Latest news with #DennisJohnson
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
PHOTOS: Interesting clouds spotted over NE Ohio — what are they?
GENEVA, Ohio (WJW) – Several FOX 8 viewers spotted some interesting looking clouds as a cold front made its way across Northeast Ohio on Friday evening. One viewer, Tonya Thompson, captured photos of the horizontal clouds moving off of Lake Erie after 7 p.m. in Geneva. Smoke from Canadian wildfires could affect NE Ohio this weekend: What to know Another viewer, Dennis Johnson, shared similar photos from Jefferson around 7:45 p.m. So, what are they exactly? According to FOX 8 meteorologist Dontae Jones, these are cool arcus clouds, which are associated with frontal boundaries as they move along a front, mainly a gust front. The FOX 8 weather team said there is a cold front moving through Northeast Ohio this evening. Keep up with the latest weather conditions in your neighborhood right here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
On this day: Larry Bird steals the ball; Bill Russell honored
On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary forward Larry Bird stole the ball and passed it to point guard Dennis Johnson for the winning layup in a wild, 107-106, Game 5 victory over the Detroit Pistons in the East Conference finals of the 1987 NBA playoffs. Detroit point guard Isiah Thomas had scored a late basket to put the Pistons up 106-105 with 17 seconds remaining. When Bird tried to respond with a layup on the next play, it was blocked. Detroit got the ball back, and the game seemed all but over with just five seconds remaining. Advertisement But, the Hick from French Lick picked off the inbounds pass and connected with Johnson for the win. Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Boston Celtics former center Bill Russell in attendance during the 2013 NBA all star shooting stars competition at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports In 1999, a "Bill Russell Tribute" was held at the FleetCenter (today's TD Garden) to honor the Celtics legend's Hall of Fame career. Guests included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Tom Brokaw, Jim Brown, Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain, Johnny Mathis, then-NBA commissioner David Stern and Bill Walton among many others. The event lasted more than two hours and even featured a videotaped greeting from then-President Bill Clinton. "The one thing I don't like about these (ceremonies) is they're so serious," said Russell via the Hartford Courant's Alan Greenberg. "When they introduce me, it sounds like my obituary. I'm not dead yet. But I know I'm getting old because I talk about what I've done, rather than what I'm going to do ... I don't compare myself to anyone, as far as who is the best player." Advertisement "All I do is put up the rings," he added. This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Bird steals ball; Russell honored
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Even Derrick White can't do that" - When Bob Ryan labeled Dennis Johnson the most disruptive guard in NBA history
When the Boston Celtics' dynasty of the 1980s is discussed, the spotlight often shines on Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. But one man who saw the team up close while writing for The Boston Globe, Bob Ryan, knew that without Dennis Johnson, the C's wouldn't have captured multiple titles or made it to four straight championship rounds. In fact, Ryan went as far as to call DJ the most destructive defensive guard basketball fans may have ever seen. Dennis was a menace on the defensive end Even during the best offensive campaign of his NBA career, "Airplane" averaged 19.5 points per game, making it clear that while he could score, his offensive game had its limits. But when DJ truly separated himself, it was his hard-nosed defense on the perimeter, consistently locking down the opposition's best scorer — no matter the hardship of a situation, he never let his head drop. Advertisement This aspect of his game was evident even before he arrived in Boston. In the 1978 NBA Finals, the five-time All-Star struggled offensively, averaging 16.6 points over the seven games as his Seattle SuperSonics fell to the Washington Bullets. The weight of that loss was thumped on Dennis' shoulders as he missed all of his 14 field goal attempts in the highly pressured Game 7. However, when the two teams met again in the '79 championship round, Johnson delivered revenge in emphatic fashion, averaging 22.6 points and recording 11 blocks from the guard position over the five games to lead his team to the Larry O'Brien title. Ryan stressed that Johnson's impact wasn't just about numbers. Instead, it was about his ability to make game-winning plays through sheer defensive willpower. "DJ was pretty good. He had one of the most fascinating Finals ever in 1979," Ryan said. "He blocked 14 shots in five games from the guard position; even Derrick White can't do that. As much as he loves his shot-blocking prowess… he's the most destructive defensive guard we have ever seen. He was very good." Advertisement Related: "For a guy who get paid $300 million, he should be a Top 10 player...I don't think he a Top 30 player" - Oakley shreds Brown's historic contract Johnson's arrival elevated the Celtics' dominance Given that the 6'4" guard had earned five consecutive First-Team All-Defensive selections in the seasons before the Celtics acquired him, Boston knew exactly what they were