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Pandemic, protocols and problems remain part of NBA playoffs in Heat-Celtics East finals

MIAMI — The specter of COVID and illness continues to be a factor in the Eastern Conference finals series between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.A day after the Celtics big man Al Horford entered the NBA’s heath-and-safety protocols, Boston coach Ime Udoka was unavailable for his team’s Wednesday media session due to what the Celtics said was a non-COVID illness.AdvertisementHowever, ongoing concerns about the pandemic continue to impact the NBA playoffs for a third consecutive year, with the Heat returning to a mask mandate for all media at Wednesday’s interview session.In addition, it is believed that ESPN now will conduct pregame coaching interviews remotely.AdvertisementHorford, as of Wednesday, was not expected to be available for Thursday’s 8:30 Game 2 and FTX Arena.It is not the scenario Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had hoped for by this stage of the pandemic.“It’s disappointing,” he said. “It’s like every single time you think it’s getting beyond this, it’s not.”That had him empathizing with the Celtics.“You want to beat their best with our best,” he said. “It’s just not the world we’re living in.”Heat guard Tyler Herro said Wednesday the return of COVID and illness is just a sign of the times.“I mean, you just control what you can control,” he said. “There’s a lot of sickness going around, but you just try to stay out the way and hope everything goes well, I guess.”While the Celtics offered no updates on Horford, word Wednesday was that guard Marcus Smart, the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, could return Thursday from the mid-foot sprain that had him out for Tuesday’s series opening Heat victory.Advertisement“Obviously, he’s Defensive Player of the Year,” Herro said, “so him being on the floor obviously brings a presence on that side of the ball. He’s a tremendous player, so him being out there, obviously it shifts things a little bit.”Herro said a return by Horford would be similarly series shifting.“I mean, both of those being back, that’s two of their five starters,” he said. “Being at full strength, I’m sure they’ll be a little bit more confident. And we’ll see when those guys get back.”For the Heat, point guard Kyle Lowry remains an unknown, sidelined with a hamstring strain for seven of the past nine games.Spoelstra said Lowry was limited to light shooting Wednesday, with the Heat limited in their court time.“I don’t have a new update,” he said.AdvertisementYes, Herro said, he was surprised that the Heat victory anthem of ‘Pepas’ was played with significant time remaining Tuesday, perhaps a bit prematurely.“It did,” he said. “I was thinking that. I think it was like four minutes on the clock.”The Heat led by 13 with 3:18 to play, with their lead later trimmed to seven with 1:28 remaining.Spoelstra said he was unaware of premature Pepas, but acknowledged being unaware through a significant portion of the Pepas phenomenon at FTX Arena.“You know what? I did not notice it [Tuesday] night,” Spoelstra said. “And it took like probably five games during the regular season to realize when our players were getting all hyped up in the huddle, and I’m looking around like, ‘focus.’ And then everybody told me to get my head out of the sand. And I realized what it was.“I didn’t even know it was played [Tuesday] night. At that point, I thought the game was very much in the balance.”AdvertisementHe then smiled and added, “I will talk to the appropriate people.”

News

The Janes is a call to action

We Chicagoans are a proud bunch, and usually with good reason. For many, we’re especially appreciative of our city’s radical history, from the echoing impact of…

Sports

Column: Beef between Tim Anderson and Ozzie Guillén? It’s up to the Chicago White Sox to make sure it’s not a bigger distraction.

Ozzie Guillén talks too much?In other news, the earth is round.AdvertisementThe former Chicago White Sox player and manager — and current NBC Sports Chicago analyst — once again has been accused of excessive verbiage, this time by shortstop Tim Anderson.After Guillén casually mentioned Tuesday night that Anderson should’ve played in the second game of a doubleheader the Sox lost to the Kansas City Royals, Anderson shot back with: “Ozzie need to stfu sometimes … talk too much!”AdvertisementThe tweet was later deleted, but too late to avoid a Twitter hubbub.Guillén’s son, Ozzie Jr., posted a “special edition” of Guillén’s World on the family’s YouTube channel to discuss the beef. Ozzie Jr. said there were “no hard feelings” with Anderson and said his dad needed to “be a big boy” about the reaction.“He comes from a different time,” Ozzie Jr. said of his father’s outspokenness, while adding he would “pray” for Anderson and his family.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago White Sox get strong starts from Dylan Cease and Davis Martin but split a doubleheader with the Kansas City Royals ]Ozzie Sr. praised Anderson during a Wednesday appearance on WSCR-AM’s “Mully and Haugh Show,” maintaining he was only doing his job.“If you don’t like what I say, I’m sorry,” he said. “But I’m not going to change my thoughts.”Ozzie & Chuck discuss Tony’s lineup in game 2:”We’re babysitting players so much. I understand with Jose, yes. But with TA? When you’re young like that, you gotta play everyday.” pic.twitter.com/wVnIDUuBXO— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) May 18, 2022

