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Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is looking beyond the past

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Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is looking beyond the past


Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is embracing his second chance to win a first NBA championship.

The Celtics advanced to the NBA finals with a sweep of the Indiana Pacers and will engage the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 on Thursday night at the TD Garden.

The Celtics were the young up-and-coming team matched up against an aging dynasty when they encountered the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA finals. The Celtics lost the series 4-2 and were beaten at home 103-90 in the deciding Game 6 on June 16.

“There was a lot myself and we can learn from the experience of being in the finals and this time, this go-around is a lot different.” said Tatum after Saturday’s practice at the Auerbach Center in Brighton.

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“Obviously we’ve been there before and we came up short. It was a great opportunity to make it to the finals again and you don’t always get a second chance. So, I’m really just looking at it as a second chance and trying to simplify things as much as we can. It’s just another series we’ve got to win.”

Tatum and the Celtics learned the hard truth that talent alone does not guarantee success in the 2019 NBA playoffs. The tandem of Tatum and shooting guard Jaylen Brown were at the onset of a new era in team history that season, but the club was piloted by Mavericks’ point guard Kyrie Irving.

Irving experienced a falling out with the Boston fan base near the end of his tumultuous two-year tenure in Celtics’ green. The Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers in the opening round but were eliminated 4-2 by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“I think just learning that a talented team … and it is not just talent that is going to take you over the top,” said Tatum. “To have guys that are willing to sacrifice, guys that are willing to do the other things in order for the team to have a chance.

“It wasn’t just like a Kyrie thing. It was all of us. I think it was all of us, we all took part in why that season wasn’t a success. We all learned from it and moved on.

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“Some of us stayed here and some of us left and have done great things since that season. I just look at that as a learning experience for my second year.”

One of the guys that decamped after the 2019 debacle was Irving, who brought his emotional baggage with him to the Brooklyn Nets. Irving’s tenure with the Nets proved to be another unsatisfactory stopover on the disgruntled superstar’s journey through the NBA. Irving lasted two and a half seasons in Brooklyn.

Irving was traded to the Mavericks on Feb. 6, 2023, and he appears to have found a fulfilling role on head coach Jason Kidd’s roster. Irving and All-NBA first team point guard Luka Doncic have the Mavericks sitting four games away from the franchise’s second NBA championship.

“It does seem like that Dallas has obviously been a great fit for him getting to the NBA finals,” said Tatum, who joined Doncic on the 2024 All-NBA first team.

“The staff and the team, they all just kind of jelled together and it is great to see Ky out there playing at such a high level. He’s doing all the special things we love to see him do and have fun doing it.”

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After completing the sweep on the Pacers in Indiana on Monday, May 27, the Celtics had to wait three days before finding out they would be playing the Mavericks. Dallas eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night at Target Arena.

That adds up to nine days between Game 4 against Indiana and Game 1 against Dallas. Maintaining a competitive edge can be difficult when the downtime is filled primarily with drills, practices, film study, and scrimmages.

“This is unique for a lot of us,” said Tatum. “The quickest we’ve ever got through a first and second and obviously a third round.

“A lot of the previous years we’ve had a couple of 7-game series that just kind of extend the playoffs. I think was great for us to close out a series when we were supposed to and to have this nice break. The work we put in in the regular season and that we get to start the finals at home.”



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Boston, MA

Boston Police Blotter: City snow slowly but surely getting removed

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Boston Police Blotter: City snow slowly but surely getting removed


The Boston Police Department reported a lower-than-usual number of incidents in the 24-hour period leading up to 10 a.m. Saturday, which could be attributed to temperatures in the single-digits and the massive amount of snow still on the ground.

But Boston Public Works says they’re on the second one.

“No rest for the weary! After another successful night of large-scale snow removal across #Boston, PWD district continue work today removing snow banks and clearing alleys, crosswalks & crub ramps to improve safety and accessibility,” the city department reported Friday.

They were at it again Saturday, when they reported they had cleared more than 2,667 loads of snow from city streets — totaling 41,168 cubic yards.

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Incident Summary

BPD responded to 178 incidents in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Saturday, according to the department’s incident log. Those included three aggravated assaults and 18 instances of miscellaneous larceny.

Arrests

All of the below-named defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

— Juan Martinez, 120 Southampton St., Boston. Shoplifting.

— Theodore Murray, 242 Highland Ave., Somerville. External warrant arrest.

— Keith Cunningham, 450 Boston Post Road, Marlboro. Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

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— Arjan Vladi, 5337 Washington St., Boston. Possession of Class E drugs.

Courtesy/Boston BPW

Boston Public Works Department workers have been hard at work clearing the massive amount of snow covering Boston. (Courtesy/Boston BPW)



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Boston, MA

‘ICE Out Everywhere’: Protesters to rally on Boston Common today

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‘ICE Out Everywhere’: Protesters to rally on Boston Common today


Protesters will gather in Boston today at a mass rally demanding an end to all state and local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and calling for stronger protections for immigrant communities.

