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Celtics’ Holiday and White on guard against the Dallas Mavericks

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Celtics’ Holiday and White on guard against the Dallas Mavericks


Boston Celtics guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White delight in the drudgery of protecting the home half of the court.

Perimeter defense will be a high priority in the Boston Celtics’ overall game plan when they host the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night (8:37) in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at the TD Garden.

Boston’s backcourt of Holiday and White will attempt to match the Mavericks double threat of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, two of the most dominating offensive guards in the NBA this season.

On the other side of the equation, Holiday and White were named to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team. But in terms of picking your poison, Doncic and Irving are arsenic and cyanide.

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“It’s hard, it’s hard, but it’s fun,” said Holiday, a 14-year NBA pro out of UCLA. “They are the best scorers in the league and they have been doing it all of their careers and you can see what they have been doing in the playoffs.

“They are in a really good groove and not just scoring, but playmaking and making their team better in crucial moments and in close out games and in whatever. They have been performing very great. It is not going to be easy but it will be fun.”

The 6-7, 230-pound Doncic nearly averaged a triple double in 70 regular-season games and was an All-NBA first selection. He averaged 37.5 minutes, 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. In 17 playoff games against the LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, Doncic averaged 41.5 minutes, 28.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists. Those numbers tell a story of futility for previous defenders. There is no easy way to take Doncic out of his comfort zone.

“You can try but I think Luka goes at his own pace,” said Holiday. “I really don’t think that Luka gets sped up. You can try as much as possible but you can say the same thing about Kyrie.

“I think that’s what makes them great. I think they can control their own tempo and control their own pace the way they play. Sometimes I think they get sped up a when you throw a lot at them. But again, it is two tough matchups and two tough teams to guard here.”

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Irving has been an impactful player in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals. Irving appeared in 58 regular-season games, averaging 35 minutes, 25.6 points, 5.2 assist and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Irving upped his court time in 17 postseason games, averaging 40.2 minutes, 22.8 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 boards per game. Irving scored 36 points in 40 minutes in the closeout game against the Timberwolves.

“They are two completely different players but they are some of the best guards in the NBA so it is going to be a challenge,” said White. “Luka has the size and physicality and Kyrie with his creativity.

“It is definitely a challenge and it is a lot of different guys thrown at them and a lot of different matchups and you just have to take the challenge. Honestly, they (the officials) are going to let you be a little more physical and you’ve got to take advantage of that anyway you can.

“They are both too good not to. So, no matter how the game is called, the playoffs have always been more physical than the regular season. You just have to up your physicality and do a little bit more every time. That’s the playoffs and that makes sense.”

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Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens had a contender in need of a booster shot after the team’s disappointing second round exit from the 2023 playoffs.

Stevens’ two key offseason acquisitions were Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis, who should be available for Game 1 after missing the last 10 playoff games with a calf strain. Holiday has extensive playoff experienced and won the NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.

“It takes everything,” said Holiday. “I literally say it takes everything and I think it is one of the hardest things that I have ever done.

“Mentally and physically, you are exhausted. The teams know each other so well that at this point it is kind of about making plays and it is about executing. But for me, it was about how exhausted I was because I left everything out there.”

 

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Boston, MA

MBTA Green Line trains out from Kenmore to Boston College on B branch through April 30

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MBTA Green Line trains out from Kenmore to Boston College on B branch through April 30


The Green Line B branch trains will not run between Kenmore and Boston College through April 30, according to the MBTA.

The nine-day outage will allow T officials to work on several infrastructure improvements and maintenance, the installation of Green Line Train Protection System (GLTPS) infrastructure, replacement of 130-year-old wooden overhead catenary wire “trough” near the Green Line portals and more.

The MBTA announced free, accessible shuttle buses between the two stops, Kenmore and Boston College during the outage. The buses will not stop at Griggs Street, Allston Street, and Packard’s Corner due to “accessibility issues,” T officials said.

During the weekend of April 25 and 26, the outage will extend through Copley, and shuttle buses will skip Griggs Street, Allston Street, and Packard’s Corner during the same weekend.

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Throughout the shutdown all Green Line frequency will be reduced between Copley and Government center.

The MBTA urged riders to use the Orange Line at Back Bay during the outage. The agency also noted riders can transfer to Copley from Back Bay, an approximately five-minute walk.

The route 57 bus will also be free from April 22 through 24 and April 27 through 30 for alternate service between Kenmore and Packard’s Corner, the MBTA stated. During the April 25 and 26 weekend, the T noted the bus will not be a good alternate with not Green Line service at Kenmore.



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Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe flex in Boston: Takeaways from Celtics-76ers Game 2

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Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe flex in Boston: Takeaways from Celtics-76ers Game 2


Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined for 59 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers looked like a completely different team against the Boston Celtics in Game 2.

