senior season this spring, with an eye on making some noise in the state tournament.

“Because of all the stuff that I’ve gone through, it’s still kind of fingers crossed and just get us to that first game,” said Desmarais. “That’s basically all I want right now. The last time I played a varsity game at Dracut High was my sophomore year. I’m very eager to put on the Dracut uniform right now.”

With Desmarais in net, Dracut captured a Division 3 North title in 2019 and advanced to the state semifinals, where it fell to Grafton. Desmarais played well in that loss with 14 saves.

Despite the serious injuries and time missed, Desmarais still worked hard to stay on the radar of colleges. Playing for his club team, the New Hampshire Tomahawks last spring and summer, he received and accepted an offer from UMass-Lowell to continue his career at the Division 1 level after Dracut.

“We are so very proud of Cal and his perseverance and determination,” said Roxanne Desmarais, Calvin’s mom. “As parents you always want what’s best for your kids and help them to pursue their hopes and dreams.”

Dracut head coach Paul Ganley said Calvin is a rarity.

“He’s an unbelievable competitor, he’s always working his butt off,” said Ganley. “He’s a student of the game. Just seeing his improvement from when he walked in as a freshman. Back then, he had a mind set of ‘I need to stop the ball.’ Now, he has the mind set of ‘yeah, I need to stop the ball, but I also need to tell every other defender on the field what they’re supposed to be doing as well.’ He’s really grown into his role as a captain.”

In the summer of 2017, Desmarais was looking forward to getting some important preparation ahead of his freshman year.

During a club game, he executed a spin move to elude an opponent and as he was releasing the ball from his stick, he felt a little pop in his left leg. He briefly sat down on the field, then got up and walked off the field to see the trainer. As the trainer straightened Desmarais’ leg, there was an even bigger pop.

“I’m not sure if it just tore all the way, or what that was,” recalled Desmarais. ‘It’s crazy because I played running back in football and wrestled, and both ACL injuries were playing goalie.”

He missed football season that fall, but recovered within six months and was able to wrestle in the winter for the Middies. He finished fourth at the sectional and eighth in the state meet at 160 pounds.

Desmarais earned the starting goalie spot in the spring of his freshman year and helped Dracut finish 10-10 and win its first state tournament game in program history.

His sophomore year was injury-free. Desmarais excelled in football and took first at the sectional during the winter wrestling season, before the excellent run to the Division 3 final four in the spring lacrosse season.

The summer leading into Desmarais’ junior year was slated to be important for his exposure to college coaches. He had a busy schedule of club games lined up and was feeling strong and healthy.

Then came the next pop.

With 22 coaches in attendance for his first club game that summer, he tore his right ACL.

“I knew right away. I was on the field and I was yelling ‘I did it again.’ I was so emotional, not from the pain, just knowing I would have to go through the whole process again,” said Desmarais. “Being in front of all those coaches, that one was more mentally challenging to get over. After that second one, you start to count yourself out.”

Desmarais said some people told him he should just stop playing lacrosse to avoid further injury. But his parents continued to support his desire to keep playing and urged him on throughout the long recovery.

A more invasive surgery was required to repair this tear and the road to rebuilding his strength was an arduous one.

Desmarais missed the football and wrestling season of his junior year, but was back and ready for lacrosse season.

The pandemic erased that chance.

Desmarais says it is still difficult to come to terms with the fact that his knees aren’t the same as they were pre-injuries. He says he’s worked with great trainers who have showed him stretches, treatments and exercises to help him maintain as much strength as possible.

He didn’t play football during the Fall II season and is not wrestling this year, putting all of his focus on lacrosse.

He believes the Middies have a chance to pick up where they left off two years ago and be one of the top teams in the Merrimack Valley Conference and beyond.

Mainly, he’s just happy to be playing again.

“It’s been ups and downs. But what I can take out of it is the life lessons I’ve learned from it all,” Desmarais said. “I know that I’m going to experience ups and downs my whole life, so this all prepared me for anything that will come.”

The NCAA Tournament, college basketball’s promised land, was within reach. The River Hawks just needed one more win on the road to get there for the first time, and they had proven to be unfazed by playing away from Lowell during an unprecedented postseason run.

But sixth-seeded UML simply couldn’t buy a basket on Saturday and that ice-cold shooting ultimately doomed them in a 64-50 loss to No. 4 Hartford in the America East Conference championship game at Chase Arena.

Instead of the River Hawks making history, the Hawks (15-8) did with their first-ever AE championship and NCAA tourney bid.

“Just a tough game for us,” said UML head coach Pat Duquette, whose team finished at 11-12. “Not because we lost — we lost to a good team who competed hard and played well today. I just didn’t think we were ourselves all game, and couldn’t really regain that, and I take responsibility for that.

“This is our first time in this position. This is Hartford’s second straight final and fourth straight semifinals. I thought we played a little bit like we were on unfamiliar grounds.”

UMass Lowell, typically an explosive offensive team, struggled. The River Hawks shot 29.5% from the floor and went 7-for-34 from 3-point land. They had 14 turnovers, only attempted nine free throws and scored just 18 points in the first half — although, they trailed just 23-18 at the break.

Senior star guard Obadiah Noel had 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting, and second-leading scorer for the season Connor Withers had only nine points on 3-for-13.

It just wasn’t their day. But it’s never easy to play well when the stakes are high, especially for a team that had never even won an AE tourney game prior to winning three this season.

“Our guys played hard. I just didn’t think we played as comfortable or as loose and free, offensively,” Duquette said.

Hartford, meanwhile, was hungry to make up for last year’s lost opportunity.

The Hawks had advanced to last season’s AE championship at Vermont, but the game and the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hosts only shot 36.4% and made just 3-of-18 triples, but they took care of the ball and made an effort to get to the basket in the second half to build on their lead.

Graduate student guard Traci Carter led four players in double-figures with 19 points and four steals. Fellow senior guard Austin Williams added 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Williams also attempted 11 (made nine) of Hartford’s 25 free throws.

New stop for Hartford: Indianapolis.

“I’ll tell you this, I love Traci Carter the way he managed the game. Austin Williams really had a huge second half,” said Hartford head coach John Gallagher, who had already received 472 congratulatory text messages within 30 minutes after the game. “As we move forward here, we got to get other guys playing well. If you know anything about me, we’re not going to Indy to say ‘hello’ to people. We’re going to win.”

Led by their experienced guards, Hartford handled its poor shooting better than the River Hawks. Hartford led for 36 minutes and 48 seconds of the 40 minutes.

UMass Lowell had made a habit of rallying in the AE tournament. The River Hawks erased 16-point deficits in a first round win over Stony Brook and an improbable semifinal win over top-seeded UMBC. But they couldn’t get out of Saturday’s rut.

UML showed some early life in the second half with an 8-2 run to start. A Withers’ three gave his team a 26-25 lead. But Carter came right down the floor and drilled a pull-up jumper to put Hartford back on top.

UMass Lowell continued to hang around with a triple by freshman guard Anthony Blunt, knotting it at 31-31 with just over 14 minutes remaining.

Hartford 6-foot-10 sophomore Miroslav Stafl (10 points, eight rebounds) converted a layup to put his team up 33-31, and the Hawks held the lead for the rest of the game. It ballooned to as much as 17 late in the contest.

“I think it stings because we have a good group of guys, who have worked hard and committed themselves and are all-in with UMass Lowell and all-in with each other, and have high expectations,” said Duquette. “We realize that we just didn’t put our best foot forward, collectively as a group.

“We’re going to build on this. It’s an unbelievable next step for our program, a program that had never won a conference tournament game. This is just our fourth year of tournament eligibility. We went on a good run and we’ve got a good team and we’ve got a great core of young guys coming back. That’s the exciting part, but it doesn’t ease or heal the wounds that our guys feel right now.”

All players this season have been granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, due to the pandemic. Noel, the nation’s fifth-leading scorer entering Saturday, could choose to return, which would put UML in great shape next season.

Sophomore guard Kalil Thomas (11 points off the bench) has developed into a sharpshooter for the River Hawks. They also have a pair of impact freshmen in Blunt and forward Max Brooks (three blocks).

Noel and graduate student forward Salif Boudie are the only potential graduating players for UML.

“This was one of the best rides of my relatively short professional career,” said Duquette. “The last two weeks were fun, it was like being a kid again. That’s why we do this — it’s not the only reason we do this — but this time of year makes it special. It’s also what makes it sting, and that’s why I got 14 guys (in the locker room) and I got to go cheer them up. That’s hard to do when I have to cheer myself up first. But we’ll get through this.”

Guard Marcus Smart, who has been out since suffering a calf strain in the fourth quarter of a game on Jan. 30 against the Los Angeles Lakers, expects to return against the star-studded Nets.

Smart practiced with the team on Wednesday

“It felt great,” said Smart after the practice. “Today was my first day to really get out there and play five-on-five and get contact, and really press it to the limit to see. It felt really good.

“It was hard to really do stuff over the (all-star) break — five-on-five and stuff like that — so today was the first day it felt great. They cleared me and said if today went well, I’m probably, most likely going to play (Thursday), unless something changes. As of right now, I will be planning to play in the game (Thursday).”

Smart is averaging career-highs of 13.1 points, 6.1 assists and 32.3 minutes this season. The Celtics (19-17) certainly missed their emotional leader and best defensive player, going just 9-9 in the 18 games he was sidelined.

It was on the defensive end that the C’s really struggled during Smart’s absence. They allowed at least 115 points seven times, and allowed an opposing player to score 30 or more points in a stretch of six straight games.

That was tough for the ultra-competitive Smart to watch.

“I think for anybody that’s sitting on the sideline because of an injury or something that they can’t control that stops them from playing, especially when you know how good of a defensive team we can be and we are,” said Smart. “Especially for me, being a defensive guy, it really is tough.”

Up until Wednesday, Smart had been playing one-on-one with coaches, while trying to replicate game-like situations. He also performed lots of strengthening exercises like calf raises.

He said he was pleased to spend more time with his family and got a new puppy, which now gives him two dogs.

“To have this last week to myself and really get away from the team and focus on (the calf) has been huge,” said Smart. “It’s extra rest that I could get, extra rehab and extra strengthening that I could get to do for the calf.”

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is definitely happy to have Smart back.

“He’s a good player. He’s a guy that knows how to play, plays both ends of the court, makes us better on both ends of the court. So, obviously, that’s going to help a ton,” said Stevens.

The Nets (24-13) enter Thursday’s game with the second-best record in the East and have an elite offensive backcourt in James Harden and Kyrie Irving, so the timing of Smart’s return is helpful. Stevens did say, however, that Smart will be on a minutes restriction for at least his first couple games back.

The Celtics haven’t been able to have their full nucleus together very much this season. Aside from Smart’s injury, Jayson Tatum missed significant time because of COVID-19, and Kemba Walker hasn’t been playing on the second night of back-to-backs since returning from his left knee injury.

Smart hopes the C’s can put their inconsistency in the rearview mirror.

“I just want us to forget about that first half, in the sense of forget how we played,” said Smart. “The past is over, we get a fresh start in the second half and we control the narrative.”

Langford out again

On Wednesday morning, Stevens woke up thinking he would have his full roster available at practice.

However, second-year guard Romeo Langford, who hasn’t played all season due to a right wrist injury, missed practice due to health and safety protocols.

“He was cleared to play (from the injury), but then I don’t know what that means over the next few days and how that will look,” said Stevens. “But he did not practice today — we got word at about 10 a.m. that he wasn’t going to be able to practice. I would guess that he will not travel with us.”

