- ‘Crackhead Barney’ says she was ‘maimed’ by Alec Baldwin during coffee shop incident as she dons diaper, bares chest in surreal Piers Morgan interview New York Post
- Alec Baldwin’s clash with anti-Israel protester comes as ‘Rust’ prosecutors claim actor can’t control emotions Fox News
- Activist at NYC cafe demands Alec Baldwin say ‘Free Palestine, f**k Israel’ The Times of Israel
- Watch: Alec Baldwin smacks phone of protester who demanded he say ‘Free Palestine’ Yahoo Entertainment
- Crackhead Barney Ambushes Alec Baldwin NYC Coffee Shop: Video Patch
Tag Archives: Surreal
Ari Aster’s Surreal Odyssey ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Lands A24’s Best Limited Opening Since ‘Uncut Gems’ – Specialty Box Office – Deadline
- Ari Aster’s Surreal Odyssey ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Lands A24’s Best Limited Opening Since ‘Uncut Gems’ – Specialty Box Office Deadline
- Beau Is Afraid Review: Ari Aster’s New Head-Scratcher Is a Doozy MovieWeb
- Ari Aster’s ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Scores Biggest Indie Box Office Opening of 2023 Variety
- Martin Scorsese to Support ‘Beau is Afraid’ by Hosting Post-Screening Q&A on Monday — World of Reel Jordan Ruimy
- Beau Is Afraid director braces for backlash Geo News
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Snowboarder Blake Nielson records surreal moment avalanche sweeps him down Utah mountain
A frightening video captured the moment a snowboarder was swept away in an avalanche as he tore down a mountain in Utah Sunday.
Blake Nielson filmed the heart-stopping close-call as he was snowboarding in Big Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake.
The boarder said he dropped into a bowl near Kessler Peak and made a heel side turn when “an isolated wind slab broke loose below and above me which knocked me off my feet and took me for a ride,” in an incident report on the Utah Avalanche Center website.
In the helmet-cam video he shared, Nielson can be seen cruising down the mountain when the snow underneath him suddenly gave way and he shouted to his boarding partner “Logan, I’m sliding” over the radio.
“I’m staying on top, but I am sliding,” he yelled out.
Nielson was able to stay above the snow and make it out unscathed by making “swimming motions” with his arms and kicking out his board.
He was carried away with the rush of moving snow for about 300 feet, at which point he was able to slow down and come to a stop while the rest of the snow continued sliding down the mountainside.
The snow slid about 1,300 feet, Nielson said.
He said he and his snowboarding pals had tested the stability of the snow dropping into the Greaseball Couloir and found “no deep instabilities in the snow structure.”
The wind, however, was more unpredictable than they imagined, he added.
“Respect the wind,” Nielson warned. “Even a small ‘manageable’ wind pocket can break and carry you a long way in steep terrain with long runouts.”
Two skiers also reported being swept away in avalanches in Salt Lake caused by the wind in separate incidents Sunday.
Neither was harmed.
According to Utah Avalanche Center, there have been no reported deaths caused by avalanches in the state since 2021.
Meanwhile, in Colorado, two snowmobilers were caught in a large avalanche near Winter Park Saturday and died after being buried under the snow.
Surreal Video of Stressed Cells Helps Biologists Solve a Decades-Old Mystery
The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University scientists solved a decades-old mystery regarding how cells control their volume.
Crowded rooms: How Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh researchers solved a cell mystery.
A surreal video of stressed cells under a microscope inspired a group of kidney physiologists and biologists from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University to investigate a mystery: how do cells control their volume?
Their research, which was recently published in the journal Cell, shows how the researchers connected the dots on a conundrum that was initially presented three decades ago with a little bit of luck.
