Ainge retires as Celtics prez; Stevens now in role

BOSTON — Celtics rookie forward Jayson Tatum has played so well in his first NBA playoffs that he’s now being mentioned in the same breadth as all-time legends Magic Johnson and Julius Erving. Tatum led the Celtics with 25 points as they closed out their second-round series against the Philadelphia

The NBA gave teams a more definitive timetable for the restart to the pandemic-interrupted season Friday, including required coronavirus testing that is set to begin this month and mandatory individual workouts in early July before training camps. The league is still working on completing the health and safety protocols that will essentially become the rulebook for the restart at the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida – and told teams that talks with the National Basketball Players Association on those issues are continuing. Meanwhile, a person with direct knowledge of the talks said that Disney workers who will be on the campus during the NBA restart will have to follow a long list of protocols – including constant mask or other appropriate personal protective equipment usage when in the vicinity of any NBA participants or others there for the restart, strict social distancing guidelines and a submission to daily temperature checks and symptom self-assessments.

A New York City police official says there’s an investigation into a rape allegation against NBA star Kristaps Porzingis. NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said Monday the department has an ongoing probe, but declined to give further details. Roland Riopelle, an attorney for Porzingis, acknowledged