Stevens noted that practice time this week is extra valuable because the second-half schedule will be so hectic with 36 games in what is essentially a nine-week span. That’ll leave little room for practice, outside of film work and walkthroughs.

Shutdown reflections

Fans will be allowed to attend sporting events in a limited capacity in the state starting on March 22. For the Celtics, their first opportunity to play in front of fans will be March 29 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Smart said playing in empty arenas has been a very difficult part of the pandemic.

“We miss that fan interaction,” said Smart. “Being able to go into a crowded gym, a crowded arena and you feel that presence when you walk in and the jitters that you get, that excitement that you get from those fans.”

With the one-year anniversary of the sports world shutting down during those beginning days of the health crisis, Smart was asked what the last year has been like.

“It’s been a whirlwind, it’s been a tornado type of year,” he said. “Not knowing if we can get in the gym at a certain time because we have to test, or a test didn’t come back and we’re waiting on a test.

“All kinds of things that you have to worry about that in previous years you never had to worry about. And that’s for everybody this last year.”

New threads

The Celtics unveiled their 2020-21 Earned Edition uniform, designed exclusively for the 16 teams that qualified for the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

This uniform set, which will first be worn on March 19 vs. Sacramento, marks the team’s fifth and final combination for the 2020-21 season.

The Earned Edition uniform carries over a series of notable components from various uniforms throughout the team’s collection, including the traditional “Celtics” wordmark, standard shamrock on the belt buckle, and the Vistaprint jersey patch on the left shoulder. It also features an enhanced version of the franchise’s iconic color scheme. Three separate shades of green are projected through the uniform body and trim, marking the first time the team has ever featured three shades of green on a single uniform.

There’s been little time for rest in the 2020-21 NBA campaign, which started on Dec. 23 and saw each team plow through half of the 72-game schedule in 10 weeks.

For a team like the Celts, who advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference finals last September in the Disney World bubble, the whirlwind has been even more pronounced.

The majority of the league had a chance to recharge their batteries this past weekend during the All-Star break. Celtics’ rookie guard Payton Pritchard posted photos on his social media platforms that showed him sunbathing in the sand and swimming in the ocean, surrounded by palm trees.

But if you were an All-Star like C’s wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, you weren’t afforded that rest and relaxation.

It’s seemingly been all basketball, all the time since last July.

“The bubble, as much as I enjoyed it and as much as the NBA did a great job, it was a lot,” Tatum said before Sunday’s All-Star Game. “I think we were there for 80 days. Something of that nature just takes a mental toll, and obviously going deep into the playoffs. It was tough. We obviously had a really quick turnaround. But we’re not the only team. The Lakers went further than we did, they won it. They got some guys that are older than us on our team.”

The Lakers all-star duo of LeBron James, 36, and Anthony Davis, 28 on Thursday and battling a strained right calf and Achilles issue, are older than the 23-year-old Tatum and 24-year-old Brown.

So, yes, the younger you are, the better off you are in this sprint to the postseason. But the rush has made for some inconsistent basketball, as the 19-17 Celtics can tell you firsthand. The C’s resume action against Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

“I think that’s why the league has kind of been so up and down this year,” said Tatum. “I think the bubble had a large part to do with that, especially the beginning of the season. Everybody was trying to get their wind back, trying to get back in shape.”

Tatum was out with COVID-19 earlier in the season and has been open about his recovery from the respiratory impact of the virus.

The coronavirus very much remains a factor as the season progresses.

Philadelphia 76ers’ head coach Doc Rivers, whose team has an Eastern Conference-best record of 24-12, sees a difficult stretch ahead.

“It’s a lot of games, a lot of back-to-backs,” said Rivers, who coached Team Durant in the All-Star Game. “I think there will be missed games by guys. I’m worried about all of that. We often talk about health and protocol, you know health and protocol is rest, too. I’m concerned a little bit about it, I’m concerned for our team.”

Talent impressed Brown

Brown struggled to find his rhythm during the All-Star 3-point contest on Sunday night and was eliminated after the first round.

However, he made up for it during the All-Star game by draining 5-of-7 3-pointers and scoring 22 points for Team LeBron in their 170-150 win.

Brown made a real tough turnaround, fadeaway triple from the corner, over the defense of New York Knicks forward Julius Randle. In the fourth quarter, Brown drilled a 3 and was fouled for a four-point play.

“I didn’t get the start I wanted in the 3-point contest, I didn’t hear them say ‘go,’” said Brown. “But definitely when I got to the game I felt a lot more comfortable.”

It was a great showing for the first-time All-Star Brown, as he outscored his teammate Tatum by a point and got the win over Tatum’s Team Durant.

Brown said he was inspired by the enormous amount of talent on one floor at the same time. He said he tried to pick the brain of James, and mentioned how impressive it was to watch the display put on by Golden State Warriors’ guard Steph Curry, who had 28 points (eight 3-pointers) in the game and won the 3-point contest, and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who had 32 points (eight 3-pointers).

“When I got hot, Steph was the main person who was cheering me on,” said Brown. “I shot one from the logo, it didn’t go in, but Steph said he liked it. I was like ‘man, I thought I was you for a second.’

“To be honest, to watch some of these guys up close is unbelievable. Steph and Dame, I know they didn’t win the MVP, but some of the stuff they were doing out there was unreal. Shooting from the logo with that much ease and skill level, it just makes me so much hungrier to get in the gym and continue to work on my game.”

Avoiding disaster

There was much discussion on the subject of whether or not the NBA should have gone through with the All-Star Game in Atlanta in the face of the pandemic.

However, aside from a pregame hiccup that caused 76ers’ All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to miss the festivities because of COVID-19 contact tracing, ESPN reported that all players, coaches and officials returned negative test results from the All-Star game.

“It was more fun than I thought it would be,” said Tatum.

“I saw Jaylen in the (Disney World) bubble and I reminded him that the first contact I had with him was a draft interview in Chicago before his rookie year right before the draft, and he was so impressive on so many levels,” said Snyder. “Not just intelligent, but very thoughtful and composed. We weren’t picking high enough to be able to draft him, but I can remember coming out of that meeting and thinking as a young player he was extremely talented, but also got the sense that this is a man who is going to grow and evolve, and he understands who he is and where he wants to go. I think that’s what’s happened with his game.”

On Sunday night, the 24-year-old Brown played in his first NBA All-Star Game. He suited up for Team LeBron, which was coached by Snyder, whose Jazz own the best record in the league.

For Brown, the experience was loaded with unique subplots, and it culminated with an impressive 22-point (five 3-pointers) performance in Team LeBron’s 170-150 win over Team Durant.

He attended Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga., just 18 miles north of Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, the site of Sunday’s All-Star festivities. So, Brown had the special privilege of making his homecoming, but attendance for the game was limited to between 1,200-1,500 spectators, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Then there was the fact that Brown was playing for Team LeBron, while his Celtics’ teammate and two-time all-star Jayson Tatum suited up for Team Durant. And, on top of that, the C’s talented young duo squared-off against each other in the 3-point contest, held just before the game tipped off, as opposed to its yearly customary spot on All-Star Saturday night.

Brown was asked on Sunday what this experience, filled with strict health protocols, feels like compared to what he expected it would’ve felt like in previous years.

“It’s a lot different. Just where the world is now still, COVID is still out there, so definitely your approach is different,” he said.

Many people, including some players selected to the game, felt it was a poor decision by the NBA to go through with the annual All-Star celebration in the midst of the ongoing health crisis.

That sentiment gained steam early on Sunday when it was learned that Philadelphia 76ers teammates Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were ruled out of the All-Star Game because the two had contact with a barber who had since tested positive for the coronavirus, according to an ESPN report.

“You have situations like we are dealing with today, it’s just an unfortunate time in the world where our health and safety should be at the front of the helm,” said Los Angeles Clippers All-Star Paul George on Sunday. “I personally didn’t agree with the game, but it is what it is.”

Brown referred to the last 12 months as a “year of reflection” that transformed everyone out of necessity.

But he was doing his best to make the most of his first All-Star game, and he had a key four-point play in the fourth quarter that helped lead Team LeBron to the win.

Teammates turned opponents

Leading into the game, Brown didn’t shy away from a little friendly trash talk toward his friend and teammate, Tatum, in the event that they found themselves guarding each other on Sunday night.

“Get the puppies moving and it’s a wrap,” joked Brown when asked if he might need to dig deep into his bag of tricks to win a matchup against Tatum. “I’m looking forward to it. Me and JT obviously play one-on-one. He thinks he knows my moves, but I tell him all the time that I ain’t got to do too much.”

Well, it was Tatum who earned the bragging rights over Brown in the 3-point contest, as he finished in the top-three of the six competitors in the first round and advanced, while Brown was eliminated after just a 17-point showing.

However, Tatum didn’t stand a chance against Golden State Warriors’ guard Stephen Curry, who put on a display that we’ve come to expect from arguably the greatest shooter of all-time to win the contest. Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley was the runner-up.

Like Brown, Tatum, who had 21 points and seven assists for Team Durant, was looking forward to the challenge of playing against his teammate and frequent post-practice one-on-one partner.

“Especially, when I came in (the league), we were just two young guys trying to prove themselves,” Tatum said. “Obviously, he had been here a year before me. When I first got here, the first two years, we had the same shooting coach, (former assistant Micah) Shrewsberry, so we always kind of shot together. And we were just always in the gym, always working, always trying to get better, just trying to push each other. A lot of one-on-one games, a lot of shooting drills.

“I was thinking about guarding somebody else, just because we play each other so much. But if it does happen, I mean I know all of his moves. I know what he’s going to do, so I ain’t going to let him score.”

Tatum said he remembered feeling nervous last year when he woke up on the morning of his first all-star game

“It was all surreal to me, it was new,” he said. “I still get excited, I’m still excited about today, but I know what to expect a little more.”

Tatum’s power rankings

Tatum was a replacement starter for team captain Kevin Durant, who selected Tatum in the all-star draft last week.

Tatum was asked Sunday who he would choose to play with if he was an All-Star team captain. He went with LeBron James, Curry, Brown and his close friend and fellow St. Louis native Bradley Beal.

Tatum played alongside fellow Duke products Kyrie Irving and Zion Williamson on Team Durant. He was also asked during his session with the media yesterday who he thinks is the best player to come out of Duke?

“I think right now it might have to be Grant Hill,” said Tatum. “Like if basketball was just somehow stopped today. Obviously, Kyrie is up there, with gold medals and how many all-star appearances he has. Obviously, he has a championship. But I just think right now — obviously Kyrie can pass that, and I’m chasing that — but I think right now Grant Hill would have to be the best Duke player.”

The Celtics’ star 22-year-old forward had his worst game of the season and one of the worst of his career, scoring six points on 3-of-14 shooting in 23 minutes.

Tatum tested positive for COVID-19 in early January and missed five games before returning to action on Jan. 25. He had previously mentioned that he did feel symptoms from the virus, and after Tuesday’s shootaround he was asked if he was feeling any lingering effects.

“I think it messes with your breathing a little bit. I have experienced some games where, I don’t want to say struggling to breathe, but you know you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal,” said Tatum. “Just running up and down the court a few times, it’s easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster. I’ve noticed that since I’ve had COVID.

“It’s just something I’m working on, it’s gotten better since the first game I played, but I still deal with it from time to time.”

Prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets, Tatum had played 11 games since returning. During that span, he averaged 24.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists — stats that are pretty close to his season averages. However, his efficiency had decreased, as he shot 42.7% from the floor and 36.9% from 3-point land, down from 47.4% and 43.8% before COVID.