And unlike Game 1, the Sixers’ defense also showed up, holding Boston to 43 second-half points and 39 percent shooting for the game in a 111-97 road win to tie this Eastern Conference first-round series at 1-1.

Edgecombe scored a team-high 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting, and Maxey added 29 points and nine assists. The Sixers’ backcourt duo combined to shoot 11-for-22 from 3-point range. The Sixers were 19-for-39 from 3 after going 4 of 23 from that distance in Game 1.

Boston was led by Jaylen Brown’s game-high 36 points, but Jayson Tatum was the only other Celtics player who scored in double figures with 19. Boston shot 13-for-50 from 3-point range.

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Here are some takeaways with Game 3 set for Friday in Philadelphia.

Celtics offense falls flat

The Celtics knew to expect a different effort from the 76ers.

One adjustment from Philadelphia likely didn’t take Boston by surprise. After taking just 23 3-pointers in Game 1, the 76ers sought out more long balls in Game 2.

Maxey called his own number more often. Edgecombe was aggressive from the start. As a team, the 76ers played with more freedom, firing plenty of shots that they might have turned down in the series opener. Philadelphia made plenty of those looks while shooting 48.7 percent from behind the arc.

Still, the Celtics would have been all right if they had played their usual offensive game. Instead, their offense was their biggest issue. They shot just 39.3 percent on field goal attempts. They missed 37 of 50 3-point attempts. They committed an atypical 13 turnovers.

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Trying to come back in the fourth quarter, they had too many empty offensive possessions. Jaylen Brown got blocked while trying to beat the shot clock buzzer and picked up an offensive foul while hitting Maxey in the face. Jayson Tatum missed a contested pull-up 3-pointer early in the shot clock on one possession and threw away a pass on another. Derrick White was left wide open in the left corner but couldn’t find the bottom of the net. The 76ers left the door open early in the fourth quarter by missing several shots, including a couple of layups, but the Celtics couldn’t fully capitalize. Eventually, Maxey sank a series of baskets to create more separation for Philadelphia, and the Celtics largely went away down the stretch. — Jay King, Celtics beat writer

Sixers bounce back in Boston

This is the way the 76ers have to play if they want to extend this series as far as possible.

Maxey and Edgecombe have to dominate their guard matchups, which is exactly what they did in Tuesday night’s Game 2. Paul George needs to be a deterrent to Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. He doesn’t have to eclipse them, because that would be difficult. But he does have to give them a bit of pause. Most of all, the 76ers have to play the focused brand of basketball they exhibited in Game 2 rather than the sloppy and slapstick kind of hoops they played in Game 1.

The Celtics are such a good team that the above equates to near-perfect basketball. But that’s the task the Sixers are facing, particularly without star center Joel Embiid. On Tuesday night, this was a team up to the task. They were focused. They executed on both ends of the floor. They got much better play from their role players. Maxey and Edgecombe were absolutely dominant.

Overall, on both ends of the floor, this is the best game the 76ers have played in months. And they got it at just the right time. Now we have a 1-1 series heading back to Philadelphia. — Tony Jones, Sixers beat writer 

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Former Massachusetts doctor faces 81 new sexual assault charges

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Former Massachusetts doctor faces 81 new sexual assault charges



A former doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has been indicted on 81 new sexual assault charges, prosecutors announced Tuesday. Dr. Derrick Todd, a rheumatologist, was already facing rape and assault charges in Middlesex County and had been sued by dozens of former patients.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said the new charges stem from accusations made by 22 victims between 17 and 56 years old. Todd faces 21 new rape charges, 59 new counts of indecent assault and battery and one count of assault with intent to rape.

“Many of these women had complicated and gravely serious symptoms and conditions. Some were in excruciating pain. Many were desperate for relief,” Hayden said. “Dr. Todd intently groomed them all into quiet submission.”

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With the latest indictments, Todd is now facing more than 100 charges of sexual assault in Massachusetts. 

“Almost unimaginable”

The alleged assaults occurred between 2017 and 2023 at Brigham and Women’s Hale Building in Boston and the Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain. Hayden said it’s “almost unimaginable” how Todd was able to violate and betray patients’ trust.

“The scale of victimization and the magnitude of trauma left in the wake of these allegations is something we have never encountered,” Hayden said.

WBZ-TV has reached out to Todd’s lawyer for comment. He could be arraigned in court on the new charges this week, Hayden said. 

Charges against Dr. Derrick Todd

Brigham and Women’s fired Todd in 2023 following accusations that he performed inappropriate pelvic and breast exams on his patients. The I-Team reported at the time that police were investigating more than a dozen complaints of sex assault against Todd by his female patients. 

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In January of 2025, Todd pleaded not guilty in Middlesex Superior Court to rape charges involving two of his former patients at Charles River Medical Associates in Framingham. 

Last month, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said a grand jury indicted Todd on three new charges of rape and 17 counts of indecent assault and battery.



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