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The Boston Celtics reminded the basketball world why nobody wants to face them in the playoffs with their 103-86 Game 1 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. The team is so deep that it won handily without its stars going off, as Jayson Tatum had just 17 points (8-22 FG, 1-8 3 PT) and Jaylen Brown had 16 (6-14 FG, 0-2 3 PT).
Derrick White (30 points) and Payton Pritchard (19) led the way for Boston. The latter player is the favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year this season.
Tatum and head coach Joe Mazzulla went viral when Mazzulla told his star to "get up" without a trainer's help after he fell to the ground. The 2023 All-Star Game head coach later clarified why he did that, via ClutchPoints' Daniel Donabedian.
"Love," he said. "It all starts with love...I appreciate who he is as a competitor.”
Al Horford supported Mazzulla's comment, via Donabedian.
"The team has taken up after Joe, and the way that he is. We want to play hard, we want to compete," the 38-year-old said. "That's the mindset that we carry. Joe is competitive, he's as competitive as we are. We're all in this together. We're out there competing, and we all want the same thing for our group."
Al Horford on Joe Mazzulla and his way of showing love to Jayson Tatum and the rest of the Celtics:
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) April 22, 2025
“He’s just as competitive as we are…We all want the same thing for our group.” pic.twitter.com/TAtHuaY7Ly
Horford averaged nine points on 42.3 percent shooting (36.3 percent 3 PT) with 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in the regular season. The Florida alum tallied five points (2-3 FG, 1-1 3 PT) with five rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 25 minutes off the bench on Sunday.
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- The 'Most 2,000-point NBA seasons' quiz
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Nikola Jokic on the cusp of a streak never achieved in 79-year NBA history
Nikola Jokic on Wednesday became the third player ever to start a season with four consecutive triple-doubles, joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62) and Russell Westbrook (2020-21) in exclusive company. If the Denver Nuggets star can make it five in a row against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, he'll achieve a streak never recorded in the 79-year history of the NBA, per the Associated Press. Nikola Jokic on pace to eclipse the Big O Jokic recorded the 168th triple-double of his career on Wednesday, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Nuggets' 122-88 blowout victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Serbian star is just 13 shy of tying Robertson for second on the leaderboard and 35 away from equaling Westbrook, the all-time leader. Unless he suffers an injury, Jokic is a lock to surpass "The Big O" this season, considering he amassed a career-high 34 last season. It also doesn't seem far-fetched for Jokic to tie or surpass Westbrook's record of 203 triple-doubles this season. For one, Westbrook, who has assumed a bench role with the Sacramento Kings, won't put up the gaudy numbers he did during his prime with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Furthermore, Jokic's recent career progression suggests a steady increase in the number of triple-doubles year-over-year. Nikola Jokic's rapid-fire triple-doubles Jokic had only 16 triple-doubles when he won his first MVP in 2020-21, a number that rose to 19 when he clinched his second Michael Jordan Trophy the following season. That total increased to 25 when he earned his third MVP in 2023-24, and then to 34 last year, when he became the first center ever to average a triple-double for a season. If the recent trend is any indication, Jokic will likely accumulate at least 40 triple-doubles this season, making him the all-time leader. Another remarkable trend in Jokic's triple-doubles is the rapidity with which he gets them. On Wednesday, he sat out the fourth quarter, marking the 17th time in his career when he reached a triple-double mark while logging less than 30 minutes. According to the NBA, Jokic leads both Robertson and Westbrook for most such games. Jokic similarly had more triple-doubles within three quarters than the entire NBA combined last season. And that was when the Nuggets had questionable depth, leading to the firing of head coach Michael Malone. This season, Denver is significantly better, giving Jokic many more chances to record triple-doubles and sit out the fourth quarter.
Brian Schottenheimer vows to put 'elephant in his garage' if Cowboys beat Cardinals
Brian Schottenheimer has endured some unexpected developments during his first season as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. While speaking with reporters on Friday, Schottenheimer indicated he could grow a little superstitious if 3-4-1 Dallas notches a home win over the Arizona Cardinals (2-5) on Monday night. How far will Brian Schottenheimer go to help the Cowboys win? "S---, I'll put an elephant in my frickin' garage," Schottenheimer revealed, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "I'll do that next. If that's what it takes to win, I'll do it." Schottenheimer was referring to the odd encounters his family has had with wildlife since September. As Archer noted in a previous piece, two of Schottenheimer's dogs were bitten by snakes ahead of Dallas' Week 2 game versus the New York Giants. Additionally, Schottenheimer's 82-year-old mother suffered a broken arm when she fell at the airport before she could fly to Dallas for that matchup. The Cowboys ultimately handed Schottenheimer the first win of his coaching career after Dallas' Brandon Aubrey made a game-tying 64-yard field goal as time expired. Aubrey later kicked a game-winner in the closing seconds of the overtime period. The Schottenheimer family versus an owl More recently, an owl flew into the Schottenheimer family home on Thursday. "I'm in game plan meetings last night, doing some red zone stuff, and I leave the meeting about 10 o'clock, and I go back to my phone, and I literally had 72 text messages on my phone. Seventy-two," Schottenheimer explained. "...It literally started with a text from my son to his mother saying, 'Umm, there's a big hawk-sized bird in here,' and I began to look down and there was an owl." It turns out that Schottenheimer's son accidentally left the sliding doors open before the owl was discovered. Schottenheimer added that animal control safely removed the owl from the house and "returned to its safe domain." "I might have to look at that as another job," Schottenheimer joked. "Just kinda become an animal control guy. I'm so experienced now with wildlife in and around Dallas. Can't make it up." Shortly after Schottenheimer concluded his remarks, ESPN BET had the Cowboys as 2.5-point favorites over the Cardinals. It sounds like some insiders think Schottenheimer might soon need to explore what it would take to keep an elephant in a garage for at least a few months.
