How Trail Blazers celebrated their first win since…
This possible wasn’t how Tiago Splitter envisioned getting his first win as an NBA head coach, but there he was, strolling into the Trail Blazers’ locker room after defeating the Warriors on Friday and getting doused with water bottles by his gamers.
Splitter, 40 and a seven-year NBA veteran, took over as Portland’s interim head coach after Chauncey Billups was arrested Thursday over his alleged position in an unlawful poker scheme — the same day that Heat guard Terry Rozier and former participant Damon Jones have been also arrested for their alleged roles in separate poker and unlawful sports activities playing rings.
The temper at the power was “not great” on Thursday, Splitter told reporters pregame, but when the Trail Blazers needed to return to basketball and escape the chaos of the scenario for at least one evening, Splitter guided them to a 139-119 victory.
Tiago Splitter coaches from the sideline during the Trail Blazers’ Oct. 24 win. AP
“We didn’t wanna do it right when he walked in,” Portland guard Jrue Holiday told reporters about the water celebration, according to Blazer’s Edge. “He was too close to the door and maybe he could’ve ran out or something, so I think being able to get him in the middle of the circle was the best plan, and it was executed well.”
Splitter, when speaking about the second, just said he was “happy to see a smile on my players’ faces,” according to the outlet.
Follow The Post’s latest on the playing scandal rocking the NBA:
Chauncy Billups is pictured during the Trail Blazers’ Oct. 8 preseason sport. IMAGN IMAGES via GWN Connect
Tiago Splitter addresses reporters following the Trail Blazers’ Oct. 24 win. AP
He spent 5 seasons with the Spurs, one with the Hawks and one with the 76ers during his NBA profession. Two years after retiring, he shifted into teaching in the league.
At first, he spent 4 seasons as an assistant on the Nets’ employees before the Rockets employed him to be an assistant under Ime Udoka.
Then, after one 12 months as the top coach of Paris Basketball, he returned to the NBA as an assistant on Billups’ employees.
The FBI has arrested 31 people concerned in a rigged poker sport ring backed by the New York City organized crime households.
Ernest Aiello — reputed Bonanno mobster
Nelson “Spanish G” Alvarez
Louis “Lou Ap” Apicella
Ammar “Flapper Poker” Awawdeh
Saul Becher — skilled poker participant
Chauncey Billups — Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion
Matthew “The Wrestler” Daddino
Eric “Spooky” Earnest
Lee Fama — skilled poker participant
John Gallo
Marco Garzon
Thomas “Tommy Juice” Gelardo — reputed Lucchese mobster charged in 2013 for beating porn star girlfriend
Jamie Gilet
Tony “Black Tony” Goodson
Kenny Han
Shane “Sugar” Henne
Osman “Albanian Bruce” Hoti
Horatio Hu
Zhen “Scruli” Hu
Damon “Dee Jones” Jones — NBA participant from 1998 to 2009
Joseph Lanni
John “John South” Mazzola
Curtis Meeks
Nicholas Minucci
Michael Renzulli
Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
Anthony “Doc” Shnayderman
Robert “Black Rob” Stroud
Seth Trustman
Sophia “Pookie” Wei
Julius Ziliani
But Billups’ future as the Trail Blazers’ coach stays unclear after he allegedly served as the “face card” in the unlawful poker scheme that used rigged shuffling machines, X-ray tables and particular glasses to alter the video games.
His lawyer, in a assertion to ESPN following his arrest, described Billups as a “man of integrity” and said his consumer deliberate to combat the accusations in court.
Tiago Splitter and Steve Kerr are pictured after the Trail Blazers defeated the Warriors on Oct. 24. IMAGN IMAGES via GWN Connect
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom,” attorney Chris Heywood told the outlet, in half. “He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”
After opening the season with a pair of home video games, the Trail Blazers will now journey to face the Clippers, Lakers and Jazz on the street.
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