BOSTON — Miles Norris is just days into his Celtics tenure, but the perfect opportunity came up for him. As the C’s put the finishing touches on their blowout win over the 76ers, that was the chance for Norris not only to make his C’s debut but also his first time playing in an NBA game.
So with 4:01 left in the fourth quarter Thursday, Norris checked in for his first NBA minutes. Norris said there weren’t necessarily any nerves ahead of his debut as his teammates assured him to just go out and have fun. Norris didn’t score, but he finished with a couple rebounds on the night.
“Felt great just to get out there, get some rebounds, go up and down for a little bit,” Norris said. “Just get loose. Felt good to be in the Garden, the atmosphere. Great fans. Fans go crazy out here. I love that about here. That was probably my first impression. They got a really diehard fanbase, I really love that.”
Norris joined the Celtics on a two-way contract, coming from the G League Memphis Hustle. His new C’s locker room is right next to his former teammate Payton Pritchard as they teamed up at Oregon for the 2018-19 season. As he described it, it’s a “full-circle” moment for him being able to play with Pritchard again, now in the pros.
While Norris didn’t take any shots in his debut, he projects as a wing who can stretch the floor. He shot 38.5% on 8.6 3-point attempts per game in the G League, plus he brings size as a 6-foot-7 wing. All of those reasons are why the C’s inked him to their third two-way slot after waiving rookie Anton Watson.
Norris got his first game under his belt, though there’s a lot more to accomplish going forward. He’ll likely get plenty of G League reps going as he’s now a part of the C’s organization as he looks to get some development.
“Once you get up and down, you start to feel a little better,” he said. “Once I subbed in, got my first rebound, running up and down the court, I felt pretty good. … The guys encouraged me to go out there and play how I play. Play loose. The vets on the team, Payton and everybody, telling me to go out there and play loose.”
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.