“We were doing live fluorescence imaging experiments that were unrelated to this study, and when we added a salt solution to the cells, the internal cytoplasmic material rapidly turned into a fluorescent lava lamp,” said Daniel Shiwarski, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow at Carnegie Mellon University, describing how he and his wife, co-lead author Cary Boyd-Shiwarski, M.D., Ph.D., turned a fortuitous bit of experimentation into an unexpected finding.
In this video, WNK kinases (a type of enzyme) are fluorescent and diffuse throughout the cell. When exposed to a salt solution, they coalesce into larger droplets, looking like the bright green goo in a lava lamp. This process, called “phase separation,” is how the cell knows it needs to bring both water and ions back in, returning to its original state within seconds. Credit: Boyd-Shiwarski, et al., Cell (2022)
“I looked at her, and she asked me what was going on, like I was supposed to know,” he said. “And I said, ‘I have no idea, but I think it’s probably something important!’”
When cells are abruptly exposed to an outside stressor, such as elevated salt or sugar levels, their volume can decrease. Early in the 1990s, scientists believed that cells regain their volume by somehow keeping track of their protein concentration, or how “crowded” the cell was. However, they were unaware of how the cell sensed crowding.
From left to right: Dr. Daniel Shiwarski, Dr. Arohan Subramanya, and Dr. Cary Boyd-Shiwarski. Credit: Jake Carlson/UPMC
Then, in the early 2000s, With-No-Lysine Kinases, or “WNKs,” were identified as a new type of enzyme. For years, scientists theorized that WNK kinases reversed cell shrinkage, but how they did so was unexplained.
The new study solves both puzzles by revealing how WNK kinases activate the “switch” that restores cell volume to equilibrium through a process known as phase separation.
“The inside of a cell contains cytosol, and generally people think that this cytosol is diffuse, with all kinds of molecules floating around in a perfectly mixed solution,” said senior author Arohan R. Subramanya, M.D., associate professor in the Renal-Electrolyte Division at Pitt’s School of Medicine and staff physician at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. “But there has been this paradigm shift in our thinking of how cytosol works. It’s really like an emulsion with a bunch of little, tiny protein clusters and droplets, and then when a stress such as overcrowding happens, they come together into big droplets that you can often see with a microscope.”
Those liquid-like droplets were the “lava lamp” that Shiwarski and Boyd-Shiwarski were seeing that fateful day when they experimented with adding a salt solution to the cells. They had fluorescently tagged the WNKs, which were diffused throughout the cytosol, causing the whole cell to glow. When salt was added, the WNKs came together, forming large neon-green globules that oozed about the cell like the goo in a lava lamp.
The team characterized what they were seeing as phase separation, which is when WNKs condense into droplets along with the molecules that activate the cell’s salt transporters. This step allows the cell to import both ions and water, returning the cell’s volume to its original state within seconds.
Phase separation is an emerging area of interest, but whether or not this process was an important part of cell function has been controversial.
“There’s a lot of people out there who don’t believe phase separation is physiologically relevant,” explained Boyd-Shiwarski, assistant professor in the Renal-Electrolyte Division at Pitt’s School of Medicine. “They think it’s something that happens in a test tube when you overexpress proteins or occurs as a pathological process but doesn’t really happen in normal healthy cells.”
But over the past six years, the team conducted multiple studies using stressors similar to the fluctuations that occur within the human body to show that phase separation of the WNKs is a functional response to crowding.
Cell volume recovery has implications for human health as well, Subramanya explained: “One of the reasons why we’re so excited is that the next step for us is to take this back into the kidney.”
Other WNKs activate salt transport within kidney tubule cells when potassium levels are low by forming specialized condensates through phase separation, called WNK bodies. Modern Western diets are often low in potassium, so while attempting to regulate cell volume, WNK bodies may contribute to salt-sensitive hypertension.
While the new discovery won’t have immediate clinical applications, the team is excited to take what they’ve learned and explore the connections between WNKs, phase separation, and human health. Eventually, their work may lead to a better understanding of how to prevent strokes, high blood pressure, and potassium balance disorders.
