Justin R. Turpin

Braintree

Writer and Producer at WWEI-FM (Brighton, MA)

I write and talk about the Boston Celtics for @WEEI | 1/3 of @audacysports’ @SlammedPod | 5-Star Rider on Uber and Lyft | Contact: [email protected]

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Articles

Payton Pritchard yearned for a moment like Game 3, and he delivered

5 days ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

NEW YORK - Payton Pritchard is a competitor. He's always been that way. He relishes the opportunity to compete on the biggest of stages when the lights are the brightest. So when the Celtics found themselves with their backs against the wall, down 0-2 in hostile territory, of course, he embraced the moment. "You wouldn't want to be in any other position as a competitor. This is the best moment you can be in, down 2-0, backs against the wall," he said.
How 'Embracing the darkness' helped the Celtics rediscover themselves in Game 3

6 days ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

NEW YORK - After falling behind 0-2, there was no panic from the Celtics. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford - a trio that's played in 17 postseason series together - each made it clear they'd been here before. And they welcomed the challenge. "This group, a lot of us have been in so many different playoff situations and series. It's not like it's our first time," said Tatum. "Sometimes you need to lean on that experience.
The Celtics' key to flipping this series is simple

1 week ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

There are plenty of intricacies to the game of basketball, but at its roots, it's a simple game. If you aren't making shots, it's hard to win. And while you can point to other factors - turnovers, defensive breakdowns, lack of attention to detail, closing quarters, rebounding, and some late-game execution - the real reason the Celtics find themselves in an 0-2 hole is because they're missing shots they usually make.
History is against them, but you can't rule these Celtics out

1 week ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

The fire alarms that forced an evacuation of TD Garden after the Celtics fell behind 0-2 to the Knicks weren't the only ones sounding across the Commonwealth on Wednesday night. After blowing a 20-point lead and collapsing in the fourth quarter for the second straight game, panic alarms were blaring, too.
What to make of the Celtics' historic three-point drought in Game 1

1 week ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

You don't have to look far to figure out what the main talking point from the Celtics' 108-105 overtime loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals will be. Boston became the first team in league history to attempt 60 three-pointers in a playoff game. They misfired on 45 of those 60 (75%), setting an NBA postseason record for most three-point misses in a game. It was the third-most misses from beyond the arc in NBA history, and set a new franchise record for the Celtics.
Celtics return to full strength ahead of Knicks series

1 week ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

The Celtics are back to full strength. Boston will have its full rotation available for the first time since Game 1 against Orlando as they enter their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with the New York Knicks-the first postseason meeting between the Atlantic Division foes since 2012. Jrue Holiday, who missed the final three games of the first round due to a hamstring injury, is off the injury report and available for Game 1 against New York at TD Garden on Monday night.
Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown trending up as Celtics prepare to take on Knicks

2 weeks ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

The Celtics swept the Knicks in the regular season for the first time since 2019-20, with three of their four wins coming by double digits - 23, 27, and 13 points - for an average margin of victory of 16.3.But regular-season dominance doesn't carry over to the playoffs. As these Atlantic Division rivals meet in the postseason for the first time since 2013 - the final chapter in Boston for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Doc Rivers - the focus shifts entirely to the present. "That's just a saying.
5 initial thoughts on Celtics-Knicks Eastern Conference semifinals

2 weeks ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

The Celtics' Round 2 matchup is set - and it's a familiar foe. With the New York Knicks' 116-113 win over the Detroit Pistons, it'll be Boston vs. New York with a trip to the Eastern Conference finals on the line. It marks the first time in 12 years that the Celtics and Knicks will meet in the NBA playoffs - and the first time they'll face off beyond the first round since Boston edged New York in a seven-game second-round series back in 1984.
Jrue Holiday ruled out for Game 5 vs. Magic, Jaylen Brown questionable

2 weeks ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

The Celtics have a chance to close out the Orlando Magic and punch their ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the fourth straight year - and the eighth time in the last nine seasons - with a win in Game 5 on Tuesday night at TD Garden. But they'll have to do it shorthanded. Jrue Holiday has been ruled out and will miss his third straight game with a right hamstring strain, while Jaylen Brown is listed as questionable with a right knee posterior impingement.
'Heart of a Champion:' How Al Horford changed the game for the Celtics in Game 4

2 weeks ago | audacy.com | Justin R. Turpin

ORLANDO - Six points, six rebounds, two assists, and five blocks. Outside of the five blocks - more than the entire Orlando team - it's a modest stat line. But box scores rarely tell the whole story with Al Horford. "There should be a separate stat sheet for guys like him because of the type of stuff that he does," head coach Joe Mazzula said after the game. "Just an unbelievable competitor.