On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Boston big man Dave Popson signed with the team as an unrestricted free agent in 1990. The 6-foot-10 power forward played his collegiate ball with the University of North Carolina. He was drafted 88th (there were several more rounds to the draft in that era) in the 1987 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons.
Popson played short stints with the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat before joining the Celtics. He also had stints in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and overseas playing for clubs based in France and Spain.
Popson played just 19 games for Boston, averaging 1.8 points per game with the team.
It is also the date the Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boston beat Philadelphia, 109-101, despite 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 2 steals from Sixers big man Joel Embiid. Rising star small forward Jayson Tatum exploding for 32 points, 13 boards, and 3 blocks for the Celtics, then a playoff career high.
Behind 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists from fellow wing Jaylen Brown and 19 points and 5 assists from point guard Kemba Walker, Boston secured the win. Fifteen of Brown’s points came at a critical part of the fourth quarter.
“It’s true that Jayson Tatum to start was excellent,” said 76ers head coach Brett Brown via the Associated Press. “You have to give them credit for how good they are at creating their own shot.”
“Philly, they’re not going to go away,” Tatum suggested. “They’re a tough team. It’s the playoffs.”
“You’ve got to come together as a team. You’ve got to play hard. You ain’t going to be perfect. That’s what we did. We came together and stuck it out.”
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