Reference: “WNK kinases sense molecular crowding and rescue cell volume via phase separation” by Cary R. Boyd-Shiwarski, Daniel J. Shiwarski, Shawn E. Griffiths, Rebecca T. Beacham, Logan Norrell, Daryl E. Morrison, Jun Wang, Jacob Mann, William Tennant, Eric N. Anderson, Jonathan Franks, Michael Calderon, Kelly A. Connolly, Muhammad Umar Cheema, Claire J. Weaver, Lubika J. Nkashama, Claire C. Weckerly, Katherine E. Querry, Udai Bhan Pandey, Christopher J. Donnelly, Dandan Sun, Aylin R. Rodan and Arohan R. Subramanya, 31 October 2022, Cell.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.042
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
James Webb telescope captures surreal images of Jupiter’s auroras
The James Webb Space Telescope team is still flexing its ability to capture detailed images close to home. Webb has snapped a pair of near-infrared photos showing Jupiter’s polar auroras. You can also see the planet’s extremely faint rings and two of its smaller moons, Amalthea (the bright spot to the far left) and Adrastea (the dot at the left edge of the central ring).
The pictures were taken using NIRCam’s widefield view on July 27th. As for the trippy visuals? Astronomers created composites using several images produced with filters mapped to multiple colors (particularly visible in the image below). The Great Red Spot and other cloud formations are white as they reflect large amounts of sunlight.
NASA, ESA, Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Judy Schmidt
The James Webb crew didn’t just create these images for the sake of bragging rights. The observations should provide more insights into Jupiter’s “inner life,” according to the European Space Agency. That, in turn, could help scientists understand the behavior of gas giants beyond the Solar System. In other words, Webb’s data could soon prove useful on multiple levels.
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Hubble’s Closeup of The Orion Nebula Looks Like a Surreal Dreamscape : ScienceAlert
One of the most beautiful and spectacular regions of the night sky can be found in the constellation of Orion.
Between the stars Alnitak, Saif, and Rigel, floats a vast, thick cloud of interstellar dust and gas. This is the Orion Nebula, a nest of material in which baby stars are being born and one of the most studied and photographed objects in the Milky Way.
Spanning 24 light-years, it’s so close and large that it’s visible to the naked eye.
Because of its relative proximity (around 1,344 light-years from the Sun), this spectacular cloud is an important laboratory for understanding star formation.
You just have to zoom right in, and peer closely at the details.
This new Hubble image release of the Orion Nebula looks like wisps of delicately tinted cloud peacefully doing their cloud thing against the velvety dark backdrop of space… but in the middle is a rare and wonderful cosmic interaction, triggered by the baby star IX Ori.
That interaction, called HH 505, is what is known as a Herbig-Haro object. Forming them requires a very particular set of circumstances.
First, you need a baby star. These form when a dense knot in a molecular cloud, such as the Orion stellar nursery, collapses, spinning, under its own mass. As it spins, it spools in material from the cloud around it, which allows the baby star to grow.
As this material accretes onto the baby star, powerful jets of plasma can be launched from the star’s poles. It’s thought that some of the material that swirls around the star is diverted along the star’s external magnetic field lines to the poles. These magnetic field lines act as a particle accelerator so that, when the material reaches the poles, it is launched at incredible speeds.
A Herbig-Haro object forms when these jets, traveling at incredibly high speeds, slam hard into the surrounding gas, shock-heating it so that it glows brightly. This creates what appears to be two glowing rods of light emanating from the baby star.
These structures change rapidly, so astronomers can study them to understand how baby stars blow away material from the cloud around them. This cuts off the supply of gas and dust that feeds the growing stars, and determines the size of the adult star.
Could this stunning patch of sky couldn’t get any more beautiful?
The new image can be downloaded in wallpaper sizes from the Hubble website.