His minutes also increased to 36 per game from 34.6 per game prior to COVID. The Celtics were 4-7 since Tatum returned and 13-13 on the season

Tatum says he has an open dialogue with head coach Brad Stevens about how he’s feeling from game to game.

“It’s something that we’ve talked about. And it’s not like every game where I feel it the whole game,” said Tatum. “It’s just certain stretches where breathing is a little out of whack and I talk to the medical staff and coaching staff about it.

“It’s gotten better obviously from the first game I came back and played. I guess it’s just a long process. I’ve talked to other guys that have had it and they say they experienced the same thing and it kind of just gets better over time. But as much as we play, I guess it takes a little bit longer.”

This season’s NBA schedule is condensed. Tuesday night was the C’s 27th game in 56 days since the regular season started on Dec. 23. Counting Tuesday, the Celtics are playing four games in a six-day span this week.

That’s not a lot of time to catch your breath.

“Ever since (Tatum) came back, we’ve tried to be on top of that and asked him to be really honest with us about that,” said Stevens. “Specifically in moments of the game, usually you can see when a guy is feeling the effects of fatigue and you can take him out anyway. But, yeah, it’s certainly something we’re aware of.

“He’s a guy that loves to play and will never ask to be taken out, even when he feels that way. So we all have to do a good job of that.

“I think that people are still learning the long-term effects (of COVID-19). I think it’s one of the scary things about this. But that’s why I said when those guys who were diagnosed with that, my No. 1 thing is make sure all the heart tests are done ad nauseam, just over and over. I want to make sure we’re good to go. Certainly would never want to put anybody in a position where there was any risk at all due to that. The breathing and shortness of breath, there’s probably part of that that’s related to COVID and part of it that’s related to being off for 14 days and then having to build that back up.”

Stevens thought Tatum “looked tired” on Sunday.

“I have no scientific background, but I’ve been watching him for a long time. You guys watched that game, that wasn’t him,” Stevens said.

Addressing their struggles

Stevens said the message during the Celtics’ shootaround on Tuesday morning is that the team can be better than they’ve been. That was the focal point of their discussions.

Even with a lackluster .500 record, the C’s were sitting in the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference standings and were just four games out of the top spot.

“We’re just trying to figure it out. Obviously we’re not where we want to be. We’ve lost a lot of games that we feel like we shouldn’t have, and it’s on us. It’s on us to figure it out,” said Tatum. “We’re the ones who are out there playing. Something’s got to click. We’re in good spirits. Guys are doing the right things. We just got to be better.

“I think it’s just understanding the position that we’re in. That shouldn’t be the case. It’s not like we’re at the top of the league or the top of the East. We’re 12-12 or whatever it is (13-13). We should have some sense of urgency now or we’re going to be average. It’s not who we are, it’s not what we’re capable of, and we know that. So we’ve got to get to it.”

Theis out

Big man Daniel Theis missed Tuesday’s game with a right index finger sprain.

He had been questionable but was ruled out Tuesday morning. Guard Marcus Smart also missed his ninth straight game with a left calf tear.

All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, however, will once again not be in uniform. Walker is still recovering from his left knee injury and is part of a Celtics’ injury report that reads like a grocery list.

Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams and Carsen Edwards have been ruled out due to health and safety protocols, while Jaylen Brown, Javonte Green, Semi Ojeleye and Daniel Theis are questionable for the same reason. Romeo Langford (right wrist) is also out.

The C’s practiced on Thursday, their first time on the floor together since last Sunday’s walkthrough before that night’s game against Miami was postponed. Only nine players participated in the practice, one of them being Walker, who says he’s feeling strong but is staying patient about making his season debut.

“I’m definitely going to make the best decision for myself, but honestly I’m feeling pretty good right now,” said Walker. “I know I did say I was feeling really good the last time before the bubble, which I was. But it was just the timing in between just wasn’t really beneficial for me.

“But now, I am feeling really good. The way I’m feeling right now is different from the way I felt before I went into the bubble. I’ve just been able to take my time. I really just attacked my rehab from Day 1. I wanted to get healthy, I want to stay healthy, try my best to not have any setbacks. That’s the plan. Whenever I’m feeling good and whenever I’m mentally ready to get out there, comfortable, I will.”

Walker’s last appearance was Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat on Sept. 27 in the Disney World bubble. He received a stem cell injection in his troublesome left knee prior to the start of training camp after he was clearly not at 100% in the bubble. After a 12-week strengthening program, he was cleared to resume practicing last week.

This week’s health crisis within the organization has definitely slowed Walker’s transition back to full speed because he hadn’t been able to go hard with his teammates until Thursday.

Of course, that’s life in the NBA during the 2020-21 season, as coronavirus is already running amok. Ten games (nine this week) have been postponed in a season that is only slightly more than three weeks old.

“No frustration. This is going to be happening throughout the course of this year,” said Walker. “You just never know, so you just got to adjust and adapt, and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said Walker’s strengthening has gone “fantastic” and he went “full-go” for an hour at Thursday’s practice.

“We did a lot of up and down, a lot of just trying to get our legs back in some ways with guys that haven’t done anything for a week, and he looked good,” said Stevens. “What that means as far as next steps, and playing, and when to play and all that stuff, that’s a decision for Kemba and our training staff. But I think they’ve put together a heck of a plan.”

Young stars impressing Kemba

With a 7-3 record, the Celtics own the best mark in the Eastern Conference.

“I think this team has navigated the first 10 games of the season, from a record standpoint, better than I thought we would,” said Stevens. “And I’m not sure we played that well. So, as far as the basketball goes, I feel like we still have such a long way.”

Walker has had a front row seat as his two young teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have grown into stars and have carried the C’s early in the season.

The 22-year-old Tatum is averaging 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists, while 24-year-old Brown is averaging 26.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Both players are shooting over 42% from 3-point land. Brown is shooting nearly 54% from the floor.

“I feel good about the team, especially our two superstars,” said Walker. “Those guys have really been holding the fort down and just absolutely killing it.”

Walker went on to praise the rest of his team as well. But he later gushed more about Brown and Tatum.

“They’ve been just absolutely killing it, just taking their games to another level. It’s really been exciting to watch,” said Walker. “I really see these two guys in the gym, just working on their stuff, working on their games and continuously getting better. I see them doing the stuff that they work on in the games. I think for me, being close-up, that’s what makes me their biggest fan.”

Safety first

Stevens said basketball has definitely been on the back burner this week.

“The games are so secondary in my mind right now to just making sure we’re healthy, trying to enjoy each other’s company,” Stevens said. “We’ll get ready to be as good as we can be with whoever is available and we’ll do as good of a job as we can.”

The Phoenix Suns have joined a growing list of NBA teams to experience roster distress. Their Saturday game against the Indiana Pacers has been postponed because the Suns don’t have the league-required eight players to proceed due to ongoing contact tracing. With the comfort of a safe bubble no longer in play, and teams getting on planes and traveling around the country, the potential for virus outbreaks is high.

“I don’t think there’s an easy answer here,” Stevens said. “This is a difficult time around the country. This pandemic is as rampant as it’s ever been and obviously we’re feeling some of that despite the great precautions and great steps we’re taking not to.

“One of the things we tried to do right from the gate is talk about this is going to be a year of curveballs, this is not going to be easy, and at the same time we’re going to do our very best to keep each other safe and to try to adhere to whatever protocols we’re asked to follow.”

But one obvious sign that a player has achieved that status, or is on his way to it, is when the opposition makes him a major focal point of its defensive game plan.

Tatum, now just 22 and entering his fourth season with the Celtics, admits he has already started to see that happen.

“I kind of felt like it was trending that way during the (2020) playoffs, just seeing a lot more attention level, double-teams, blitzing,” said Tatum during a Wednesday Zoom session with the media.

Coming off his first All-Star and All-NBA season, Tatum has solidified himself as the top name on the opponent’s scouting report. He is the Celts’ No. 1 option and on the short list of top scorers in the league. The forward will be commanding enormous amounts of attention in the 2020-21 season and beyond, and he knows it.

It’ll be especially true in the beginning of the season as the C’s navigate their new rotation without injured All-Star point guard Kemba Walker and forward Gordon Hayward, who bolted for Charlotte in free agency.

Tatum’s approach is to try to impact the game as much as he can in areas outside of scoring.

“I think it just has to elevate my playmaking ability,” said Tatum. “Just my ability to make plays and make the game easier for the guys around me.”

Tatum had an off night in Tuesday’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. He had 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting (0-for-4 from deep), four rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes of action in the 108-99 loss.

Tatum saw his points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game increase in each of his first three seasons in the league. Last season, he averaged 23.4 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the regular season. He upped those numbers to 25.7, 10 and 5 in 17 playoff games.

He’s also added 10 pounds to his frame, which will help him shoulder more of the load this season.

“I don’t really get caught up into, technically, being a superstar,” Tatum said. “I just feel like each year I want to improve, I want to continue to get better. I don’t put a ceiling on where I’m trying to get to. I want to be one of the best, I want to be one of the best to play this game, I want to be one of the best in the game.”

Hard day’s work

The Celtics originally didn’t plan on having much of a practice on Wednesday. But after head coach Brad Stevens got a good look at the film from the loss to the Sixers, it was clear there was a lot to work on.

The C’s shot just 43.4% from the floor, had 19 turnovers, and too many offensive possessions were plagued by isolations.

“To be successful, we have to play with the right emphasis on offense and the right emphasis on defense,” said Stevens. “So we saw several times last night where we fell short of a standard with regard to pace and execution, screening, cutting, playing off one another, and ended up with bad possessions and ended up with long periods of iso. And then on the other end, there were a few things that we can clean up.”

With a significant snow storm expected to hit overnight and into Thursday, the Celtics decided to go a lot longer and harder at Wednesday’s practice than previously anticipated.

“Guys got loose, guys got after it, and I thought we played better today than we did last night, which is encouraging,” said Stevens.

Adjusting to new game

First-round draft pick Aaron Nesmith was solid in his NBA preseason debut with eight points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. He also added a blocked shot.

Nesmith said it was “fun” to be out there. He didn’t appear in the contest until the third quarter, but was able to get his shot off, including five attempts from 3-point land (with one make).

The learning curve has been accelerated for rookies like Nesmith and fellow first-rounder Payton Pritchard, who were drafted last month and have very minimal time to prepare for the rigors of an NBA season that will take place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Just adjusting to the game. Different level of competition, different speed,” said Nesmith. “Being tossed in pretty fast and having to learn pretty fast, the head spins every now and then. It’s just how quickly and how well you can slow the game down. Help your teammates out, help win games and make winning plays.”

At 6-foot-6, 213 pounds, Nesmith enters the league with an NBA-ready body and jump shot. But the adjustment still takes time.

“It depends. It can take years, it can take months, everybody is a little bit different,” said Stevens. “I think that when you’re able to acquire people who have played in the league for a long time, they have a general corporate knowledge of the league and all of its playbooks.

“Tristan Thompson has played against the other 29 teams. He knows, generally, what they like to do, he probably knows a lot of their play calls, historically. He is well-versed on defending different ways against different teams, so when he joins a new team, he’s got an idea, at least, on what you’re trying to do. He may not know the exact calls. Same with a Jeff Teague —  those guys have been through it, played in different places for different coaches. It’s easier for them. You’re adding — on top of the new game, the faster-paced game and a new playbook, new defensive terminology — you’re adding to that a new schedule where practice is different, games come quicker, travel is crazy.