getting. After being humiliated by Andrew Toney in the 1982 playoffs and Sidney Moncrief in 1983, the Celtics understood that to return to dominance, they needed someone like DJ to fortify their perimeter defense. His arrival paid dividends immediately. Not only did he help the Celtics win a title in his very first year, but he also played a defining role when he switched to guard Magic Johnson in the second half of the '84 Finals. Advertisement More impressively, even after that triumph, Dennis didn't stop working hard as his defensive efforts were one of the biggest reasons why Bird was able to focus more on his offensive production and win three straight MVP accolades, as well as the team reaching four straight NBA Finals. It's just another example of the team aspect in basketball. While you need superstars like Bird to get you over the hump, he cannot get the job done without some specialist players like Johnson. Without the proper team around those superstars, you cannot win a championship. Related: "It's disappointing that so many relationships I had with people fell apart" - Bird on why he won't ever consider a front office role with the Celtics
Boston Globe
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Despite being crushed in Finals rematch, thinking these Celtics will dial in when needed – if they can stay healthy
I'll admit it if you will: I wasn't sure we'd see him at this level again after his Advertisement For whatever frustrations there have been with the Celtics this year, they've mostly remained intact. The importance of that is obvious, yes, but worth a reiteration because of how crucial it is. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up They also need to shoot the ball better from long distance, particularly Jaylen Brown (32.7 percent from 3-point territory, below his career average of 36.0 percent) and Jrue Holiday (34.2 percent, below his 36.9 career average, and well below his 42.9 percent last year). I do wonder whether Brown, who might be in the best shape of anyone on this planet and a few others, might have bulked up a little too much. Sure do trust him with those 14-footers in the paint when the game gets tight, though. Related : Holiday is a more interesting case. He was better than he has ever been last season from 3-point land, and maybe his struggles this season are just a correction. But even if his shooting inconsistency continues, I'm convinced he's going to level up his overall play, especially on defense, come the playoffs. Why? Because I believe he's pulling a DJ on us. Celtics fans who were fortunate to experience the team in the '80s know exactly what I mean. During the long regular season, Dennis Johnson would seem only vaguely interested during, say, a Friday night game in Sacramento that wrapped up a long road trip, and so he might shoot 1 of 3 from the field and be a total non-factor offensively. Advertisement But when the Celtics needed him, come a big regular season game in Philly or Detroit or the biggest games in May and June, he was always at his best, as Larry Bird would be the first to attest. Dennis Johnson (left) knew when it was go time, like in the waning seconds of Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons. Globe staff Joanne Rathe Holiday – after being Mr. Reliable for the Celtics in the postseason last year, and after helping the US win the men's basketball gold at the Olympics – has had an uneven season at age 34. But after watching him torment the Sixers' Tyrese Maxey – who is on the short list of the quickest guards in the league – in the final minutes of the Celtics' win over the Sixers last Sunday, I'm convinced he'll be the Jrue the Glue again when the stakes are highest and the Celtics need him the most. The Celtics must stay healthy. Some of them need to shoot better. And yes, go ahead and add to that that their overall effort and attentiveness must become more consistent after watching them Related : But I'm not worried about Holiday's effort specifically. He knows how to tap into his intensity when necessary, just as DJ did for the Celtics championship teams so many of us treasure the most. *** For whatever occasional and mostly minor frustrations Celtics fans have with Tatum and Brown, their preparation, dependability, and habitual professionalism must be lauded. A reminder of that probably wasn't necessary, but we got one this week anyway with the Mavericks' staggering trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers. The Celtics exploited his lack of conditioning and defensive effort in the Finals, and it did not inspire him to work harder, which seems to be one reason he's now an ex-Maverick. (The main reason: general manager Nico Harrison shouldn't be trusted to operate a vending machine, let alone an NBA franchise.) Anyway, go ahead and add the Doncic-era Mavericks to the growing list of teams the Celtics have broken in recent years. Advertisement The Mavericks traded away the face of their franchise guard Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Barry Chin/Globe Staff *** I'm not sure I've ever liked a Celtic that averaged less than 2 points per game Jaden Springer changed the game for the Celtics in their overtime win at the Clippers. These three steals all came in on-ball defense. That's hard to pull off period and even harder to do 1-on-1 three times in about a 10-minute span of gametime. Awesome game from Springer. — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) Chad Finn can be reached at
