Celtics Notes: Kyrie Irving Sorely Missed; Joel Embiid Dominates Boston Big Men

Celtics Notes: Kyrie Irving Sorely Missed; Joel Embiid Dominates Boston Big Men

Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving’s candidacy for NBA MVP was bolstered during Thursday night’s ugly offensive performance by the C’s in an 89-80 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Without Irving, who sat out because of a shoulder injury, the C’s shot just 41.1 percent from the floor, hit only seven of 29 3-point shots, generated 13 points in the second quarter and scored a season-low 53 points through three quarters. In addition to poor shooting, the C’s also were sloppy with the basketball. They committed 19 turnovers and had just 13 assists on 30 made shots. Irving is the team’s leading scorer with 23.6 points per game,... NESN.com

Kyrie Irving Likes Instagram Video Of Furious LeBron James Ripping Into Cavs

Kyrie Irving Likes Instagram Video Of Furious LeBron James Ripping Into Cavs

LeBron James may be “The King” when it comes to basketball, but Kyrie Irving certainly owns the title when it comes to sheer pettiness. The Cleveland Cavaliers got dusted by the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, losing 133-99. And during a timeout James took it upon himself to lead the huddle and rip into his teammates and coaches. One user on Instagram posted the video of James’ rage, and the Boston Celtics’ point guard liked the post in a hilarious demonstration of trolling. Irving certainly had a much better Thursday night than LeBron did, with the Celtics putting together a 22-point comeback in London to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-103. NESN.com

Why Skip Bayless Thinks Kyrie Irving Is Under More Pressure Than LeBron James

Why Skip Bayless Thinks Kyrie Irving Is Under More Pressure Than LeBron James

All roads in the NBA lead back to LeBron James. At least it does in Skip Bayless’ mind. And heading into Wednesday’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, Bayless was all-in on his hot takes between James and Celtics guard Kyrie Irving. And his belief Wednesday — a somewhat tepid take by his standard — was that Irving now is under “ten-times more pressure” to succeed than LeBron is. “It was similar to what (Kevin) Durant did with (Russell) Westbrook,” Bayless said on his talk show on FS1. “Kyrie got tired of — I got this from a source very close to Kyrie and I’m going to say it again because I

Kyrie Irving Hilariously Trash Talks John Wall After Missed Dunk

Kyrie Irving Hilariously Trash Talks John Wall After Missed Dunk

John Wall had to have known that he was going to receive some grief for his loud gaffe Monday night. In the first quarter of the Boston Celtics’ matchup with the Washington Wizards on Christmas Day, Wall furiously attacked the basket and elevated for a highlight-reel dunk, but the star point guard was denied by the rim in an embarrassing sequence. The TD Garden crowd serenaded Wall with sarcastic applause after the missed dunk, but they weren’t the only ones to get on Wall’s case. On an ensuing possession up the court, Kyrie Irving reminded his cross-court rival of the opportunity he squandered. Although Irving’s snarky remark was pretty funn... NESN.com

Bah Humbug: Celtics’ Kyrie Irving Doesn’t View Christmas As Holiday

Bah Humbug: Celtics’ Kyrie Irving Doesn’t View Christmas As Holiday

Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics will be spending their Christmas Day squaring off with the Washington Wizards at TD Garden, but the star point guard isn’t too broken up about working on the holiday because, well, he doesn’t view it as one. Irving, who made waves last season when he stated he believes the Earth is flat, was asked about his views on Christmas and what his plans were for Dec. 25 following the Celtics’ 102-93 loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday, and his answer was classic Irving. Here’s the video, courtesy of The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn: This undoubtedly will get a lot of social media traction, much like the

Gordon Hayward Shares His Take On Kyrie Irving’s Flat-Earth Theory

Gordon Hayward Shares His Take On Kyrie Irving’s Flat-Earth Theory

Holding your teammates accountable is important, and it appears the Boston Celtics have no issue doing so. Kyrie Irving has shined in his first season with the C’s, but the point guard’s on-court talent seemingly has been discussed as much as his theory on the third planet from the sun. While Irving wasn’t the first professional athlete to suggest that Earth is flat, the 25-year-old effectively has become post child for the debate. Though some members of the Celtics organization have at least considered that Earth might not be round, it’s clear Gordon Hayward won’t be joining this group of outside-the-box thinkers. During a recent Twitch liv... NESN.com

Kyrie Irving Explains How Jayson Tatum Can Realize Star Potential

Kyrie Irving Explains How Jayson Tatum Can Realize Star Potential

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum continues to impress at 19 years old. The Boston Celtics have asked a lot of the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and he’s delivered early in his career. Tatum scored in double figures once again in the Celtics’ 108-97 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. The Duke product poured in nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, showing once again that the NBA stage isn’t too big for him. With the Celtics leading by five in the fourth quarter, Tatum got Philly forward Amir Johnson on the switch and immediately asked for a clear out so he could take the former Celtics big