“This is a unique time. Obviously, the testing requirements and the way that we have to operate in our facility makes it very unique for everybody. But I’m sure that it really stands out to the youngest players that weren’t part of the (Disney World) bubble.”

His competitive juices never stopped flowing during that hiatus and he always had plans for a return.

Well, he’s back.

The 52-year-old Crowley, one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in area history, has been hired as the interim varsity girls basketball coach at Chelmsford High School. Due to a work conflict, Kevin Branco had to step down from the post after an excellent 20-season run of his own, which included more than 200 wins.

“I’m thrilled to get back at it,” said Crowley on Tuesday.

Crowley was recently a volunteer assistant coach for the Pelham High boys program, where his sons, Derek and Matt, starred before graduating last spring. He has been a head coach at the varsity level for 20 seasons and has 323 career wins, including going 40-7 in two seasons (2013-15) with the Tyngsboro High boys. He led the Tigers to the 2014 Division 3 state title game, where they fell to Cardinal Spellman.

Crowley spent 16 seasons as the Lowell High girls coach before stepping down in 2011. He is Lowell’s all-time winningest hoops coach with a record of 238-111. Before taking over the Tyngsboro boys program, he coached the THS girls for two seasons (2011-13) and went 45-3, including a Division 2 state title game loss to Reading in 2012.

“It stinks to lose Kevin, but Mike is outstanding,” said Chelmsford High Athletic Director Dan Hart.

Chelmsford returns four starters from a squad that went 20-3 and advanced all the way to the Division 1 North semifinals last season. The 2020-21 campaign, of course, will have a much different feel, strict safety measures, and no state tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that didn’t dissuade Crowley from wanting the job.

“I had been checking some local openings in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and nothing really excited me,” said Crowley. “I almost got resigned to the fact that I would just start fresh next year somewhere. Coach Branco had to step aside at the last minute and (Chelmsford) was something that intrigued me. I’m happy to be here.

“When I was an assistant coach for four years, that was a big adjustment for me. But I had to do the right thing for the family. But the juices never stopped flowing and I’m just excited to be back. I look forward to coaching down the road as well.”

Crowley took a break from head coaching to spend more time with his family and watch his sons play. Pelham finished last season 17-5 and was set to play in a Division 2 quarterfinal last March until the pandemic shut down the remainder of the season. Derek surpassed 1,000 career points with the Pythons. He and Matt are both now attending the University of New Hampshire.

“It was a little tough on a couple of seniors seeing their careers end like that,” said Mike. “But everybody has a story that can match that (in 2020).”

Like many basketball programs across the state, Chelmsford is scheduled to hold tryouts this week. The Merrimack Valley Conference will begin competition on Jan. 11.

The C’s held practice at their beloved home arena and soaked in that familiar ambiance that had become so oddly unfamiliar during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus put the 2019-20 season on pause in March, and the NBA didn’t return to action until summer in the Walt Disney World bubble.

The Celtics were last seen in the Garden on Sunday, March 8, taking a 105-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Days later, the season stopped.

“None of us had been in the building, and just walking back in here was nice,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “It was great to be back in here, even without fans, and the change of scenery was nice, too, to do something different. We scrimmaged, played up and down a little bit more, and I think that was a real positive. There was some good moments and some bad moments. But we’re getting there and we’ll keep working towards it.”

The Celts will play a preseason game — one of the two they are scheduled to have — at TD Garden next Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. They’ll open the regular season at the Garden on Dec. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks, and then host the Nets on Christmas Day.

Fans will not be allowed to attend games for at least the beginning of the season. However, Celtics’ ownership has stated that their hope is that fans will be allowed back in the building, probably in a limited capacity, as the status of the health crisis improves and it’s safe to do so.

Still, the C’s are happy to be getting reunited with their home.

“I felt good just driving in, walking back in, being in the locker room, being on the court,” said Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. “Obviously for the new guys, it’s the first time being out there. It felt good for me, it’s been a while.”

The 22-year-old Tatum is entering his fourth season with the Celtics. An All-Star and All-NBA Third Team selection last season, the quiet Tatum says he’s willing to assume more leadership as the C’s navigate through this unique upcoming campaign.

“Everybody leads in their own way,” Tatum said. “I’m kind of a lead-by-example guy — shows up every day on time or early and stays late, get up extra shots, stay in the weight room and do my job. Obviously, I’ll be vocal when I need to be and help guys out.”

Pritchard fitting in

Rookie guard Payton Pritchard is already earning the respect of his teammates.

The 26th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Oregon has particularly impressed perhaps the Celtics’ toughest player, veteran guard Marcus Smart.

“I kind of had a feeling that he would be a guy that would stand out, and I was looking forward to seeing what he has. He hasn’t disappointed yet,” said Smart of Pritchard.

That’s no surprise, considering Pritchard brings a lot of the same grit and intangibles that Smart brings to the court. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Pritchard had a decorated four-year career at Oregon and was the Pac-12 Player of the Year last season, averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 41.5% from 3-point land.

“He’s tough, he knows how to play, he’s physical, he can shoot the ball, and I think he certainly has had a good couple of days,” said Stevens of Pritchard. “What that means in the long run big picture, there’s still a lot to sort out. I’m not surprised that he’s stood out to Marcus. I do think that he’s got a lot of courage, I think he’s got a lot of grit. That’s why he was picked in the first round and that’s why he’s a good player.”

Add Tatum to the list of people Pritchard has impressed.

“Payton, obviously he’s shooting the ball really well and he really knows how to play,” Tatum said. “He competes at a high level, and I like that.”

Tatum also praised first-round draft pick and Vanderbilt product Aaron Nesmith.

“Aaron can really shoot and is really gifted with athleticism and strength-wise,” said Tatum.

Smart feeling fine

Back in March, Smart tested positive for COVID-19. He was asked if he’s feeling any lingering symptoms from the virus, which has sadly been the case for many people who have been infected.

“For me, I haven’t experienced any of those. I’m fine,” Smart said. “Definitely, I have heard of those lingering effects, and we test when we do our physical to make sure that some of those lingering effects aren’t within us. I had testing, the COVID test came back negative and I feel fine.”

His strong concern was validated on Wednesday.

The Spinners will not be a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in 2021. They had been a Class-A short season affiliate of the Sox since 1996, often selling-out LeLacheur Park while playing in the New York-Penn League. The 2020 season was canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the minor league shakeup, MLB teams were forced to reduce their minor league affiliates to four. Remaining Sox affiliates will be Worcester (Triple A), Portland (Double A), and Salem, Va., and Greenville, S.C. at the Single-A level.

However, the Red Sox are not completely cutting ties with the Spinners and Lowell. The Sox announced in a Wednesday press release that the franchise and the city of Lowell are working to keep baseball in the Lowell community. The two sides are in the early stages of evaluating various opportunities for the 2021 season, and will continue to discuss longer-term options in the weeks ahead.

“For over a year, we have worked with Congresswoman (Lori) Trahan, Lowell City Manager Eileen Donoghue, Major League Baseball, and Lowell Spinners ownership to examine every option that would keep baseball in the City of Lowell,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “We are exploring what form that could take in 2021, and are committed to maintaining the 24-year-long tradition of baseball in the Lowell community. We are grateful to Governor Baker, Senator Markey, and Senator Warren for their support of our collective efforts, and look forward to our continued work with Lowell’s public officials as we develop and formalize our plans.”

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan also released a statement: “Over the past year, my team and I have worked diligently to keep baseball here in Lowell. Like everyone in our community, we know how important the Red Sox are to our city and how valuable Lowell is to the Red Sox. Thanks to the commitment of City Manager Donoghue, Senators Markey and Warren, Governor Baker, members of the Save the Spinners Task Force, and fans and supporters throughout the Merrimack Valley, we share that understanding with the Red Sox. We are proud to be working closely with them to not only keep baseball in Lowell, but to also keep the Red Sox in Lowell, and we look forward to announcing our plans once finalized.”

Heller has owned the Spinners since 2016. He says he is “hopeful” that his club and the Red Sox can continue their relationship and restore their affiliation in the future.

“I’ve spent a little over a year working to try to convince them to keep the affiliate in Lowell. Obviously, we weren’t successful,” Heller said during a Wednesday phone call. “That’s their decision, not my decision.

“I’m doing everything I can, at my end, to make sure that we have Lowell Spinners baseball in Lowell in 2021, and hopefully the city will want that, too.”

Heller, who is the president and CEO of Main Street Baseball, LLC, and has been the majority owner and managing partner of four affiliated minor league baseball teams, said the past year has certainly taken its toll.

“It’s been brutal. It’s been the most difficult thing that I’ve ever had to go through in my life,” said Heller. “It’s been horrible.”

Minor league clubs like the Spinners garnered significant local and national support over the past year. Trahan co-created the Save Minor League Baseball Task Force in the fall of 2019 with New York Democrat U.S. Rep/ Max Rose and Republican U.S. Reps. David McKinley of West Virginia and Mike Simpson of Idaho.

City officials have also been hard at work trying to keep Spinners baseball alive in Lowell.

“Since the Spinners’ first season in 1996, the Lowell community and the City have demonstrated an enduring appreciation of the indispensable asset that professional baseball represents to our region. This has been reflected in the strength of our team’s fan base and the continual investments put forward by the City to make LeLacheur Park a top-class baseball facility,” said City Manager Eileen Donoghue. “We believe strongly that baseball belongs in Lowell, and we are grateful that the Red Sox share in our commitment to ensure that it remains part of our community into the future.”

One source with knowledge said there is good reason to take the Sox at their word when the organization says it’s committed to working with Lowell. Heller and the Spinners may have the chance to play as an independent team in a newly formed MLB “Draft League” or showcase league that features young prospects. A source said the Red Sox could work with the Spinners by having legends like Pedro Martinez or David Ortiz serve as honorary captains. The source said keeping an affiliation or relationship with the Red Sox is crucial to maintaining strong attendance numbers and fan interest.

A source said there are many ongoing discussions about different forms of quality baseball being played in Lowell in 2021. Of course, the status of the pandemic will have a lot of say in determining what is viable. There is also the possibility of taking the year off and hoping for regaining affiliation with the Red Sox in 2022.

The Spinners have played home games at the 5,030-capacity LeLacheur Park since 1998. Prior to that, they played two seasons at Lowell’s Alumni Field. During the longtime ownership tenure of Drew and Joann Weber, the team sold out 413 straight games from 1999 through 2010. A franchise record 201,512 fans attended games in 2010 — one game that year was played at Fenway Park.

However, attendance had dipped considerably in recent years. The Spinners only averaged 3,051 fans per home game in 2019, their fifth straight year of averaging fewer than 4,000 fans per game.

Players such as David Eckstein, Kevin Youkilis, Anibal Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi have suited up for the Spinners.

The Spinners had been a Class A short season affiliate of the Red Sox since 1996, playing in the New York-Penn League. The 2020 season was canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Major League Baseball had been working toward minor league contraction, and MLB teams were forced to reduce their minor league affiliates to four. Remaining Sox affiliates will be Worcester (Triple A), Portland (Double A), and Salem, Va., and Greenville, S.C. at the Single A level.

However, the Red Sox are not completely shutting the door on the Spinners and Lowell. The franchise announced in a Wednesday press release that it and the City of Lowell are working to keep baseball in the Lowell community. The two sides are in the early stages of evaluating various opportunities for the 2021 season, and will continue to discuss longer-term options in the weeks ahead.

