Boston, MA

Celtics Choke? NBA Insider Issues Warning To Boston Doubters

Published

2 years ago

May 17, 2024

Celtics Choke? NBA Insider Issues Warning To Boston Doubters

The Boston Celtics are a wagon.

They dominated the regular season, posting a 64-18 record to secure the NBA’s No. 1 seed. They steamrolled the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs, winning each series in five games. They have the best roster in the league. They’re battle-tested, based on past postseason experience. And they’re healthy, outside of Kristaps Porzingis, who’s working back from a calf injury.

Yet, there’s a gigantic elephant in the room: Boston’s recent inability to get over the hump and win the NBA Finals, oftentimes despite being viewed as clear-cut contenders to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

The Celtics’ near-misses — which include a trip to the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games — perhaps explain why some folks are gun-shy about totally buying into this year’s Boston team.

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The C’s are heavy favorites to win the championship, with just eight wins standing between them and a title, yet outside skepticism persists.

It makes no sense to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, who on Friday pointed to Boston when breaking down the “most surprising” aspect of the second round of the playoffs.

Windhorst’s assessment — part of a playoff roundtable published to ESPN.com — even included a stern warning at the end.

“The Celtics are 8-2 with seven double-digit wins this postseason. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are averaging a combined 60 points and 14 rebounds per game. Boston is ranked No. 2 in offense and No. 3 in defense in the playoffs despite missing star center Kristaps Porziņģis,” Windhorst wrote. “Yet, people are abandoning the Celtics as title contenders. Their postseason opponents (the Miami Heat and the Cavaliers) had injury issues, but the Celtics had little trouble against them. Ignore them at your own risk.”

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If you don’t want to bet on the Celtics, fine. There’s virtually no value in backing Boston at this stage. As of Friday, the C’s were -850 to win the Eastern Conference and -155 to win the NBA Finals at FanDuel Sportsbook.

If you like the Celtics to win, you’re better off trying to pinpoint which Western Conference opponent they’ll take down en route to securing the hardware. Or you could tap into the NBA Finals MVP market, where Jayson Tatum is a +130 favorite and Jaylen Brown sits at +700.

But betting aside, it’s hard to find flaws in the Celtics’ game right now, especially in the context of the remaining teams. Boston should win the championship. Anything less would be a disappointment.

Any hesitancy clearly is rooted in the Celtics’ past playoff failures. And it also might be misguided this time around, as there’s mounting evidence that suggests Boston really is that much better than every other team.

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Ignore them at your own risk — as Windhorst stated.

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Boston, MA

Bell, Camden combine for 10 3-pointers, help Cal cruise past Boston College 86-75

Published

3 hours ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

Bell, Camden combine for 10 3-pointers, help Cal cruise past Boston College 86-75

BOSTON — – Chris Bell made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points to help California cruise past Boston College 86-75 on Saturday.

Cal (18-8, 6-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) never trailed against BC, and led by as many as 20 points in each half. The Golden Bears ended a two-game skid that included a 107-100, double-overtime loss to Syracuse.

Bell shot 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 10 from long range. John Camden made four 3s and finished with 15 points. Dai Dai Ames also scored 15 points and Justin Pippen chipped in with 12. Cal shot 56% overall and 48% (14 of 29) from beyond the arc.

Fred Payne scored 16 points to lead Boston College (9-16, 2-10), which has lost six straight games. Chase Forte added 14 points, and Luka Toews and Jayden Hastings scored 12 each.

With 4:18 remaining, Toews hit a 3-pointer to spark a 10-3 spurt that pulled the Eagles to 80-71 with 2:16 left. Camden answered with a 3 and BC didn’t get closer.

Cal used a 19-8 run, capped by Camden’s 3-pointer, for a 20-point lead late in the first half. Payne’s 3 helped pull the Eagles to 43-28 at the break. In the second half, another Camden 3 stretched the Golden Bears’ lead to 55-35 with 16:32 to play.

Up next

Cal: The Golden Bears face Stanford at home on Saturday.

Boston College: The Eagles are at Florida State on Saturday.

—— Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballbr/]

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Boston, MA

Skating Club of Boston cheers on Maxim Naumov

Published

15 hours ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

Skating Club of Boston cheers on Maxim Naumov

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Boston, MA

Delta is bringing back direct flights between Boston and Hawaii

Published

1 day ago

February 13, 2026

Press Room

Flights

The service begins Dec. 19.

A Delta Air Lines jet takes off from Logan International Airport in June 2022.

By Kristi Palma

February 13, 2026 | 1:17 PM

1 minute to read

Bostonians will again enjoy nonstop service between Boston and Hawaii in late 2026, Delta Air Lines announced on Friday.

JetBlue lounge at Logan Airport will make its debut this summer

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Delta, a leading carrier at Logan International Airport, will begin service between Boston and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Dec. 19 as part of its winter seasonal schedule. It will once again become America’s longest domestic route.

Last year, Boston travelers could book nonstop flights to Hawaii on two airlines —Delta and Hawaiian Airlines. But those routes were cancelled last year and there is not currently a direct flight between New England and Hawaii.

Delta launched direct service between Boston and Honolulu in 2024 and suspended the service in 2025 “to align with consumer demand.” Then Hawaiian cancelled its direct flight between Boston and Honolulu in August because it was “underperforming.”

“The returning route reopens a long-haul leisure link between the Northeast and the islands, offering customers a single-flight escape to O‘ahu’s iconic shoreline, cultural landmarks and vibrant city-meets-beach experience,” wrote Delta officials in a press release.

The flights will operate daily during the peak holiday travel period in December and, after that, drop down to four times weekly for the winter season. Delta did not provide an end date for the seasonal service. Customers will travel on an Airbus A330-300.

“Hawaii plays an important role in our long-haul leisure network,” said Amy Martin, vice president of network planning for Delta Air Lines, in a statement. “This expansion strengthens connectivity from key U.S. hubs while giving customers more choice in how they reach the islands, alongside the premium travel experience they expect on these long-haul flights.”

The airline also announced the launch of new service between Minneapolis–St. Paul and Maui.

Kristi Palma

Travel writer

Kristi Palma is the travel writer for Boston.com, focusing on the six New England states. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.

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