Before yesterday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics signed NBA veteran Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract. It marked the team’s third replacement player signing in the past few days, but this one felt a bit different. Fast forward a few hours to the fourth quarter last night, and you would understand why.
With a few minutes remaining in the game, the crowd at TD Garden began to chant - “Iso Joe! Iso Joe! Iso Joe!” Head coach Ime Udoka emptied the bench with around two minutes left, Johnson entered the game, and the crowd went ballistic.