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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
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HoopsHype

Ime Udoka misses media session due to non-COVID illness

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
Celtics zooming with us at this hour, but not coach Ime Udoka is not on this call because he has a non COVID illness. Daniel Theis says Celtics must do a better job against Butler’s shot fakes and stop sending him to the line (17 for 18 there in Game 1). – 11:33 AM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Ime Udoka has a non-COVID illness, Celtics announce. – 11:24 AM
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
Celtics just announced Ime Udoka will not take part in today’s media session due to non-COVID illness. – 11:22 AM
Mark Murphy @Murf56
Per Celtics, Ime Udoka is unavailable for today’s presser because of a non-COVID-related illness. – 11:21 AM
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
Ime Udoka will no longer speak to the media today due to a non-Covid illness, per the Celtics. They say he will speak tomorrow before the game. – 11:17 AM
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
New: Ime Udoka was not happy with how the Celtics handled a rough third quarter. “We all got caught up in the officiating a little bit.” masslive.com/celtics/2022/0…12:02 AM
Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Ime Udoka states the obvious: Boston didn’t handle Miami’s physicality well at all in the third quarter. Said the Heat came out and took it too them, and Boston played in a crowd and sought fouls instead of making the right plays. – 11:39 PM
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
Ime Udoka said the bigs made a lot of mistakes swiping down on Jimmy Butler when they should know he is looking to draw the foul on those moves while he is rising up to draw the and one. – 11:38 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka said Rob Williams had a cramp and that he thinks Williams will be fine moving forward. – 11:38 PM
Jay King @ByJayKing
Ime Udoka said Robert Williams had a cramp. Nothing with his knee. – 11:37 PM
Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Ime Udoka says Robert Williams just cramped up in the fourth quarter, and thinks he will be fine. – 11:37 PM
Jay King @ByJayKing
Ime Udoka: “We got caught up in the physicality – trying to draw fouls instead of making the right reads.” – 11:37 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka: “Having Marcus and Al might have helped, because they settle us down, but it wasn’t really just that. And it wasn’t our young guys, Payton and Aaron, but it was our veterans Jayson and Jaylen who let it get away from us.” – 11:37 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka: “It was disappointing that we were caught off guard by their physicality. It was a talking point at halftime that they would up the physicality and bring more of it in the third quarter.” – 11:36 PM
Jay King @ByJayKing
Ime Udoka said “it was a little disappointing” the Celtics were caught off guard by the Heat physicality. Said that was a talking point at halftime that they would bring more of it. – 11:35 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka on the third quarter turnovers: “We got caught up and stopped trying to make the right play.” – 11:35 PM
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
Ime Udoka: “We all got caught up in the officiating in the third quarter.” – 11:35 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka has answered two questions and in both of them he’s called out that Miami upped the physicality in the third quarter and the Celtics didn’t match it. – 11:34 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka on the third quarter: “We got out-toughed and out-physicaled. They looked like they want to up their physicality and aggression and we looked like we didn’t want to match it…We lost our composure.” – 11:33 PM
Vivek Jacob @vivekmjacob
Lol was Grant Williams telling Ime Udoka to move on? – 10:31 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Guaranteed Ime Udoka is ripping the Celtics during this timeout. Shorthanded or not, this has all been way too easy for Miami.
Butler is up to 4 offensive rebounds already. – 10:10 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Jayson Tatum played 22:47 in the first half. In the 1:13 he sat, the Celtics were outscored by six points.
If Ime Udoka could steal him just a minute or two of rest, maybe right before an auto timeout, it would be huge. – 9:53 PM
Mark Murphy @Murf56
Ime Udoka would not rule out Horford for Game 2 – said everything depends on testing protocols. Horford has now gone into protocol for the third time, also including preseason and a five-game absence in December. – 7:16 PM
Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
Ime Udoka’s pregame press conference airing RIGHT NOW on Celtics Post Up on @NBCSBoston
Al Horford entered health and safety protocols two hours ago. Status uncertain moving forward.
Derrick White and Grant Williams get the start in Game 1. – 7:11 PM
A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
There’s still soreness, some swelling and some limited movement still with Marcus Smart and his mid-foot sprain injury, according to Ime Udoka. – 7:08 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Marcus Smart tested things, but had too much soreness in his sprained right foot to play in Game 1, per Ime Udoka.
Udoka said that Smart will test things out again tomorrow and Thursday in hopes of playing in Game 2. – 7:08 PM
Jay King @ByJayKing
Ime Udoka said Marcus Smart’s “soreness was too much” and he had some limited mobility with basketball movements. They’ll see how he feels tomorrow after some more treatment and time off. – 7:07 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka said “it’s not definite” that Al Horford will miss through Game 2. Cited the protocols being different than earlier this season.
Udoka also said he’s “honestly unsure” if any other members are the Celtics are considered close contacts or at risk of missing time. – 7:07 PM
A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
Ime Udoka added that Al Horford may be available for Game 2 – 7:06 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka confirms that Rob Williams will start and has “no restrictions as far as minutes” for Game 1. – 7:06 PM
A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
Ime Udoka said he found out Al Horford would go into health and safety protocol about two hours ago. – 7:05 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Ime Udoka says this is the first day that the Celtics knew of a protocols issue with Al Horford. Says he’s feeling fine and that it’s not guaranteed that he’ll miss Game 2. Also won’t say if Horford tested positive.
Derrick White and Grant Williams will start tonight. – 7:05 PM
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
Ime Udoka on Al Horford: “It’s not definite he’s out for two games.” – 7:04 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Grant Williams and Derrick White will start in place of Al Horford and Marcus Smart, per Ime Udoka. – 7:04 PM
Jay King @ByJayKing
Ime Udoka said the Celtics found out the news about Al Horford a couple of hours ago. Udoka won’t say whether Horford tested positive, which is the Celtics normal policy. Said Horford’s feeling fine. Said it’s not definite that he will miss Game 2. – 7:04 PM
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
Ime Udoka on Al Horford: “He’s feeling fine. We’ll go from there.” – 7:04 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Ime Udoka said the Celtics found out about Al Horford “about two hours ago”.
He added that Horford is feeling fine, but that the team will not comment on his testing status. – 7:04 PM
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
Ime Udoka on when he found out about Al Horford: “About two hours ago.” – 7:03 PM
Jay King @ByJayKing
Poor Ime Udoka was asked today if he had any memories of Miami’s arena: “Just one. Just one shot.” – 12:44 PM

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