Former No. 1 pick Mark Appel makes ‘surreal’ MLB debut at age 30, pitches scoreless 9th for Philadelphia Phillies
Former No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel, a month shy of his 31st birthday, made his major debut Wednesday night and pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Philadelphia Phillies.
At 30 years and 349 days, Appel — whose baseball career included a three-season absence from the sport — is the oldest ever former top overall pick from the June draft (since 1965) at the time of his MLB debut.
The right-hander allowed one hit and recorded a strikeout as the Phillies lost to the Atlanta Braves 4-1.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Appel said. “I was trying to hold back the tears. It was emotional. It was special.”
Appel was picked No. 1 overall by the Houston Astros in 2013 and was part of a trade to Philadelphia in 2015. Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, Appel left baseball in 2018 before coming back to the Phillies organization in 2021.
Appel has spent the past two seasons pitching in Double- and Triple-A for the Phillies. He has a 5-0 record and 1.61 ERA in 19 appearances for Lehigh Valley this season, and earned a promotion to the majors last Saturday.
One of the most decorated pitchers in NCAA history, Appel was drafted eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012, but he returned to Stanford for his senior season and the Astros selected him first in 2013, one spot ahead of Kris Bryant.
ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A24’s ‘Men’ Review – Alex Garland Unsettles With Surreal Folk Horror!
Director Alex Garland established a distinct penchant for surrealistic genre fare in just two features, Ex Machina and Annihilation. In his latest, Men, the filmmaker tries his hand at more straightforward horror, imbuing folk horror with his distinct style. It results in a more elusive effort that bides its time with a measured unsettling until an insane, unforgettable third act.
Harper (Jessie Buckley) retreats to the English countryside to heal and start anew in the wake of her husband James’ (Paapa Essiedu) untimely death. The estate’s owner, Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear), awkwardly gives her a tour of the place and then leaves her to get settled. Harper’s plans for peace and quiet get shattered quickly, though, when a walk through the neighboring woods catches the attention of someone who appears to stalk her. Unsettling dread escalates into a full-blown nightmare for Harper, forcing her to confront fears internal and external.
Garland takes a more streamlined approach to Harper’s story. Though straightforward, her past unfurls slowly, spliced with an increasingly precarious present. Harper’s walks into the nearby village result in various encounters with men, all played by Kinnear. Each new meeting and conversation personify different anxieties or fears and gender division.
What’s less straightforward is the imagery and symbolism laden throughout. Harper wears pinks and earthy tones, and the cottage’s walls are blood red. It’s contrasted by the lush greenery outside. The Green Man, floating dandelion seeds, an apple tree, and pitch-black tunnels in the middle of an emerald green forest all hint at larger fertility-heavy mythology. There’s an intentional enigmatic quality to the overarching nightmare Harper finds herself in, one far larger than the domestic trauma that led her to this point. Garland wants audiences to connect those bread crumbs on their own. Men‘s intangible, arthouse style will polarize.
Buckley brings Harper’s intrinsic conflict to the surface with deft and understated nuance. This protagonist is at war with herself, struggling with feelings of guilt and remorse that clashes with a newfound sense of freedom. The relief she feels is at odds with lingering questions stemming from tragedy. That Buckley is the grounded character against Kinnear’s complicated juggling act of multiple characters means he consistently threatens to steal the film from under her. Especially considering the places that he takes those characters. Where Buckley impresses, Kinnear astounds and pushes boundaries; the actor makes a strong case for why he’s one of the best working today.
As for the horror, Garland opts for a slow build of unsettling dread. It coils with mounting pressure, increasing in scares and intensity until it explodes in an insane, jaw-dropping third act that veers into Grand Guignol. It’s an audacious finale full of “holy shit” moments that satisfies from a horror standpoint, bringing the overarching themes full circle. Garland is less successful in bringing Harper’s arc to a satisfying or fully coherent close.
