Ex-D’Tigers Ime Udoka now a coach leads Celtics past Bucks to ECF

Former Nigeria men’s basketball team player now a coach Ime Udoka has led the Boston Celtics to the 2022 NBA Playoff Eastern Conference final.

Ime Udoka’s Celtics defeat the reigning NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks 109-81 at the TD Gardens on Sunday.

Grant Williams scored a career-high 27 points and hit seven 3-pointers, Jayson Tatum added 23 and Boston set a Game 7 record with 22 3-pointers en route their 4-3 series win.

For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists. Jrue Holiday added 21 points and eight assists. Brook Lopez finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Surprisingly, Giannis was just 3 of 11 in the paint in the second half, including 1 for 6 the fourth quarter as Bucks bowed out.

Jordan Nwora also had a 2 minutes cameo in the game.

And Ime Udoka who has led the Celtics to another Eastern Conference final in his first year as a coach reveled in the victory.

“This is what we played for, why we played the season out, to have home-court advantage in a Game 7,” Udoka said.

“If you believe in the basketball gods, those things matter.”

Celtics will now face Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference final in a game that will have many Nigerian interest.

D’Tigers Gabe Vincent, two players of Nigerian heritage Bam Adebayo and Victor Oladipo will all be going up against coach Ime Udoka’s Celtics.