Boston, MA
Against Miami, The Boston Celtics’ Biggest Enemies Have Been Jimmy Butler And Themselves
The Boston Celtics haven’t been to the NBA Finals since 2010 after they misplaced to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in seven video games. Contemplating that they’ve been to the Japanese Convention Finals six occasions since then, it’s comprehensible in the event that they thought that they have been overdue. On Friday night time, that they had a golden alternative to punch their ticket by defeating the Miami Warmth however unhealthy habits and a historic recreation from Jimmy Butler ensured that there can be a Sport 7.
Heading into the sport, it felt like the one group that would beat them was themselves. Sport 6 did not fully disprove that principle because the Celtics started the sport taking part in the identical sloppy basketball that has been their trademark throughout their many inexplicable playoff losses this 12 months. They dedicated numerous unforced turnovers, picked up brutal fouls and allowed Miami to race to an early double-digit lead that compelled them to play from behind for the overwhelming majority of the sport.
Whereas the Celtics managed to briefly take a late lead within the fourth, they only couldn’t maintain on. A lot of the credit score goes to Jimmy Butler, who put up a dominant game-saving efficiency by scoring 47 factors, gathering 9 rebounds and dishing eight assists. Not even a desperately-needed efficiency from Derrick White, who scored 22 factors off the bench and compelled numerous Miami turnovers, was sufficient to offset Butler’s contributions.
Extra painful, at the least strictly from simply an irony standpoint, most of the recreation’s largest momentum-crushing pictures got here from former Celtics two-way participant Max Strus, who the group infamously lower in a roster crunch in favor of Javonte Inexperienced again in 2019. The Warmth ended up successful 111-103, though it was a tighter recreation than the ultimate rating signifies.
How badly did the Celtics must win Sport 6? Properly, in accordance with calculations from The Ringer, they have been predicted to win the sequence 83% of the time heading into the sport. Now, following their loss, their odds have dropped to 51%. The Japanese Convention Finals are primarily a coin-flip and that’s solely as a result of the Celtics (surprisingly sufficient) have been pretty much as good on the highway as they’ve been on the house this season.
Friday’s loss was particularly brutal as a result of damage luck was on their aspect. Marcus Sensible and Robert Williams have been each accessible to play, that means solely little-used Sam Hauser was out, whereas the Warmth was compelled to play with out the aptly-named Tyler Herro. It seems it did not matter as Butler performed properly sufficient for each of them.
Possibly they have been jinxed. The earlier night time, the Golden State Warriors accomplished their gentleman’s sweep towards the Dallas Mavericks in Sport 5 of the Western Convention Finals. After the sport, the Warriors’ Draymond Inexperienced went out of his option to give the Warmth additional motivation with some primo bulletin board materials by dismissing Miami’s possibilities.
If Inexperienced was taking part in four-dimensional chess, it labored. The Warriors can now sit again and watch the Celtics and the Warmth beat one another up in what is going to assuredly be a bodily Sport 7. That’s the unhealthy information. The excellent news is that, past their highway success this season, these Celtics have had a postseason-long behavior of not losing back-to-back games.
There’s a first time for the whole lot, nevertheless. With Herro doubtlessly again within the lineup for Miami, the Celtics are going to should put collectively their greatest group effort of the 12 months to keep away from what can be essentially the most disappointing C’s loss since that Sport 7 towards the Lakers again in 2010. The NBA Finals are nonetheless inside their grasp however Miami goes to make them earn it.
Boston, MA
Amid reported federal investigation, Boston city councilor releases statement
A Boston city councilor reportedly subject to a federal investigation declined to comment on the matter in a statement Wednesday, but thanked her supporters and committed to staying in office.
“My job is show up and to fight for you. And I will continue to do just that; the people’s work,” District 7 Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson wrote in a post on Instagram.
The statement, addressing what Fernandes Anderson called “the news yesterday,” followed a Boston Globe report that federal authorities were investigating the councilor and had sent subpoenas to City Hall.
- Read more: Boston City Councilor Fernandes Anderson investigated by feds, reports say
Citing anonymous sources, the Globe reported that the nature of the investigation was unclear. No criminal charges had been filed.
Fernandes Anderson, who represents Roxbury, Dorchester and the South End, said she had received “a tremendous amount of prayers, support, and well wishes” since the story was published.
“Unfortunately, I am not able to comment on this matter at this time,” she said Wednesday. “As soon as I can I will be sure to share with you.”
It is not Fernandes Anderson‘s first brush with scrutiny.
In July 2023, the Massachusetts Ethics Commission cited Fernandes Anderson for hiring her sister and son to full-time staff positions after she took office in 2022.
Fernandes Anderson appointed her sister as director of constituent services with an initial salary of $65,000, later increasing her salary to $70,000 with a $7,000 bonus in June 2022.
Her son was appointed office manager around the same time, with an initial salary of $52,000. Eleven days later, Fernandes Anderson increased his pay to $70,000.
The commission required her to pay a $5,000 civil penalty.