It’s ultimately how Garland tries to marry Harper’s history to the large picture that muddies up a gloriously unhinged piece of folk horror. Garland delivers one jaw-dropping showstopper and demonstrates a knack for dread and atmosphere. The nightmare fuel provided alone ensures Men is a success regardless of its elusiveness, but Buckley and Kinnear are powerhouses that keep you firmly in their grip. Garland’s adherence to the abstract will be divisive, but those that don’t mind enigmatic descents into surrealistic, gruesome horror will find this a trip worth taking.
Men releases in theaters on May 20, 2022.
Johnny Depp’s Courtroom Behavior in Amber Heard Abuse Defamation Case Veers Toward Surreal
For almost three weeks, Johnny Depp has been perched in a chilly Fairfax County, Virginia, courtroom just feet away from his ex-wife Amber Heard as part of a heated $50 million civil defamation suit. But rather than maintaining solemnity in a case that centers at least in part on allegations against him of brutal domestic violence, Depp has descended into downright oddball behavior.
Depp spent four mostly somber days on the stand insisting to jurors that Heard “devastated” his career with a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she described herself as a domestic violence survivor. But both on the stand and off, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor has also taken to passing the time in increasingly absurd fashion.
He has drawn sketches of women on Post-it notes. He has colored in what appeared to be a rendering of a Matisse-style painting with pastel highlighters. He has munched on gummy bears. And he has laughed at testimony alongside his sea of lawyers.
Actor Johnny Depp points at a pile of candy during his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, U.S., April 27, 2022.
Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS
Depp has apparently found entertainment in the slew of mostly middle-aged women supporters who have swarmed the courtroom daily, some even arriving at the Virginia courthouse hours before trial began to snag a seat. (He has also enjoyed sometimes ugly shows of support from legions of online fans, Joe Rogan among them.)
Experts suggested that the lackadaisical vibe from Depp—at least some of which has been in view of the jury—may be part of a questionable strategy to win over jurors. Depp’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Johnny Depp is a good actor and had spent years winning over audiences, and it seems that this is part of his strategy here,” Juda Engelmayer, a crisis communications expert who was the spokesperson for Harvey Weinstein during his New York sex-crimes trial, told The Daily Beast. “The drawings, doodling, eating candy, are methods of showing a very relaxed and comfortable state. Rather than just looking up, looking nervous… he instead is trying to look like he hasn’t a care in the world, and confident.”
But if Depp’s behavior is not technically in violation of courtroom decorum, especially during a trial where the actor is not facing any criminal charges, the conduct is remarkable given the 58-year-old is accused of abuse.
“The jury is watching everyone in the courtroom, so parties need to be careful about their behavior so the jury does not get the impression that a party takes the case lightly,” Christopher Melcher, a celebrity divorce attorney who represented Kayne West in his divorce proceedings with Kim Kardashian, told The Daily Beast.
The crux of the ongoing trial is a defamation claim about Heard’s op-ed, but the actress has long accused Depp of abuse, including one incident where Depp allegedly threw a phone at her that left her with a bruised face. A London judge concluded in November 2020 that there was “overwhelming evidence” that Depp had assaulted Heard repeatedly throughout their marriage, and she was “in fear of her life.”
On the stand as a witness in his own lawsuit, Depp has accused Heard of verbal and physical violence, including an infamous 2015 incident in which he says the actress threw a vodka bottle that severed his fingertip. But Depp may have undercut his own version of events when audio was played in court that appeared to capture him saying he had cut his own finger.
Both Depp and Heard have denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Jurors have been tasked with deciding whether Heard acted with “actual malice” when she wrote the Post piece—meaning she knew the contents were false—or with “reckless disregard” for the truth. The jury will also be asked to review some issues raised in Heard’s 2020 countersuit against Depp.
The vibe in the courtroom has ranged from staid to unhinged, with Judge Penney Azcarate on Monday warning attendees they must remain quiet or face getting thrown out. The admonishment came after laughter erupted when Depp was on the stand and the actor struggled to recall his own vast collection of starring roles.