“For over a year, we have worked with Congresswoman Trahan, Lowell City Manager Eileen Donoghue, Major League Baseball, and Lowell Spinners ownership to examine every option that would keep baseball in the City of Lowell,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “We are exploring what form that could take in 2021, and are committed to maintaining the 24-year-long tradition of baseball in the Lowell community. We are grateful to Governor Baker, Senator Markey, and Senator Warren for their support of our collective efforts, and look forward to our continued work with Lowell’s public officials as we develop and formalize our plans.”

Congresswoman Lori Trahan also released a statement as part of that release: “Over the past year, my team and I have worked diligently to keep baseball here in Lowell. Like everyone in our community, we know how important the Red Sox are to our city and how valuable Lowell is to the Red Sox. Thanks to the commitment of City Manager Donoghue, Senators Markey and Warren, Governor Baker, members of the Save the Spinners Task Force, and fans and supporters throughout the Merrimack Valley, we share that understanding with the Red Sox. We are proud to be working closely with them to not only keep baseball in Lowell, but to also keep the Red Sox in Lowell, and we look forward to announcing our plans once finalized.”

The Spinners have played home games at LeLacheur Park since 1998. Prior to that, they played two seasons at Lowell’s Alumni Field.

This is a developing story.

He had a strong performance that night at Auburn with 18 points, which included knocking down 4-of-6 from 3-point land. The 6-foot-6 sophomore forward had firmly placed himself in the conversation for best shooter in college basketball. He was averaging 23 points on 51.2% shooting from the floor and a blazing 52.2% from beyond the arc. But the sample size was only 14 games.

Nesmith never played another game for Vandy. He suffered a stress fracture in his right foot that ended his season, and was using a scooter to avoid putting weight on the foot.

However, none of that was enough to scare the Celtics away. The C’s selected Nesmith with the 14th overall pick in last Wednesday’s NBA Draft. With training camp one week away, and the start of the 2020-21 regular season one month away, Nesmith says there’s nothing to worry about.

“I’ll be good to go,” said Nesmith. “I’ve done everything so far, workout-wise. It’s good, it’s 100% and I won’t miss a beat.”

Nesmith and the Celtics’ other first-round pick, Oregon guard Payton Pritchard (26th overall), fielded questions from reporters on Tuesday during an introductory press conference over Zoom.

Shortly after the press conference, the Celtics announced that they had officially signed Nesmith and Pritchard to their rookie contracts. Nesmith will wear No. 26 and Pritchard will wear the No. 11 that previously belonged to Kyrie Irving and then Enes Kanter.

The addition of Nesmith is particularly intriguing because he presumably helps in an area that the Celtics were lacking consistency in: outside shooting. On top of that, the Celts have wing minutes that will be up for grabs after the departure of free agent forward Gordon Hayward to Charlotte.

Nesmith was asked if he envisioned himself filling some of that void.

“We don’t really know, we’ve never really played in the NBA before. But it’s just continuing to do what is asked of us, continuing to compete, continuing to work hard, and go out there and give our best effort,” Nesmith said.

Nesmith drained at least seven three-point field goals in four of his 14 contests for Vandy in 2019-20. He also got to pick the brain of his coach, longtime NBA guard and two-time all-star Jerry Stackhouse.

“That was monumental being able to play for a guy like coach Stackhouse, 18-year NBA veteran,” said Nesmith. “He’s done everything at this level that a lot of young guys coming into the league want to achieve. Being able to have that blueprint and being able to learn from a guy like that for a year, and just learn his tendencies and how he approached the game was big-time.”

Nesmith exudes the type of confidence you need to have when you’re entering the NBA. He referred to himself as an “absolute sniper” on draft night, and didn’t back down from that confidence.

“It’s just the body of work. The repetition, for me, nothing changes,” he said. “My warmup doesn’t change, my form doesn’t change, my footwork doesn’t change. “So as long as I continue to work on those things, continue to perfect those attributes to my game, there’s no reason for my shot not to translate from one level to the next.”

The 22-year-old Pritchard, meanwhile, will be looking to earn minutes in the Celtics’ backcourt after a decorated four-year career at Oregon.

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 20.5 points (46.8% FG, 41.5% 3-PT, 82.1% FT), 4.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists as a senior in 2019-20. He was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year.

“It’s definitely been an exciting time,” said Pritchard. “We’ve been starting workouts and getting going. I’m just trying to be a sponge and soak everything up and get ready for the season. Obviously, it starts quickly, so just trying to learn fast and get going.”

With the likes of Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, free agent acquisition Jeff Teague and 2019 draft pick Tremont Waters, the Celtics are well-equipped with ball-handlers.

Pritchard and Nesmith know they are joining a winning franchise that is just a couple of months removed from playing in the Eastern Conference finals.

“It’s like great expectations,” said Nesmith. “It’s nothing different than Payton or I have gone though. Just got to continue to come in and work as hard as we can.”

Pritchard has played on past teams with Celtics players Jayson Tatum, Carsen Edwards and Romeo Langford, and played against Jaylen Brown. He said he has a connection formed with those players already. He and Nesmith have been spending some time playing board games with Edwards and Celtics forward Grant Williams.

That chemistry will come in particularly handy this year. There is no summer league to get acclimated to NBA life and very minimal time to meet teammates and workout together.

“It’s going to be a quick learning curve,” said Pritchard. “I think we’re both looking forward to it, get to jump in and get right to it.”

Hayward opted out of the final year of his four-year max contract with the Celtics on Thursday. According to ESPN, which first reported his move to the Hornets, Hayward will sign a four-year, $120 million deal with Charlotte. It gives the injury-plagued 30-year-old former all-star the big money and long-term stability he was looking for when he opted out of the final year of his deal with the Celtics, which would have paid him $34.2 million for the 2020-21 season.

“To the city of Boston, thank you for embracing me as your own these last 3 years,” Hayward tweeted on Saturday evening. “I cannot say thank you enough to all the fans, my teammates, coaches and everyone in the organization I built such strong relationships with.

“I know there were some ups and downs, but I will always cherish my experience in Boston. I am forever grateful that I was given the opportunity to wear a Celtics uniform and play in front of the Garden faithful.”

The Celtics were able to dust themselves off after that news and address team needs.

According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the C’s reached an agreement with free agent forward/center Tristan Thompson that will be a two-year, $19 million deal. The 6-foot-9, 29-year-old former fourth overall pick spent the first nine years of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016.

Thompson averaged a career-best 12.0 points per game in the 2019-20 season to go with 10.1 rebounds per game. He has started 429 of his 619 career regular season games and has career averages of 9.4 points and 8.7 rebounds, while shooting 51.8% from the floor. Thompson will provide the Celtics with a strong interior presence to complement Daniel Theis.

The Celtics also agreed with veteran point guard Jeff Teague on a one-year deal, according to multiple reports. The 32-year-old Teague has played 11 seasons and was an all-star in 2015 with the Atlanta Hawks. Last season, he averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 assists in 59 games with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Hawks. He’ll likely fill the role of backup point guard for the C’s, and his talent and experience will bolster the backcourt.

Hayward’s time as a Celtic is best known for the time he missed.

He suffered a gruesome left foot and ankle injury less than six minutes into his Celtics debut on opening night in 2017 and missed the rest of the 2017-18 season. He returned the following season and appeared in 72 games (18 starts) but his game clearly still wasn’t where it was before the injury.

This past season, he regained his old form, averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 52 regular season games. He shot 50% from the floor and 38.3% from 3-point land.

However, he suffered a Grade 3 sprain of his right ankle in Game 1 of the Celtics’ first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers and only appeared in five playoff games during the Celts’ run to the Eastern Conference finals in the Walt Disney World bubble.

Hayward played in just 14 playoff games as a Celtic and started only one. He averaged 10 points and four rebounds in the postseason, while shooting just 40.8%. Reliability was always the issue with Hayward in Boston.

It’s certainly understandable why he would want a change of scenery. It never worked out for him here and with the emergence of young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and the addition of point guard Kemba Walker, Hayward was no better than the team’s fourth offensive option.

It was all enough for him to willingly leave $34.2 million on the table and try his luck in an underwhelming free agent market where his services would be desired elsewhere. The Hornets, who signed Hayward to an offer sheet in 2014 as a restricted free agent before the Utah Jazz matched it, are banking on Hayward resembling the all-star that he became during his seven seasons in Utah.

For the Celtics, it’s still a tough pill to swallow. While Charlotte very well may have overpaid for Hayward, the C’s watched a third all-star talent walk out the door in the last two off-seasons combined. In the summer of 2019, guard Kyrie Irving left for the Brooklyn Nets and big man Al Horford opted out of his final year to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The narrative used to be that the Celtics couldn’t land top-notch free agents. Then Horford and Hayward came and changed that. The narrative is now becoming the Celtics can’t get them to stay.

NBA free agency opened on Friday. There has been a mad dash around the league to reach agreements with players, who can officially sign new contracts on Sunday at 12:01 p.m.

Knowing they were likely to lose Hayward, the Celtics were reportedly involved in potential sign-and-trade deals with the Indiana Pacers. Hayward reportedly had a strong desire to return home to Indiana, but the only way the Pacers would’ve been able to make that work in terms of cap space was to shed salary by sending at least one player to Boston.

A remaining top priority for the C’s is to sign Tatum to a max extension. The team also has a clear need for more shooting.

Also on Saturday, free agent guard Brad Wanamaker agreed to a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 31-year-old Wanamaker spent the last two seasons as a productive backup guard for the Celtics.

The 2019-20 season ended on Oct. 11 when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the championship. The 2020-21 regular season will begin in less than six weeks on Dec. 22.

Before we can get to that point, a jam-packed calendar awaits with the draft slated for Wednesday, followed by the start of free agency at 6 p.m. on Nov. 20 (free agents can begin signing at 12:01 p.m. on Nov. 22), and the opening of training camps on Dec. 1.

Just reading that makes you need to catch your breath. A whirlwind is coming and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is braced for it.

Well, at least as much as he can be.

“We’re ready, you know we’re ready for it to begin,” said Ainge. “We’re ready for the draft — we’re still trying to make some deals before the draft to improve our team. We have our list of players that we will try to pursue in free agency, but we don’t know who everyone is going to draft, we don’t know who else is interested in the same free agents that we might have. We don’t know exactly, depending on what deals that we’re able to do or not do will depend on the kind of money that we can offer free agents. So there’s a lot of unknown factors.

“Draft day, the 19th and the 20th (of November) are going to be crazy. We’ll be resting up and be ready for that battle”

Ainge met with the media over Zoom on Wednesday to discuss these crazy times in this the craziest of years.

The Celtics own three first round draft picks (Nos. 14, 26 and 30) and a second-round pick (47th). Adding four players to the roster from what Ainge calls “not a great draft” wouldn’t be ideal. But Ainge did say he thinks it’s a deep draft and the team is exploring all avenues.

The COVID-19 pandemic and rearranged scheduling for everything has made it difficult to evaluate players this year. Ainge said the team has only seen eight individual workouts that had one coach and one player shooting in the gym, and that’s about it.

“As you guys know, the guys that we have seen and worked out in the past, those workouts mean a lot,” said Ainge. “It doesn’t mean everything. We certainly know what they’ve done throughout their college careers and high school careers. But I think getting to meet people and get up-close personal contact, and watching them work out against other players that you may be weighing them against is very helpful.”

Ainge said the team is looking to get deals done to best suit roster needs. The goal is to “do good deals, not deals to make deals.”

