Getty Ime Udoka looks on during a Boston Celtics game.
Ime Udoka may be a rookie head coach leading a young team, but he has the Boston Celtics ready to compete on the NBA’s biggest stage against one of the league’s most experienced and battle-tested teams.
The Celtics head coach spoke out on Sunday after his team defeated the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, earning a spot in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Udoka said he knows there will be a big challenge ahead, but believes his team is ready to take on the Warriors.
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Celtics Coach Speaks Out
After his team withstood a furious comeback attempt in the fourth quarter of Game 7, Udoka said there wasn’t much time to savor the victory against the top-seeded Heat.
“We’re quick to flip the page and say, ‘We’ve got four more,’” Udoka said after Sunday’s game, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “We don’t hang or celebrate Eastern Conference championships in the Celtics organization … We’re here now trying to finish the deal.”
“We’re ready for the challenge.”
Ime Udoka believes his Celtics team is prepared to face the Warriors in the Finals 👀
Udoka noted that the Celtics played well against the Warriors in both of their matchups this year, splitting the series 1-1 with one blowout win and a comeback attempt that fell just short in the other contest. The confidence of matching up well against the Warriors and dispatching the Heat in seven games had Udoka feeling good about the upcoming NBA Finals.
“So, very confident going in,” he said. “I know it’s another tough challenge. I think Miami will help prep us for some of the off-ball actions in the shooters that they had. But we know [the Warriors are] a high-level team, executing team that has a ton of great shooters, great players overall, guys I know well.
“We’re ready for the challenge.”
Warriors Savor Time to Rest
The Warriors had a bit of a wait after dispatching the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Finals, some much-needed time off for a banged-up squad. The May 26 victory in Game 5 gave the Warriors a full week to prepare for the start of the NBA Finals, and because Golden State had a better regular-season record they will get to start the series at home in San Francisco.
The Warriors have endured a number of injuries, with do-it-all big man Otto Porter Jr. missing the end of the Western Conference Finals and defensive stopper Gary Payton II out since Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal against the Memphis Grizzlies after suffering a fractured elbow. Veteran Andre Iguodala has also been out with a neck injury.
While the Warriors have expected Payton to return for the NBA Finals — potentially taking the court in Thursday’s Game 1 — the timeline for all three players remains unclear. As ESPN’s Kendra Andrews noted, the team will need until a little later in the week to get a better assessment of where the injured players stand.
The Golden State Warriors are likely to see Gary Payton II back for the NBA Finals, and the team says Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. are on the mend, too.
“Steve Kerr says Andre Iguodala, Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. participated in practice today, but did not scrimmage,” Andrews tweeted. “Because of that, Kerr doesn’t have a feel for their availability yet for the Finals.”
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Celtics’ Ime Udoka Sends Strong Message to Warriors: ‘We’re Ready’