“I’m so pathetic when it comes to knowing what movies I’ve done,” Depp said on the stand while smiling, prompting loud laughter in the courtroom. “I’m sorry. I just, I don’t watch them. I feel better not watching them. What was the question again?”
On Tuesday, Depp was caught on the live stream of the trial drawing a portrait of a woman on a Post-it note. While it was not immediately clear who the color sketch was supposed to depict, Depp was caught in a now-viral video passing the impromptu art to his attorney, Benjamin Chew.
Chew was then seen taking off his glasses to get a better look at the sketch as Depp whispered in his ear. The attorney proceeded to nod in approval at the artwork, before holding his hand to his heart and pointing to his high-profile client.
On Wednesday, a sunglasses-clad Depp came armed with distractions as he walked into the courtroom, including a notebook donned with the phrase “Built To Last” alongside a drawing of a green, alien-like face bearing a crown on its head.
Depp has brought a silver tumbler to court daily, and on Wednesday kept a small pile of multi-colored gummy candies and jelly beans.
Depp was also photographed Wednesday coloring in what appeared to be a printed sketch or reproduction of Matisse’s Dancers with purple and pink highlighters. Sitting beside the actor at the time: an opened container of Ice Breaker mints.
This even as video depositions from several LAPD officers offered new details about a 2016 domestic violence call at the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles that centered on Depp and Heard.
Kimberly Lau, a New York attorney who specializes in harassment and assault suits, noted to The Daily Beast that not all Depp’s indulgences occurred while the jury was present.
“This is a tense trial, so it’s entirely possible Depp is trying to find ways to bring some levity to the situation for himself and among his legal team,” Lau said.
For Engelmayer, however, Depp’s courtroom antics represented another indication that the trial was “becoming a bit of a circus.” He said mints and candy were normal for defendants in court—and recalled that Weinstein snacked on Mentos during this 2020 trial. Depp has not been charged with any sex crimes, but he does seem to be doing everything he can to steer a high-stakes legal proceeding into a surreal scene.
“It is narcissistic, but then again, it’s Hollywood,” Engelmayer said.
Joe Johnson’s ‘fun’ Celtics moment late in game vs. Cavaliers caps off ‘surreal’ journey back to NBA
BOSTON — It’s been 20 years since Joe Johnson made an NBA debut, but he still knows how to score in isolation.
Johnson, who earned the nickname “Iso Joe” for his scoring prowess in those situations over the course of his long and decorated NBA career, scored the final points of Boston’s 111-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in fitting fashion: by burying an isolation jumper over the outstretched arm of Cavaliers forward Justin Anderson.
“We know what he is,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “Everybody said it as they walked in [the locker room]: ‘Joe’s a bucket.’ That’s what he is and he’s always been, and so that’s not gonna change.”
The shot wrapped up what had been a wild 24 hours or so for Johnson, who at 40 years old became the second-oldest player in the NBA — behind Miami Heat big man Udonis Haslem — and is the only current NBA player who played against Michael Jordan.
He also, by returning to the Celtics almost 20 years after the team that took him 10th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft traded him away a few months into his rookie year, set a new record for time between games with the same team, as his 19 years and 308 days between appearances shatters the previous record of 14 years and 331 days, which was set by Lakers center James Edwards.
“It’s amazing to be back here 20 years later,” Johnson said. “It’s still surreal to me.”
Johnson is one of many players who have gotten opportunities to return to the NBA over the past week as the league has been ravaged by the omicron variant of COVID-19. With so many teams being severely depleted by players testing positive for the virus, the NBA has relaxed the rules governing signing replacement players via hardship waivers to ensure teams have enough bodies to play.
Johnson has been back in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, working out with his 14-year-old son, who is playing high school ball there, wondering if he was going to get another shot at playing in an NBA game. Since being cut at the end of training camp by the Detroit Pistons in 2019, Johnson has been out of the NBA completely.