Celts’ forward Gordon Hayward ($34.2 million) and big man Enes Kanter ($5 million) are two roster players to keep an eye on. Both have a player option to opt out of their contract. Opting out could allow the injury-plagued Hayward a chance to take advantage of a weak free agent market and sign a new long-term deal.

Ainge said it’s his understanding that the deadline to decide on player options will be after the draft. The Celtics aren’t expected to be in the mix for marquee free agents, with big money already tied up to Hayward and guards Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown. The team also has designs on signing young star forward Jayson Tatum to a max extension.

The Celtics went down in six games to the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals in September. It was the third time in the last four years that the C’s fell in the ECF.

“I feel good about the organization,” said Ainge. “We have great ownership. We have relationships between ownership, management, coaching and players. I feel like our team has been very close. We’ve won a lot of playoff games over the last decade. I think more than any other team in the NBA, for that matter, over the last dozen years or so. I think that we just need to get that step. We’re trying to win a championship and there’s some great competition out there, some terrific teams and we’re just trying to get to that point. Get to where we’re truly contending for a championship. I felt like we could’ve been there this year, had we been 100% healthy, but we weren’t, and that’s part of the game.”

Ainge is hopeful that Walker’s left knee is feeling better than it was last season and during the playoffs, when it clearly hindered his play.

“I have all the confidence in the world that Kemba will be back and healthy, and fresh and ready. When that is — what he’s doing right now is very important during this offseason,” said Ainge. “We know how good of a player Kemba is and how good he can be. Last year was a very unique situation and this coming year is very unique. We have to put Kemba’s health at the front as a No. 1 priority.”

But multiple reports from inside the NBA’s Walt Disney World bubble on Thursday night detailed a loud barrage of yelling, swearing and objects being tossed around inside a frustrated Celtics locker room after a 106-101 Game 2 loss to the Heat. There were also reports of guard Marcus Smart storming out of the locker room as he uttered some choice words.

The Celtics did not hold a media availability session on Friday, so it was unclear to gauge if the fire had been put out. However, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens held a late-night hotel meeting after Game 2 with Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker to air out frustrations and discuss the problems. The report also stated that the C’s leaders sufficiently talked through their issues and were ready to prepare for Saturday night’s crucial Game 3 (8:30 p.m.).

In their Thursday night availability sessions that followed the loss, Stevens and players downplayed the significance of the shouting. Frankly, it’s not out of the ordinary for emotions to run high after a brutally disappointing loss that saw a team blow a 17-point lead in a high-stakes situation like the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celts were in control of both Games 1 and 2 and coughed it up down the stretch.

Throw in the fact that these players have been with each other and secluded from the rest of society since July, and it’s pretty understandable as to why emotions might boil over.

If you take Wojnarowski’s report at face value and concede that the C’s have resolved their inner turmoil, that’s still only part of the battle. The Celtics now have to figure out how to play a full 48 minutes, without lulls in energy and execution.

Two things jumped out about the Celtics in Game 2. One was their 20 turnovers that contributed to Miami attempting 18 more shots from the field than the C’s. The other was the Celts’ inability to beat the Heat zone defense in the second half.

“I mean, it’s a hard zone to play against,” said Stevens. “We did play well against it in Game 1, we played with way better pace than we did (Thursday night). So we’ll go back and look at it and figure out if it was a technical thing, or a pace thing, or an execution thing, or just a not as focused on the important stuff thing.

“This isn’t about zones, and defenses, and offenses, and stuff like that. It’s just we got to be better.”

Those failures against the zone intertwined with another major Celtics’ pitfall in the playoffs — third quarters. The C’s have been outscored in eight of their last nine third quarters. They also led or were tied at the half in each of those contests.

“Man, they outplayed us,” said the point guard Walker when asked what led to his team getting outscored, 37-17, in the third frame on Thursday. “It was really unacceptable on our behalf, it was just a really bad quarter for us. We didn’t continue to do the things that we did to get us up and give us that lead. We got kind of comfortable and those guys took advantage of it. They played hard, they played really hard, they played a lot harder than us. They wanted it.”

At this point, with the Celtics eight wins from a championship, effort and desire should not have to be questioned. Meanwhile, the Heat seem to be thriving in their execution and energy level. They only have 21 turnovers in the two games combined.

“We got to figure some things out,” said Tatum. “We’ve had a couple double-digit leads and we’ve let go of the ropes, so we got to figure out why that keeps happening.”

Perhaps help is on the way.

Injured Celtics forward Gordon Hayward (right ankle sprain) has been upgraded to questionable for Game 3. Hayward has been out since sustaining the injury during Game 1 of the first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. If he does not play in Game 3, Game 4 will not be until Wednesday, giving him a couple extra days to prepare.

Hayward’s passing and ability to make plays off the dribble would be a huge help against that Miami zone. He would also provide depth to a thin rotation.

Tuesday night’s Game 1 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat will be Tatum’s 40th career playoff game, and he’ll have been a starter in every single one of them. This also marks the second time in three years the 6-foot-8 No. 3 overall pick in 2017 has tasted the conference finals.

Being a part of a winning culture and getting that continuous meaningful-game experience has done wonders for Tatum’s development. His regular season points, rebounds and assists per game increased significantly each year. His averages this postseason of 25.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists have entered elite territory.

“Just building winning habits. I’ve been to the playoffs every year, this is my second time in the Eastern Conference Finals, so I’m just grateful to have that opportunity,” Tatum said. “It’s a testament to the great players I’ve played with, guys that are all about just winning.”

One of those players is fourth-year guard and 23-year-old Jaylen Brown, who will make his 56th playoff appearance and 36th start on Tuesday night. Brown will be playing in his third Eastern Conference Finals.

“There aren’t very many guys at 22 and 23 who have done what Jayson and Jaylen have done, especially in meaningful moments in playoff games ever since they arrived here,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “So, we’re really lucky that those guys are here. They do have a ton of experience in this moment, more so than a lot of other guys that are a lot older that are really good.”

The third-seeded Celts are widely considered a slight favorite to beat the fifth-seeded Heat and advance to the NBA Finals. That’s a far cry from when Tatum was a rookie and the C’s were tasked with taking down LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Yeah, it feels different, just because my first year I didn’t know what to expect,” said Tatum. “That was my first go at everything. Now I can say I’ve been here before.”

The Celtics are certainly battle-tested, especially after a dramatic seven-game slugfest with the defending champion Toronto Raptors in the East semifinals. But Stevens will undoubtedly remind his squad that experience only gets you so far.

“As far as when you’re in the game and playing the game, and playing against Miami, I think I’ll go with (Patriots) coach (Bill) Belichick: History and experience don’t mean a whole lot; it’s how you play that night,” said Stevens. “But, yeah, we’ve been through a range of emotions, for sure.”

Heat have options

Miami enters the East finals with six players averaging double-figure points per game in the playoffs.

Perennial all-star and physical forward Jimmy Butler leads the way at 21.8 points per game, closely followed by veteran point guard Goran Dragic at 21.1. Meanwhile, Miami also has five players shooting at least 38% from behind the 3-point line in the playoffs, and all of them attempt at least two per game. The most dangerous in that category is rookie Tyler Herro (40%) and Duncan Robinson (39.3%), who both average over six attempts per game.

“The best basketball teams right now are like that. There are so many different ways they can hurt you,” said Stevens. “Miami can beat you in isolation. They’re one of the best cutting teams I’ve seen. Obviously great from behind the 3-point line. They’ve got a number of guys that can go for 25 or 30 in a given game. They’re super organized, so when they sense a weakness, they’re going to pick on it.

“They’re an excellent offense. I just can’t tell you how exceptionally well-coached they are. Everybody knows that. I think that when you’re diving in as an opposing coach, you really have great admiration for what they do on both ends, but certainly on that end with all the different guys and playing to the strengths of their guys. Everything they run has a purpose. Everything they run has a direct line to the strengths of their players. Just really, really good.”

Celtics guard Kemba Walker echoed Stevens’ sentiments.

“They have a great, great head coach. I’ve gotten a chance to spend some time with coach (Erik) Spoelstra, get to know him a little bit. He’s a great person,” said Walker. “Competing against him over the years, I’ve always known how great of a coach he is as well. You know those guys are going to be ready, so it’s going to be fun.”

Deuce’s big day

Players’ family members are starting to filter into the Walt Disney World bubble as the playoffs cut down to the final four teams.

Tatum’s family, including his young son, Deuce, are in the bubble and Deuce gets out of the mandatory quarantine Tuesday and will be able to see his dad. Tatum and the Celtics arrived in Orlando away from their families back in July.

“It’ll make a lot of difference. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen (my family) or my mom,” Tatum said. “Just to have some familiar faces in the crowd to share this experience will be very helpful.”

Hayward watch

Celtics injured forward Gordon Hayward (right ankle sprain) was officially ruled out of Game 1 against Miami. Stevens said Hayward didn’t go through the normal practice with the team Monday. He did, however, go through a series of hard small group workouts after practice.

“He looked good when he was going through it, but there’s a big difference between doing that and actually getting into a game,” said Stevens. “I don’t know officially what that means as we move forward. But he’s getting better.”

Hayward sustained the injury during Game 1 of the first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Same hotel room, same food choices, same palm trees, same humidity, same thunderstorms every day. To his family, Craig jokingly refers to it as a “five-star jail.” For exercise, and maybe even to keep his sanity, the Chelmsford native and Miami Heat assistant coach goes for daily walks or runs around the campus.

Even there, the scenery is all too familiar.

“I walk by Brad (Stevens) every day,” said Craig, referring to the Celtics head coach. “You have to get out of your room, you have to get out of the hotel just to get a different environment, different perspectives on your day.

“But, you know, the days go by pretty quick. You’re playing every other day, so if it’s not a game day, it’s a prep day.”

Over the next couple weeks, there will be a lot more to talk about — or, perhaps, avoid talking about — for Craig and Stevens during those daily run-ins. The Celtics will face the Heat in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals beginning with Game 1 Tuesday night. The winner will extend their stay in the bubble into October and play for an NBA championship.

Craig, a 1999 Chelmsford High School grad who went on to play basketball at Plymouth State University, is in his 17th year with the Heat organization. This is his fourth year as an assistant under head coach and good friend Erik Spoelstra.

Craig has worked his way up from his start as a video intern for the Heat in 2003-04, getting promotions along the way in the forms of handling duties as a video coordinator, director of player development and assistant coach.

He spent the 2015-16 season as the head coach of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBA G League affiliate, and was invited to spend time as part of Gregg Popovich’s coaching staff at USA Basketball’s Senior National Team training camp in the summer of 2018.

None of that experience, however, could’ve ever prepared Craig, or anyone else in the NBA, for what 2020 has brought. The coronavirus caused the league to take a four-month hiatus that started in March and ended when the season resumed in July in Orlando. While the Heat arrived at Disney World on July 8, Craig remained home with his family in Coconut Grove in Miami so he could be there for the birth of his daughter and third child on July 15. Craig arrived at the bubble on July 21 and went through a seven-day quarantine before he could fully rejoin the team.

“One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” said Craig. “My boys (Brodie and Will) are old enough where they know I have to leave, but they don’t understand why. And the perspective of how long and why, you really can’t explain it to them. But they’ve handled it like troopers, my family and my wife (Jackie).”

Craig FaceTimes with his family three or four times per day. It’s certainly not ideal, but he’ll also tell you that he’s incredibly proud of what the NBA has been able to accomplish in regards to safely returning and providing fans with a top-notch product.