More recently, other state authorities levied fines against Fernandes Anderson last month for multiple campaign finance violations.
The state Office of Campaign and Political Finance said the city councilor had not promptly disclosed $32,900 of the $34,500 that was deposited into her campaign account from Nov. 2023 to Sept. 2024.
The office ordered her to pay a $1,750 fine. She was also forced to return $100 in excess contributions from another candidate’s committee.
Fernandes Anderson is in her second term and is the first Muslim, first formerly undocumented immigrant and first African immigrant to serve on the council.
She won reelection in 2023 with more than 70% of the vote in her district.
Boston, MA
Boston College Locks in 2025 Athlete Kaelan Chudzinski
Bill O’Brien and the Boston College Eagles continue to roll through the early signing period for football, locking in yet another talented prospect as a member of the 2025 recruiting class.
3-Star wide receiver/tight end Kaelan Chudzinski officially signed with the Eagles on Wednesday. He committed to Boston College in early November and has been locked in with the Eagles ever since.
Chudzinski, who hails from Needham, Mass., is a big bodied target, standing at 6-foot-4, 210 lbs. with the ability to also play tight end. This season he’s helped guide a St. Sebastian’s Arrows team to a 4-3 record. He uses his big frame to haul in contested catches, and also is a very effective blocker in the run game.
While he lacks the outright speed of some other prospect in this year’s recruiting class and of some of the players already on the roster, Chudzinski plays with a high motor and is a very efficient route runner.
247Sports ranks the talented prospect as the No. 128 tight end in the nation and the No. 12 player in the state of Massachusetts.
As of now, the Eagles hold the No. 50 ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports’ composite ranking, but could still be in play to land more talented prospects.
Stay locked into Boston College on SI for all your Eagles news, and check out our Boston College football recruiting tracker to stay up to date on the 2025 class and more.
See Also…
Boston College Men’s Basketball Drops ACC/SEC Challenge to South Carolina
Seven Boston College Football Players Earn All-ACC Honors
Boston, MA
Bruins Notes: Boston Noticing 'Passion' Revival Under Joe Sacco
The Boston Bruins opened up a new chapter under interim head coach Joe Sacco and while the results are showing, the locker room is feeling a change of direction too.
Boston defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 3-2 in overtime, on Tuesday night for the second time since Sacco took over for Jim Montgomery. Much like their recent trip to Detroit in November, the Bruins were put to the test in terms of their patience, defensive poise and ability to score in a timely fashion.
The Black and Gold passed, needless to say, and credit Sacco’s step up to the helm at the team’s recent click, putting them now at 13-11-3 on the year.
“I think we’re playing with a passion,” Nikita Zadorov told reporters, per team-provided audio. “I think we’re playing with pride. I think we’re playing for each other. I thought we were disconnected before. That’s what wasn’t working. I don’t think we fixed much X’s and O’s. I think it’s the same system, the same game plans. We’re just doing it this time.”
Zadorov added: “If one guy makes mistakes, other guys are gonna clean up for them. So I think that’s the main change from the start of the year.”
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The Bruins were cornered once Detroit’s Lucas Raymond scored his second goal of the night in the third period to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead. It might’ve uplifted Detroit’s bench, however, it wasn’t strong enough for a knockout blow to put Boston away for good. Justin Brazeau had a response of his own for the Red Wings, giving the Bruins new life heading into overtime.
Pavel Zacha, at 2:15 into overtime, took care of the night from there with the game-decider.
“Anytime that we can go out there, especially at that point in the game when you’re down a goal, and that power play unit goes out there and puts one in, it lifts the team is what it does,” Sacco said, per team-provided audio. “It helps the spirit on the bench. It lifts people up as opposed to bringing us down so that was a good sign. That was a positive sign.”
It’s only been seven games, but the Bruins are yet to lose on back-to-back occasions under Sacco, racking up a handful of their season’s most impressive wins in the process.
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Here are more notes from Tuesday night’s Bruins-Red Wings game:
— Boston improved to 5-2 under Sacco’s leadership.
— Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who held the Red Wings scoreless in the second period, recorded 27 saves on the night. The 30-year-old has notched 20-plus saves in each of last six starts for Boston.
“He deserves a lot of credit for the way he’s come in and played under tough situations sometimes,” Sacco said, per team-provided audio”Tonight he got the beginning of a back-to-back but sometimes he doesn’t. He may get the end of the back-to-backs and he’s just been really solid for us. Really all you can ask from your goaltender is to give your team a chance to win and he’s done that on most nights.”
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— Zadorov’s first-period goal clocked in at 90.46 miles per hour, according to Bruins Correspondent Shawn Hutcheon, marking the fastest goal from a Boston player this season.
“He was engaged in the game tonight,” Sacco said, per team-provided audio. “He was physical, and he was just defending hard tonight. When he was on the ice, the opposition knew that he was playing.”
— The Red Wings, now 10-11-4, have lost three straight games.
— The Bruins will next hit the road and head to the Windy City for a meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Puck drop from United Center is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, and that matchup will be aired on TNT.
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