Mariners Report Is Great News For Josh Naylor Pursuit
The Seattle Mariners have arguably the most important offseason in recent memory coming up over the next few months. Seattle has been right on the doorstep. The Mariners have won 88 or more games in three of the last four seasons, including 90 wins in both 2025 and 2022. The only season the Mariners won fewer than 88 games over the last four season was in 2024 when they won 85 games. The Mariners had a phenomenal 2025 season and just won the American League West for the first time since 2001. Seattle obviously came within one win of the World Series as well in the American League Championship Series, as well. All of this is to say that the Mariners' window for contention is open, but does hinge on this offseason. The Mariners brought guys to town, like Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez, who proved to be critical to he team's success down the stretch. Now, the Mariners need to figure out who to bring back -- and who to add -- and fortunately, they reportedly will have some money to spend, per MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. "(Josh Naylor) is ineligible for the $22.025 million qualifying offer -- which is a one-year deal calculated by averaging MLB’s 125 highest salaries -- because he was traded midseason," Kramer said. "The same can be said for Suárez, while Ferguson and Jackson won’t be considered, either. "The Mariners will have more money to spend than in any recent offseason -- in the $30 million to $35 million range for 2026 -- which should give them ample room to bring back Naylor and still address their other needs." There will be options for Seattle this offseason It would obviously make sense for the Mariners to bring back Naylor. This has been a popular talking point since before the Mariners were even knocked out of the playoffs. He played in 54 games and slashed .299/.341/.490 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, and 10 doubles in the regular season for Seattle. He clubbed three homers and batted .340 for the Mariners in the playoffs as well in 12 games. Even if Naylor isn't the guy, the fact that the Mariners reportedly have a little extra wiggle room for the payroll is a great sign. The Mariners' starting rotation is in good shape. They need to continue working on the offense around Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez. Outside of Naylor and Suárez, some of the top sluggers heading to the open market are Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, Cody Bellinger, Marcell Ozuna, and Gleyber Torres, among others. It sounds like the Mariners could afford to bring back Naylor, but regardless, there will be talent out there for the taking and Seattle needs to stay aggressive. More MLB: Mariners Can Afford To Cut Ties With 5-Year Veteran
Three teams that should pursue a trade for Titans WR Calvin Ridley
As the Tennessee Titans are free falling towards another season as one of the NFL's worst teams, they will likely sell off some of their higher priced players before the NFL's Nov. 4 trade deadline. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley tops the list of available players on the trade block even as he deals with a hamstring injury. Ridley's big play ability makes him an attractive option for teams looking to add another wide receiver. Even though he's been experiencing an up and down season so far - Ridley has only 16 receptions for 290 yards, he surpassed 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons following sitting out 2022 due to being suspended for betting. So assuming Ridley is healthy enough to remain a trade target, here are the teams that should take a chance on the controversial wide out. Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rodgers may have stabilized the Steelers' quarterback position, but that doesn't mean the offense is as consistent as it needs to be for Pittsburgh to truly contend in the AFC. Pittsburgh has only exceeded 30 points twice through seven games. Desperate to increase their offensive output, especially with the defense struggling, the Steelers could use more receiver depth behind DK Metcalf. Acquiring Ridley would provide Rodgers another weapon and make the decision to place double coverage on Metcalf more of a risk for opponents. If Ridley can get back to form, he would unlock an extra dimension for a Steelers team that still holds a comfortable lead in the AFC North. New England Patriots One of the surprising results of the season so far, the Patriots are 6-2 and in first place in the AFC East. But if New England truly hopes to make a playoff push, second-year quarterback Drake Maye may need more at his disposal. To this point, Maye has been forced to work without a true deep threat. And while he's been able to methodically move the ball, Ridley would make his life much easier and stretch the field even more. Seattle Seahawks Another first place team who could use another playmaker, the Seattle Seahawks' offense has started to show signs of weakness in recent weeks. Much like the Steelers, the Seahawks have a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. He's been brilliant with three-straight 100 plus-yard games. However, Seattle has only scored 30 points once in its last four games. Pairing Smith-Njigba with Ridley would make the Seahawks more potent as they approach a stretch of the schedule with pivotal divisional matchups coming up.
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