“Hats off to the players association, (NBA Commissioner) Adam Silver, and the whole league to pull this together,” Craig said. “This is pretty much the blueprint of if you’re going to do it, this is how you do it. When you get here, you feel like you’re being dropped off in a different planet. You’re secluded from everything, you’re getting tested every day, the rules and regulations on what you can do and what you can’t do. But it’s safe and they’ve done an amazing job.”

Miami entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the East. The Heat shocked the basketball world by disposing of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the East semifinals.

Craig has been with the organization for all three of its NBA championships (2006, 2012 and 2013). Unlike those teams that had the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, this Miami team isn’t known for its superstar talent. Guard Jimmy Butler is a perennial All-Star, but the Heat don’t have a single top-10 draft pick in their starting five.

They win with balance, depth and toughness. It’s emblematic of the often-discussed Miami Heat culture, which was largely formed by Heat President Pat Riley.

“It starts with Pat, he’s on the Mount Rushmore of coaching,” Craig said. “It starts with him and the ownership, too. The Arisons are the best owners in sports — I’m biased because I’ve been with one team. But they really are, they’re amazing.

“It’s hard-working, it’s real. We all have that mentality of service first for each other and leadership at all positions. It’s mostly for the players, we want them to feel like ‘hey, we’re here for you.’ That’s the environment and the culture that we want. We hold them accountable and to the standards that we believe in — be on time, be professional, be diligent and consistent with your workouts, and get the most out of everything that you do.”

The Celtics went 2-1 against Miami during the regular season. The Heat won the Aug. 4 seeding game in the bubble, 112-106. Both of Miami’s regular season losses to the C’s were on the second night of a back-to-back.

Craig is expecting a supremely difficult matchup against the team he grew up watching as a kid in Chelmsford.

“(The Celtics) are so well-coached. Brad does an amazing job,” Craig said. “They’re so talented. I think the addition of Kemba (Walker) has really brought them to a different level — his character and leadership and his ability to do what he does on the floor. They’re a handful and it’s going to be our toughest challenge.

“It’ll be fun.”

However, they’ll now try avoid repeating what followed those five straight victories in 2019, which was four straight losses to the Milwaukee Bucks to eliminate the C’s in the second round.

After Sunday’s 112-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, All-Star forward Jayson Tatum was asked why he and his teammates are confident they won’t experience last year’s fate again.

“Man, we just won a game, do you have to bring last year up,” said Tatum, followed by a short laugh. “This is different, this is just a different environment, different team. Obviously, we remember we won the first five games of the playoffs last year and then we lost four in a row. But, you know, last year’s vibe and this is just different all-around. We know it’s not going to be easy, (Toronto) is the defending champs for a reason. We just got to take it one game at a time.”

Being together in the Walt Disney World bubble for the last two months seems to be having a positive impact on the C’s team chemistry.

“I believe in each and every one of those guys in that locker room,” Tatum said. “We’ve spent so much time together down here, putting in work every day. We come prepared.”

Starts with defense for Raptors 

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens had high praise for the Raptors before his team took the floor for Game 1.

The defending champions have proven to once again be potent on both ends of the floor, but particularly so on defense. During the regular season, Toronto was first in the NBA in points allowed per game (106.5), second in opponents’ field goal percentage (42.8) and second in opponents’ turnovers per game (16). Those impressive numbers have carried into the playoffs.

“They over-help and they have multiple efforts to get back,” Stevens said when asked what makes Toronto so strong defensively. “They don’t rely on always getting back to their own, they’ll scramble and rotate, they’ll always stay in plays with their effort. But when you drive the ball, there’s going to be hands in the gaps, there’s going to be long arms in the gaps, and every time you drive it you got to make sure you get rid of the ball on time. In this series, if you over-dribble, you’re in trouble.

“It’s just a very solid, tough, physical team, predicated on help, and they recover with great effort. Everybody can talk about their defense being good and playing with multiple efforts — Toronto is as good as they come at playing with multiple efforts. That’s why they can over-help. They over-help because they know they’re going to get back. It’s an impressive defensive team, it’s an impressive team overall.”

The Celtics overcame 22 turnovers to still easily win Game 1.

Chippy moment

Raptors forward Serge Ibaka and Celtics center Daniel Theis got into a brief tussle that resulted in Ibaka being called for a flagrant foul with 7:43 left in the game.

The C’s were ahead, 96-78, at that point, so it may have been a result of frustration for Ibaka. Either way, Theis isn’t taking it personally.

“It’s the second round of the playoffs. It’s nothing dirty,” said Theis, who made both free throws after the foul. “It’s a fight out there, the whole game we played physical. There’s no bad feeling or anything, it’s just one game.

“Every team wants to compete, every team wants to win. That’s what you expect from a series with Toronto and Boston.

Lowry plays

Raptors all-star guard Kyle Lowry, whose status had been uncertain for the game because of a sprained left ankle, started Game 1 and had a team-high 17 points to go with eight assists in 35 minutes.

Instead, the Celtics looked like a mentally tough championship contender that had their undivided attention on delivering a sharp performance against arguably the NBA’s hottest team, the defending champion Toronto Raptors.

While the Raptors have had their way in the Walt Disney World bubble, they certainly seem to bring out the best in the C’s. Boston got out to a fast start and never took its foot of the gas en route to a wire-to-wire 112-94 victory in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. The game had been postponed from its originally scheduled date of last Thursday night because NBA players chose not to play as part of a movement to bring attention to social and racial injustice. Both the Celts and Raptors had also quickly disposed of their first-round opponents in a sweep.

Including the eight seeding games and the playoffs in the bubble, Toronto has only lost twice — both were blowout losses at the hands of the Celtics. The C’s are a perfect 5-0 in the playoffs, but head coach Brad Stevens isn’t about to let his team get ahead of itself.

“We’re not even in the ballpark of doing that yet,” said Stevens when asked about his message to the team to continue to play the way they need to to win the series. “We won one game, so we’re going to try to get ready to play well on Tuesday. Our guys could not respect Toronto more. They play super hard, very together, very tough, great savvy. It’s hard to win a game, so we’ll just try to do it again Tuesday.”

Still, Sunday’s dominant victory provided a lot of what Stevens undoubtedly likes to see. Six players — all five starters included — scored in double figures, led by 21 points a piece from Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart. Point guard Kemba Walker had 18 points and 10 assists and big man Daniel Theis had 13 points and 15 rebounds, as both notched their first career playoff double-double.

The Celtics shot 47.0% against an excellent defensive Raptors team, and it held Toronto to 36.9% from the floor. Raptors leading scorers Pascal Siakam (13 points) and Fred VanVleet (11 points) were a combined 8-for-32.

“You got a team like Toronto, the defending champs and also a really, really good team. So they know what it takes,” said Smart, who made 5-of-9 3-pointers. “For us, we need to be locked in even more. That means come out and listen to the coach’s game plan and be locked in.”

Stevens elected not to play center Enes Kanter in the game, and went with a combination of Theis and second-year center Robert Williams against the Toronto bigs. It worked out masterfully with Williams contributing 10 points (5-for-5), five rebounds, two blocks and one emphatic windmill dunk in 19 minutes. The quicker more athletic frontcourt helped the C’s only surrender seven fast-break points and limit Toronto in transition.

“We’ve gotten that all year. I think that’s the one thing I know people haven’t talked about our guys a ton. There was a lot of talk in the beginning of the year about how we were going to fill that. It really has been a hockey-sub mentality,” said Stevens of the center position. “Everybody’s just willing to play their role.”

The Celtics built a 36-17 lead late in the first quarter on a Tatum jumper. The closest the Raptors ever got the rest of the way was nine when a Serge Ibaka (15 points) bucket made it 39-30 early in the second quarter.

Every time Toronto tried to make a move, the Celtics had an answer, and then some. Tatum had a steal in the final minute of the first half and converted it into a dunk for a 56-42 lead. For good measure, Walker buried a 27-foot triple at the buzzer to send the C’s into the break with a 59-42 advantage.

The lead swelled to as many as 24 in the fourth quarter when Smart buried a 3-pointer.

It was the latest confidence-building win for a Celtics team that continues to thrive in the postseason without injured forward Gordon Hayward.

“We’re not going to be perfect, but we just need to follow the game plan, play with purpose and play hard,” said Tatum. “That’s what we did tonight. We know Toronto is going to compete, they’re not going to give up. Every game is going to be a dog fight. If we go out there and give it our all, we’ll get good results.”

It was an anticipated opportunity to speak to members of the Celtics, who for days had been part of a powerful movement that started in the NBA’s Walt Disney World bubble and expanded across the professional sports landscape. Beginning Wednesday, NBA teams had chosen not to play their playoff games in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisc. The NBA had already been utilizing its platform and voice to take a stand against the numerous other past examples of racial and social injustice, such as the May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the March police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky.

As the clock struck noon and minutes continued to tick by with no sign of Stevens or a Celtics player on the scheduled Zoom call, it became quite evident that the Celtics would join the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors and cancel their Friday availability session. The C’s officially announced the cancellation via an email at 12:35 p.m.

Minutes later, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Executive Director Michele Roberts released a joint statement announcing that NBA playoff games will resume on Saturday and that the league will work with players on ambitious initiatives to further collective efforts and actions in support of social justice and racial equality.

“These commitments follow months of close collaboration around designing a safe and healthy environment to restart the NBA season, providing a platform to promote social justice, as well as creating an NBA Foundation focused on economic empowerment in the Black community,” the statement said. “We look forward to the resumption of the playoffs and continuing to work together — in Orlando and in all NBA team markets — to push for meaningful and sustainable change.”

Silver and Roberts said there was a candid, impassioned and productive conversation (Thursday) between players, coaches and team governors. All parties agreed to resume playoff games on Saturday, with the understanding that the league will work with the players to enact the following commitments:

1. The NBA and its players have agreed to immediately establish a social justice coalition, with representatives from players, coaches and governors, that will be focused on a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.

2. In every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property, team governors will continue to work with local elections officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID. If a deadline has passed, team governors will work with local elections officials to find another election-related use for the facility, including but not limited to voter registration and ballot receiving boards.

3. The league will work with the players and network partners to create and include advertising spots in each NBA playoff game dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul, the president of the NBPA, spoke to the media on Friday and elaborated on the emotional roller coaster of the last few days.

“What we’re doing right now in our league is huge,” Paul said. “I think for the young guys in our league to get a chance to see how guys are really coming together and speak, and see real change, real action, because guys are tired. Like, I mean tired. When I say tired, we’re not physically tired, we’re just tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.”

Paul said that he was able to talk to Jacob Blake’s father and it was a very emotional discussion.

“We’re all tired of seeing the same thing over and over again, and everybody just expecting us to be OK just because we get paid great money,” said Paul. “We’re human, we have real feelings and I’m glad that we got a chance to get in a room together to talk with one another and not just cross paths and say ‘good luck in your game today.'”

The Milwaukee Bucks started the movement of choosing not to play when they did not appear on the court for Wednesday’s playoff game against the Orlando Magic. Kenosha is just 40 miles south of Milwaukee.

The rest of the remaining NBA playoff teams followed the Bucks lead, as did teams in the WNBA, MLS, MLB and NHL over the last few days.

The Celtics and Raptors will play Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday night.

That’s a fact that might be easy to forget for many Celtics fans. They, of course, watched the C’s fizzle out in the second round last year, ultimately succumbing to the Milwaukee Bucks in just five games after cruising past the Indiana Pacers, 4-0, in the opening round best-of-seven. In fact, the 2019 playoff C’s won their first five postseason contests before things went south quicker than a Kyrie Irving mood swing.