Anderson assuredly was not the first person to tell Guillén to be quiet. I’m pretty sure I heard Frank Thomas, Guillén’s TV partner, say it a time or two when they were teammates in the 90′s. Then they’d both laugh. It was indeed a different time.Well before he dreamed of being a manager or TV analyst, Guillén said what he wanted to say and didn’t care if the recipient of his barbs didn’t like it. He once told me I should go work for the New York Post. I took it as a compliment, but he was actually criticizing my writing skills. And again, we both laughed.The only difference between Classic Ozzie and TV Ozzie is he’s now being paid for saying whatever he wants. In fact, his bluntness was a reason for his hiring.AdvertisementAnderson was the first Sox player to publicly respond to criticism by the team-approval TV analyst, bringing back memories of Steve Stone’s battles with the Cubs players in 2004.That one didn’t end too well.Now it will be up to vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn to ensure this beef doesn’t escalate and become a distraction as the Sox try to overcome their early-season malaise.Chicago White Sox’s Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson celebrate after the first game of a doubleheader against the Royals on May 17, 2022. (Charlie Riedel / AP)Guillén was hired by NBC Sports Chicago with the blessing of Williams and Hahn, both of whom he feuded with when he was Sox manager before his stormy exit in 2011. Eventually Guillén buried the hatchet.He was put on TV to provide entertainment value and credibility for the station, which is partially owned by the White Sox. Guillén has succeeded, making the postgame show a must-watch for Sox fans.As recently as the Cubs-Sox series earlier this month at Wrigley Field, Guillén told me he would quit his job if the station tried to censor him. I don’t see that happening. NBC Sports Chicago can’t hire someone like Ozzie Guillén and tell him to be less opinionated.AdvertisementAnd as criticism goes, telling a player he’s too strong and young to be taking games off in May is rather mild. Guillén was only saying the Sox needed Anderson in the lineup, which has been struggling. Manager Tony La Russa said after the game Anderson was ready to pinch-run in the ninth if needed.[ [Don’t miss] Johnny Cueto pitches 6 scoreless innings in his debut for the Chicago White Sox, who blow a 3-run lead before winning in the 10th ]Is there more to Anderson’s pique? On Monday night’s telecast, during an in-game toss to the studio, Guillén briefly criticized Anderson for making a throw on a grounder in the hole by the speedy Michael Taylor. Anderson’s throw had no chance, and Guillén, a great defensive shortstop, correctly suggested Anderson should’ve just eaten the ball.The station quickly threw it back to broadcasters Jason Benetti and Gordon Beckman, who didn’t mention Guillén’s comment. Perhaps Anderson heard about Guillén’s remark and didn’t appreciate being told how to play his position? We can only speculate.Either way, Guillén has heaped plenty of praise on Anderson during his career, so telling the TV analyst to “shut up” after some mild criticism is overly sensitive. If it was Dallas Keuchel ripping on Guillén, no one would care.Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen throws out a first pitch with his granddaughter Adela on July 7, 2019, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)But Anderson is the face of the franchise, the team’s best and most underpaid player. When he talks, Sox fans listen.AdvertisementLa Russa, who knows a thing or two about media criticism, should talk with Anderson about how to ignore it. He also was Guillén’s manager in May 1986 when Guillén blew a potential big inning in an eventual loss by trying to score on a ball that rolled a few feet from the catcher.“Ozzie’s aggressiveness is a big plus,” La Russa said in 1986 after meeting with his shortstop. “We talked about maintaining that aggressiveness with common sense.”Common sense should prevail again.The Sox need Anderson focusing on his game, not the team’s studio analyst.And Ozzie needs to be Ozzie. If Sox players don’t want to hear it, hit the mute button.

Local

Rush health system names new CEO

One of the Chicago-area’s biggest-name health systems, Rush University System for Health, is promoting Dr. Omar Lateef to the role of president and CEO, and the…

Business

Rush health system names new CEO

One of the Chicago-area’s biggest-name health systems, Rush University System for Health, is promoting Dr. Omar Lateef to the role of president and CEO, and the…