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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

What we know about accused Memorial Drive gunman Tyler Brown

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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





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Ole Miss softball to play Boston in NCAA tournament Lubbock Regional

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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