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

What we know about accused Memorial Drive gunman Tyler Brown

Published

3 hours ago

May 11, 2026

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What we know about accused Memorial Drive gunman Tyler Brown

Investigators identified Tyler Brown of Boston as the man who allegedly opened fire on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, leaving two victims with life-threatening injuries.

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said Brown fired 50 to 60 shots on the busy road shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.

Two male victims were hit in vehicles, Ryan said. They are in critical condition and fighting for their lives.

A Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian with a license to carry a firearm went toward the gunman and fired their weapons at him. Officers treated Brown at the scene, and he was brought to a Boston hospital, where he is in intensive care, according to the district attorney.

This video shared with NBC10 Boston appears to show a man opening fire at cars on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday, May 11, 2026.

Authorities have, so far, shared limited information about the suspect.

“Mr. Brown is from Boston, and apparently was in the process of moving here. We understand that Mr. Brown was under the supervision of either the Massachusetts Probation Department or Department of Parole,” Ryan said.

She did not elaborate on why Brown may have been on probation or parole.

“We will address Mr. Brown’s criminal record, if any, at the arraignment,” she said.

Ryan added that she did not know enough about Brown’s condition to say whether he would be arraigned in court or in a hospital bed. The timing was also not clear.

He will face two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and firearms charges, and “a variety of other charges as we unfold what took place, exactly, and we have a chance to speak to the many, many people who were out there,” Ryan said.

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Boston, MA

Portion of Storrow Drive, Soldiers Field Road will close nightly through August – The Boston Globe

Published

15 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Portion of Storrow Drive, Soldiers Field Road will close nightly through August – The Boston Globe

An inbound stretch of Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road will be closed each night through August for tunnel repairs, officials announced.

Starting Monday, the closures will begin at 8 p.m. and last until 5 a.m., state officials said.

Road closures begin at North Harvard Street in Allston and stretch along the Charles River Esplanade to Mugar Way in Boston, near the Hatch Memorial Shell, officials said.

Traffic will be detoured into Cambridge over the Anderson Bridge, along Memorial Drive, and then be routed into Boston over the Longfellow Bridge.

The closures will allow ongoing repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel in the Back Bay. The work is the first phase of a two-stage project to extend the lifespan of the tunnel, which carries roughly 50,000 drivers to and from downtown Boston daily.

The outbound portion of the tunnel and accompanying roadways will not be affected.

State transportation officials said changes to the work schedule will be made when necessary to minimize impacts during major local events at TD Garden, Fenway Park, or during the FIFA World Cup and 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for this summer.

Additional changes may be made without notice due to weather.

Transportation officials have not specified when the closures will end.

Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.

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Boston, MA

Ole Miss softball to play Boston in NCAA tournament Lubbock Regional

Published

1 day ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

Ole Miss softball to play Boston in NCAA tournament Lubbock Regional

This story has been updated with new information

OXFORD — Ole Miss softball is back in the NCAA Tournament after making the Women’s College World Series a season ago.

The Rebels (34-24) will play Boston (46-13) on May 15 (1 p.m. CT, ESPNU) in the Lubbock Regional. Ole Miss is the No. 2 seed in the regional, and Boston is the No. 3.

Texas Tech (52-6), the No. 11 overall seed and regional host, will face No. 4 Marist (37-19).

The Rebels went 6-18 in SEC play this season, and have a largely new-look roster from the team that made the WCWS last season.

Ole Miss beat South Carolina and Tennessee in the SEC Tournament to improve its seed.

Freshman Madi George has burst onto the scene in the SEC. The first-year infielder leads Ole Miss with a .385 batting average. She has a team-high 21 home runs and 58 RBIs.

Seniors Emilee Boyer (3.86 ERA), Kyra Aycock (3.97 ERA) and junior Lily Whitten (3.04 ERA) are the primary options in the circle for coach Jamie Trachsel.

Trachsel is in her sixth season leading the Ole Miss program. She led the Rebels to their first WCWS appearance in program history in 2025.

What to know about Boston, Texas Tech and Marist in Lubbock Regional

Boston entered the Patriot League Tournament as the top seed and the Terriers delivered. Boston beat No. 2 Colgate 12-1, becoming the second team in Patriot League history to four-peat as conference champions. Boston is on a 12-game winning streak. Kylie Doherty leads the team with a .396 batting average and 26 home runs.

Texas Tech made the 2025 WCWS championship series, losing to Texas in three games.

Texas Tech lost just three Big 12 games this season but lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders are a strong threat to get to the WCWS again. There are four Texas Tech batters hitting over .400. Star pitcher NiJaree Canady leads the Red Raiders with a 1.24 ERA. She has 209 strikeouts.

Marist plays in the MAAC and won the conference tournament. Marist split a two-game series against South Carolina early in the season. Ava Metzger (12-3, 2.51 ERA) and Peyton Pusey (.404 batting average) lead the team.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

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