The 11:30 a.m. “ICE Out Everywhere” rally, organized by Mass 50501, UU Mass Action, Indivisible Mass Coalition, Boston PSL, MEJA, and allied groups, will feature speakers, signs, and collective action that is expected to focus on nonviolent resistance, mutual aid, and community protection, according to organizers.

Participants were encouraged to bring signs, friends and their voices as they collective call on state leaders to take concrete steps to stop collaboration with ICE.

Protesters gathered in cities across the country calling for an end to ICE’s crackdown, with participants saying it’s become an issue of human rights.

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This rally comes after the national day of action on Friday, where a call to action on social media said no work, no school, and no shopping all in support of a general strike against ICE and the immigration enforcement that’s been happening across the country.

Businesses across New England answered the call to close. Other local businesses shared messages of support for the strike, but many said they couldn’t afford to close, so they supported the effort through donations.

Crowds also gathered in the streets of Boston on Friday afternoon, calling for a stop to ICE activity, citing the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, as well as confrontations in other cities.



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Boston College Men’s hockey takes down Boston University ahead of Beanpot

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Boston College Men’s hockey takes down Boston University ahead of Beanpot


BOSTON – Boston College took care of business on Commonwealth Ave before taking the fight to Causeway Street.

The Eagles emerged victorious in the 299th Battle of Commonwealth Ave., beating rival Boston University 4-1 on Friday night at Agganis Arena.

The Hockey East blood feud served as a dress rehearsal for Monday night’s 73rd Annual Beanpot Hockey Tournament twin bill on Monday night at the TD Garden.

“You want to have momentum and positive energy,” said BC coach Greg Brown. “We are kind of trending in the right direction.”

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No. 13 BC improved to 14-8-1 overall, 10-5-0 in Hockey East and will face Harvard in the opener at 5 p.m. The defending Beanpot champion Terriers fell to 12-13-1, 8-10-0 in Hockey East, and will take on Northeastern in the nightcap (8). No. 9 BU beat No. 1 BC, 4-1, in last year’s Beanpot title game.

“There is not much you can do and you have to give yourself an opportunity Monday to try and get to that next Monday at the right time,” said BU coach Jay Pandolfo, who won two straight Beanpots as a BU player. “I think that is what we have to focus on and if you keep dwelling on what is happening now, that is not going to help us.

“We all know where we are at this point. This is a good opportunity to win a game on Monday and have a chance to play for a championship. But you have to get the job done Monday first and it comes quickly.”

BC freshman goaltender Louka Cloutier was the difference maker in the contest. The reigning Hockey East Rookie of the Week made 33 saves to record his 13th win.

“He’s been great and his mental attitude has been outstanding whether the momentum is on their side or our side,” said Brown. “When they made a real push Louka was excellent for us.”

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The Terriers peppered the BC cage from the opening faceoff with four quality shots, but it was the Eagles that netted the opener at3:28 of the first.

Freshman right wing Oscar Hemming crashed the BU zone and his wrister from the left circle was blocked by BU defenseman Charlie Trethewey. Senior center Andre Gasseau collected the rebound in the slot and flicked a wobbler past Terriers’ goalie Mikhail Yegorov for his fourth of the season. BC hasn’t won the Beanpot since 2016 and Gasseau enters his final tournament with a senior’s sense of urgency and a scorer’s sense of confidence.

“We’ve gone through with a different group every year and obviously this is my last year and I want to win it,” said Gasseau. “You take pride in winning those games and winning those tournaments and we are going to win it this year. I have no doubt.”

BC appeared to go up 2-0 on the power play with 49 seconds on the clock. Pandolfo issued a coach’s challenge on the grounds that the Eagles were offside and the goal was disallowed. Cloutier stymied two BU power plays and several even strength challenges and exited the frame with 15 saves.

BC went up 2-0 on a brilliantly executed 2-on-1 by a pair of Boston Bruins first round draft picks. Center Dean Letourneau forced a neutral zone turnover and broke in down the left side with left wing James Hagens in pursuit on the opposite flank. Letourneau feigned a shot and fed Hagens, who beat Yegorov with a wrist shot top shelf on the glove side for his 12th of the season.

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“They are very good players and they practice hard,” said Brown. “For years you work for those situations and to execute in those situations because you don’t get a ton of two-on-one’s in a college hockey game.

“The fact they got the opportunity and executed on it was huge and you see that in the NHL, that’s what those guys do.”

Letourneau put BC up 3-0 with his 14th of the season at 16:53 of the second. Bruins draft pick Will Moore collected a loose puck on the end boards and fed Letourneau, who was left unattended in the low slot. Letourneau made a quick flick of the wrist and beat Yegorov to the near post on the stick side. BU exited the middle frame with a 23-13 advantage in shots on goal.

BU averted the shutout on the power play at 37 seconds into the third period. Junior Jack Harvey flipped a wobbler that rolled over Cloutier’s shoulder and into the goal for his ninth of the season.



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