The Boston Celtics capped preseason play with a 125-120 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Sam Cassell and the players on Exhibit 10 deals stepped into the spotlight.
Joe Mazzulla passed the reins to Cassell, who has long deserved a head-coaching job. It's an opportunity he told Hardwood Houdini last February that he still wants.
"I would love to have an opportunity to do it. I'm striving for it because I still love this. I wouldn't do it if I didn't love it," said Cassell. "I love what I'm doing. I always have a smile on my face. I'm just upbeat. I enjoy being a part of the Association, especially being part of the Boston Celtics."
Hopefully, that chance is in his future. But at least he got to experience it for a night. He coached a group that included a starting lineup featuring Milos Uzan, Hayden Gray, Gabe McGlothan, Tucker Devries, and Chris Cenac Jr. They were competitive vs. LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid. Then, they helped propel the visitors to victory.
Why Devin Carter was the biggest winner in the Celtics' preseason finale
Friday was a night that the players with Boston on Exhibit 10 deals will probably never forget. It surely meant a great deal to Cassell, too. They were the stars of the game.
However, this feel-good story didn't include someone threatening to claim the Celtics' final two-way deal. Devin Carter entered this matchup as the favorite for that roster spot. That didn't appear to change.
Why has Devin Carter been absent?
Carter has been out due to an illness. He did not play in Boston's final three preseason games. He was not spotted around the practice facility or TD Garden this week while the media was present.
However, in his absence, no one appeared to leapfrog him for that two-way vacancy. The former lottery pick impressed in the exhibition opener, a 124-113 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He finished with 17 points, the second-most in the matchup. He shot 5/9 and went 6/6 at the free-throw line. The six-foot-two guard also grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists, and swiped three steals.
Maybe that game went so well for him that his "illness" is tied to other teams offering him roster spots or the Celtics' efforts to keep him in the organization. Conspiracy theories are fun. The safest bet is that he's working his way through an illness.
The people he's competing for a two-way deal with, like Uzan, DeVries, Gray, and McGlothan, all stepped up in Boston's victory in the City of Brotherly Love. Again, it's a night they'll always remember. However, while they got the spotlight for a night, as deserved and exciting as that was, Carter remains the most likely to land the Celtics' final two-way roster spot.
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