Last year’s Celtics were a study in poor chemistry. The results didn’t come close to meeting the talent. The mercurial point guard Irving grew more and more disgruntled by the day in Boston and the all-star became a total nonfactor in that Bucks series. As predicted, Irving bolted from Boston last offseason and joined the Brooklyn Nets. Steady big man Al Horford also left in free agency to join the 76ers in an attempt to wash his hands of the embarassing mess left behind in Boston and bolster a Philly squad that appeared closer to title contention.

Well, the C’s are having the last laugh on that subject after Horford averaged just seven points in the series against the Celts.

Boston guard Jaylen Brown was asked to compare this season’s C’s to last year’s version.

“I think we’re clicking on all cylinders with this unit that we have here,” said Brown. “Last year, we had a lot of talent, but I think this year we’re better as a team. So going into this next series we have to be ready to fight. Last year, we swept in the first round and in the second round I think we lost in five.

“I think we have a better team and I think we’ll prove it in the second round.”

The 23-year-old Brown is among the Celtics who have benefited most from the improved chemistry. After averaging over 20 points per game during the regular season, he averaged 21.5 points per game in the sweep of Philly.

Forward Jayson Tatum (27 ppg) and point guard Kemba Walker (24.3 ppg) are also scoring at an impressive clip. These C’s seem to enjoy spreading the wealth when it comes to scoring. They’ve put egos aside and have no problem feeding the hot hand.

It’s been a team-first style of basketball all season long, and that’s partly credit to the mentality and leadership that Walker brought to Boston as Irving’s replacement.

“This is the reason I came to Boston,” said Walker. “That’s why I’m here for. To play high-level basketball each and every night. That’s what we’ve been doing.”

Lowry’s status uncertain

Things should get more challenging for the Celts in the second round, as a matchup with the defending champion Toronto Raptors awaits, starting with Game 1 Thursday (6:30 p.m.) in the Orlando bubble.

The Raptors completed their sweep of the Nets on Sunday night with a dominant 150-122 win. In that victory, Toronto received an incredible 100 points from its bench. The Raptors may have lost last year’s Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers, but they are still deep and well-coached under Nick Nurse.

However, that depth could take a hit as the Raptors announced on Monday that all-star guard Kyle Lowry has a left ankle sprain, sustained during Sunday’s Game against Brooklyn. Lowry underwent an MRI on the NBA campus in Orlando. The team said his condition will be updated as appropriate.

“You certainly want your best players out there, without question,” Nurse said after Sunday’s game. “But sometimes you don’t have much choice. That’s something we’ve become accustomed to in this league. You have to go out there with who is healthy and who is available. You have to think there’s a good chance you can figure out a way to win. That’s what we’ll do either way.”

The Celtics went 3-1 against the Raptors during the regular season.

Simmons feels the pain

There’s no question that Philadelphia deeply missed the presence of all-star guard Ben Simmons in the series against Boston.

Simmons had surgery on his left knee, which took him out of the postseason. The Sixers simply weren’t able to fill the void left by the dynamic 6-foot-10 Simmons, who averaged 16.4 points, 8 assists and 7.8 rebounds during the regular season. Mostly, Philly missed the defensive talents of the man who led the league in steals at 2.1 per game. His length would’ve helped immensely in slowing down Tatum and Brown.

The 24-year-old Simmons took to Twitter on Monday to voice his frustration with not being able to help.

“Watching my team get swept hurt, and I don’t ever want to feel that way again,” Simmons tweeted.

The forward is expected to miss approximately four weeks due to the injury and will have to hope that his C’s are still alive in the playoffs when he is able to return. He certainly sounded like a very disappointed individual, frustrated by facing yet another significant recovery and rehab hurdle.

“It’s definitely gutting, it sucks. There’s nothing else to say about that,” said Hayward. “It’s definitely frustrating, it doesn’t feel great at the moment. Just try to get better as soon as I can.”

Hayward said he knew as soon as he sustained the injury that it was serious. His awareness towards severe injuries will forever be heightened in the aftermath of the gruesome broken left ankle he suffered in his first game as a Celtic on opening night in 2017.

“I heard it and felt it and knew it wasn’t just your casual rolled ankle,” he said. “It was swollen by the time I was leaving the court, so I knew it was definitely worse than normal. As far as timeline, it’s kind of up in the air. I think it’s kind of just how my body responds to the rehab and all that stuff.

“Maybe I could use some Disney magic to help me get better.”

Hayward’s wife, Robyn, is pregnant with a baby due in September. Hayward had previously said that he planned to leave the NBA’s Orlando bubble for the birth of the child.

“Just trying to take it day by day and we’re looking at scheduling for the baby and all that stuff,” said Hayward.

Hayward saw his team deliver an inspired effort in his absence in Wednesday night’s Game 2, as the Celtics romped to a 128-101 win to take a 2-0 series lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference first round series. Game 3 is Friday night.

“I’m happy that we played well,” said Hayward. “The nice thing about our team is that we have a lot of talent and a lot of guys that can pick up the slack, so that’s definitely a plus. Happy to see us playing well, I think we were playing our best basketball heading into this. Hopefully we can continue that.”

This season, Hayward was playing his best basketball in a Boston uniform. He averaged an efficient 17.5 points (50 percent from the floor) during the regular season and a career-high 6.7 rebounds. His presence gave the Celtics four high-level scorers, along with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker.

Now, it’s about keeping his spirits high.

“Just try to attack the rehab. Definitely been here before, so I know how to do that,” said Hayward. “The mental side of rehab is by far more difficult than the physical side of rehab. There’s a lot of time when you’re alone, there’s a lot of time when you’re contemplating, there’s a lot of time to think. The mental side is the hardest part. Having good people around you is very key, it’s very important. I definitely have that.”

Bubble still brings the intensity

With the third-seeded Celtics having a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, No. 6 Philadelphia would ordinarily be able to count on going back home to regroup for the next two games.

But not this year. There is no real home-court advantage in the NBA’s bubble and no in-person fans in the arena for the home team to feed off. Still, it hasn’t hurt the atmosphere of the action.

“I think the intensity of the playoffs, the intensity of the seeding games and everything has been high-level basketball,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.

Boston’s bench was clearly primed and ready on Wednesday as the backups produced 41 points, a huge improvement from the eight they gave in Game 1. Guard Brad Wanamaker had seven points (3-for-3) and four assists in 23 minutes to contribute to the cause.

“Whether the fans are here or not, we got one goal and it’s to try to make a run at a championship,” said Wanamaker. “Obviously, the fans aren’t here to cheer us on in person, but we know they’re supporting us. It just shows the type of team we are. We have each other’s back — 2-0, 10-0, whatever the score is — you see our bench is very engaged in the game and cheering us on.”

Signature play

Stevens identified one specific sequence as his favorite in Wednesday night’s Game 2.

After 76ers star center Joel Embiid blocked a Walker shot in the paint, Walker hustled back to the other end and poked the ball away from Embiid. Tatum grabbed the loose ball for the steal and fired a perfect pass to Brown, who converted an emphatic 360 dunk for a 74-59 C’s advantage with 7:53 left in the third quarter.

“The best play of (Wednesday night) was when (Walker) got blocked at the rim and then ran back and tipped it away from Embiid in transition, and that led to Jaylen’s dunk,” said Stevens. “That was everything we want to be about, on that play, and I think that it was cool that it was Kemba.”

Picks galore

The Celtics landed the 14th pick in the NBA draft lottery Thursday night. They also own the 26th and 30th picks in the first round and the 47th overall pick in the second round.

The Minnesota Timberwolves received the No. 1 overall pick, while the Golden State Warriors hold the No. 2 pick and the Charlotte Hornets got the No. 3 pick.

Georgia guard Anthony Edwards, guard LaMelo Ball, Memphis center James Wiseman and Dayton forward Obi Toppin are among the top prospects in the draft, which is scheduled for Oct. 16.

Forward Gordon Hayward suffered a Grade 3 sprain of his right ankle during the fourth quarter of Monday night’s Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers in their Eastern Conference first round series. Hayward is expected to miss approximately four weeks, which would mean a return right around the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, if all goes well and the C’s are still playing at that point.

Boston did win Game 1, 109-101, and Hayward did not injure the left ankle that he broke in gruesome fashion back on opening night in October of 2017. But for the Celts and their already-thin playoff rotation, the silver linings likely end there.

“Really tough for him, obviously, tough for us,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens after Tuesday’s practice. “He’s had a heck of a season and played really well here (in the Walt Disney World Resort bubble). But, you know, it’s the other ankle — the right ankle this time. Just kind of one of those freak things that happens in basketball all the time. I feel for him more than anything else, and it’s our job to make up for all the great things that he does, by committee.”

The versatile 6-foot-7 Hayward had 12 points, four rebounds and four steals in 34 minutes in Game 1. The C’s were plus-10 with him on the court. For the season, he averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Stevens wasn’t completely certain if Hayward will rehab and recover in the bubble.

“I think we can certainly do a lot here, but all that stuff is going to be determined. We haven’t gotten to that depth of the conversation,” said Stevens. “He’s bummed, as you can imagine. We put in a lot of time and effort and you do so for this time and the playoffs. That’s what we all look forward to. We’ve been really lucky thus far in the bubble to have good health, and, of course, Game 1 we don’t. But that’s part of it. We’ve lived this before and we’re going to have to have other people step up.”

Hayward played in just one game in 2017-18, missed nine games in 2018-19, and missed 20 games this season. Guard Marcus Smart will likely fill Hayward’s void in the starting lineup, beginning with Game 2 Wednesday.

“For me, personally, I was there for when (Hayward) did the number on his (left) ankle a few years ago,” said Smart. “When I saw him go down and get up, and just the look on his face, the agony on his face, I was a little terrified. I thought it was the same ankle that he hurt. He said it wasn’t, so in that aspect, that’s a good sign. But at the same time, we lose one of our guys. It’s tough to see anybody go down with an injury, especially when you’ve been playing great basketball.”

Smart said nothing changes energy-wise whether he’s starting or coming off the bench. However, he did say that starting allows him to focus more on the defensive end, whereas coming off the bench often requires him to be more assertive, offensively.

Impede Embiid

Boston had its hands full on the glass in Game 1, as expected against the bigger Sixers. It was star center Joel Embiid who gave the C’s the bulk of trouble with 26 points and 16 rebounds.

Celtics starting center Daniel Theis, who stands 6-foot-8, and is four inches shorter and 35 pounds lighter than Embiid, was the C’s main option to guard Philly’s all-star big man.

“Overall, I think we did a great job in the post. We made it tough for him, I think he had three or four turnovers where the guards stole the ball from him,” said Theis of Embiid. “We know they’re going to go more with post-ups with him, so we got to be ready, especially me, and don’t bail him out with a foul. We’ve got to learn from every game.”

Embiid actually had a team-high five turnovers, while Philly had 18 altogether. Meanwhile, the Sixers’ defensive game plan called for Embiid to sag off Theis to clog the lane. Theis had many open looks, but made just 1-of-5 from 3-point land.

“I’ve got to be more aggressive. I’ve got to take the open shots if they give them to me, and I got to make them,” said Theis.

Bad night for Big Al

Former Celtic Al Horford, who signed a lucrative four-year contract with Philly last summer, continues to struggle in his first year in a Sixers uniform.

The big man, who averaged just 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds, while shooting just 45% from the floor during the regular season, had a measly six points and seven rebounds in 31 minutes in Game 1. He was also a game-worst minus-18 on the floor.