And while he has been on the court since then — he has won two Big3 titles, and played in the AmeriCup for Team USA this past February — Johnson admitted he wasn’t optimistic that someone was going to give him another chance to extend his NBA career.
“I wouldn’t say give up, but I didn’t have high hopes,” Johnson said. “My son’s 14, so he keeps me in the gym. We work and work and work, and I always talk to him [and say], ‘Just work. Even when you can’t see what’s next, you just gotta continue to work.'”
It turned out that the flood of replacement players coming back into the NBA allowed Johnson to get another shot. He was sitting with his 8-year-old daughter Tuesday when he got a call from his agent, Jeff Schwartz from Excel Sports Management.
Schwartz told him to be ready, and that he might get a call to join the Celtics. Less than an hour later, he’d gotten said call — and was told to be on a flight about three hours later to get to Boston.
“It was a no-brainer for me,” Johnson said. “I’m a guy who really takes care of his body. I’m in pretty good shape. So I felt like I was ready to take on that challenge.
“So [my agent] asked me what I thought, and we just kept moving. I’m ready for whatever comes my way.”
Udoka downplayed expectations before the game, saying the goal in signing veterans like Johnson and Miles was to have veteran experience on the bench, and to continue playing the team’s young rotation players, such as Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford, while Boston is dealing with several COVID-19 absences.
But with 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, Udoka — after being serenaded with “We Want Joe” chants from the TD Garden crowd, inspired a standing ovation by sending Johnson to the scorer’s table, giving him his first NBA appearance since playing a few minutes in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals for the Houston Rockets.
“I heard them obviously,” Udoka said. “I would have liked to get him in sooner, except the lead got down to 12 or so, but that was the plan to get those guys some run, if possible.”
Even after three years away, however, Johnson looked like he did throughout his NBA career when he got onto the court. He looked to be in terrific condition, as he said he has been working out with his son and continues to do the hot yoga sessions that he was doing even in the prime of his career with the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets.
“He’s still got a lot in the tank if you ask me,” said Jaylen Brown, who scored 34 points to lead Boston and grew up in Atlanta watching Johnson star for the Hawks. “I’ve watched him in the Big3, I’ve watched him before that, and I watched him growing up and he still look like he’s got something left in the tank so I’m happy to have him on board, to hear his voice, his advice … I think it’s great.”
After spending a couple possessions deferring to the other players on the court, the Celtics ensured Johnson would have it on what turned out to be Boston’s final possession of the game. Johnson used a screen from center Bruno Fernando, snaked to his left, got Anderson onto his left hip and, like he had so many times before, rose up and let it fly with a high-arcing midrange jumper.
And, like he had so many times before, the shot softly fell straight through the basket, setting off raucous celebrations that would’ve been mistaken for it being a game-winner.
“This is a pick-and-roll league,” Johnson said. “Once you can master the pick-and-roll and get to your spots — especially your sweet spots — it’s hard to stop guys like that. Especially when you can make plays out of that. I never lose sight of that, or lost sight of that. Just from watching the game, I see how they play in the pick-and-roll. If I’m in the pick-and-roll, you either gotta live or you’re going to have the midrange game or the floater.
“Luckily,” he added with a laugh, “it went down.”
It was a fun moment in an otherwise drab game between two teams dealing with several absences due to COVID-19 amid a chaotic moment across the NBA. For Joe Johnson, though, it was another chance at extending his NBA career — one that, regardless of how it presented itself, he was thrilled to get placed in front of him.
“It is kind of surreal, to have them chanting my name like that, and obviously come out and us get the win first and foremost, but to come in the game and be somewhat effective, that’s fun,” Johnson said. “At my age, man, you just try to relish every moment, enjoy the process and live in the moment.
“That’s kind of what I’m doing right now, just living in the moment. And it’s fun.”