Ime Udoka Says Celtics ‘Lied’ about Being Kept in the Dark
Saturday night represented Ime Udoka’s return to Boston for the first time since the transgressions and subsequent suspension that led to his departure from the Celtics.
Before the game, while discussing what he regrets most, letting people down, the franchise’s former bench boss expressed of not following up on the most impressive in-season turnaround in NBA history, going from being 11th in the East to two wins from a title, “obviously, (I) wanted a chance to run it back and do it again with a group that you feel you can build and grow with.”
His exit came five days before training camp last season, thrusting Joe Mazzulla, 34 at the time, from sitting behind the bench to becoming the NBA’s youngest active head coach.
The nature of his departure, which included a franchise trying its best to protect everyone involved, including itself from a legal standpoint, led to players stating at different points before, during, and after the 2022-23 campaign that they felt left in the dark about what happened.
Putting it plainly, Udoka conveyed, “I would say they lied to you guys. They knew, or some of them knew. Obviously, if I had talked to them, they wouldn’t share stuff publicly. So who needed to know knew.”
After generating a game-high 32 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in the Celtics’ 145-113 win over his former head coach’s Houston Rockets, when informed of Udoka’s comments, Jaylen Brown voiced, “It was definitely a weird process.”
“We, kind of, knew what was going on, but then, there was, like, a time where we were hearing speculation that there was like more to it,” the two-time All-Star continued. “And it turned out to be that wasn’t — it wasn’t anything else than what we already knew. But, definitely, a peculiar kind of situation or whatever. But overall, I’m just happy to see him back on his feet, back coaching on the sideline, where he belongs, and I was happy that it ended up working out for both parties.”
Jayson Tatum, who registered 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block before getting ejected early in the final frame with the outcome already decided, said of the subject, “Just to be honest, like, some of those private conversations, I kind of want to keep private,” adding, “We’ve all moved on. Leave that in the past.”
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Here’s What Stood Out as Celtics Steamrolled Rockets in Ime Udoka’s Return
When Celtics PA Announcer Eddie Palladino introduced Ime Udoka before the start of Saturday night’s matchup, the Houston Rockets head coach and Boston’s former bench boss received a mixed reaction of cheers and boos from the TD Garden faithful.
His night didn’t improve, as the hosts improved to 19-0 on their parquet, building on the franchise record they set with a 127-120 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, already making this their best home start to a season.
Jaylen Brown (32 points) and Jayson Tatum (27) combined for 59 points in the victory, though the latter’s evening ended early thanks to a fourth-quarter ejection.
But by then, the Celtics had already quieted Alperen Sengun after he manufactured 16 points in the first half but only produced three more after halftime.
That’s a reflection of Boston playing with more force defensively in a third frame where it outscored Houston 43-28, breaking the game open.
Now for a deep dive into what stood out as Saturday night’s win, improving their NBA-leading record to 30-9, unfolded.
1. The start of Saturday’s game between the Celtics and Rockets felt like two fighters trying to feel each other out in the opening round. Most instances of either side being willing to switch into attack mode came in transition, with both sides feeding off the other’s three giveaways in the first frame.
2. Jayson Tatum didn’t score until forcing a turnover and taking off for a two-handed jam with 2:18 left in the opening quarter. Still, he finished the first 12 minutes with seven points, including burying a three to beat the buzzer, then blowing a kiss to the crowd as the hosts took a 35-31 lead into the second period.
3. Boston had considerable trouble containing Alperen Sengun in the second frame. The third-year center from Turkey generated ten points, producing most from the paint, craftily getting past Luke Kornet, Kristaps Porzingis, and most of the methods Joe Mazzulla tried to slow him down.
Sengun entered halftime with a team-leading 16 points on 7/12 shooting. Interestingly enough, the one individual who had success guarding him was Jayson Tatum, including keeping him in front on a possession that ended with a rejection by Brown on Jabari Smith Jr. that sent TD Garden into a frenzy.
That Tatum proved Boston’s best option to guard Sengun in the opening half is a testament to the soon-to-be five-time All-Star’s defensive capabilities and versatility. However, given his offensive workload, the Celtics have to responsibly manage what’s asked of him at that end of the floor.
4. And while the Rockets constantly double-teaming Tatum and Jaylen Brown had some success and is at the root of why the latter only had 11 points after the game’s first 24 minutes, the former eventually broke through.
Even before that happened, the hosts’ ball movement and their stars’ willingness to pass out of double teams often led to quality looks. That selflessness translated to the Celtics shooting 56.1 percent from the field, including 12/24 from beyond the arc in the first half. They also assisted on 12/23 field goals.
5. But once Tatum started heating up, which began late in the first quarter, the contest started to get away from Houston. The three-time All-NBA selection knocked down 3/4 threes he hoisted in the second frame and made 5/8 shots that period. He entered intermission with 22 points, pacing all participants.
Still, the hosts went into the break with an 11-point edge, 69-58, meaning that for as well as they played in the second quarter, the visitors were still within striking distance.
6. Unfortunately for the Rockets, the third frame was when the Celtics delivered a knockout blow, outscoring them 43-28.
The latter was at its best defensively, playing on a string and consistently contesting shots, limiting Houston to 34.6 percent shooting from the field, including 2/8 (25 percent) from three-point range.
7. Consistently getting stops fueled a relentless up-tempo attack that fueled effective ball movement and quality, in-rhythm attempts.
And after the other half of Boston’s star wing tandem broke out in the second period, Jaylen Brown erupted in the third, generating 21 points, beating defenders off the dribble, pushing the pace off misses, and burying 4/5 threes.
8. The party at TD Garden did take a hit when Tatum got ejected for an extended-expression of his frustration with the lack of a foul call, resulting in two technicals. On his way to the locker room, he leaned in and delivered a final message to the referee who tossed him.
9. Still, the Celtics had entered the final 12 minutes with a commanding 112-86 advantage, allowing their other starters to take it easy while the extended rotation applied the finishing touches on their 145-113 victory.
10. The Celtics now head north of the border for a game against the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. That matchup will tip off at 7:30 EST.
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