Boston, MA
Celtics notebook: Kristaps Porzingis ‘better every day’ as rehab ramps up
Kristaps Porzingis began what the Celtics called the “next phase of his recovery” on Monday, joining Boston’s G League affiliate for a practice at the Auerbach Center.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla said the rehabbing big man suffered no setbacks during that session.
“I only watched a little of it, but he came out of it OK,” Mazzulla said before Tuesday’s NBA Cup matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. “So he’ll just continue to ramp it up and get better and better.”
Porzingis underwent offseason surgery to repair the rare leg injury he suffered during the NBA Finals. He has not played since, but he has been around the team and, by all accounts, is making steady progress.
Mazzulla didn’t explain exactly what this “next phase” for Porzingis entails (“I have no idea. It’s a medical phase”) but said he’s been pleased with the work the 7-foot-2 center is putting in.
“All I know is he’s getting better every day, and he’s working really hard at coming back as fast as he can,” Mazzulla said. “And he’s in the next phase of the ramp-up.”
Porzingis was the only Celtics player unavailable for Tuesday’s game. Sixth man Payton Pritchard was listed as questionable Monday with a sprained left thumb but was upgraded to available before the game.
Tillman Maine man
Joining Porzingis for his brief G League rehab assignment was forward Xavier Tillman. Some players might balk at a request to practice with the farm club, but Mazzulla said Tillman, who has fallen out of Boston’s rotation of late, embraced the opportunity.
“He just wanted to play,” Mazzulla said. “It was an opportunity to play, and he’s obviously done a great job of just doing what we’ve asked him to do. So it’s a credit to him. We’ve got a lot of respect for him for making that decision. He’s got to keep getting better and better. He’s brought great character, a great work ethic to it.”
Acquired from Memphis ahead of last season’s trade deadline, Tillman logged substantial minutes over Boston’s first four games but has hardly seen the floor over the past three weeks. Entering Tuesday, the 25-year-old had played just 19 total minutes over the last nine games – despite starting one of those – with four healthy DNPs during that span.
The bulk of Tillman’s minutes have gone to center Neemias Queta, who’s emerged as a steady frontcourt presence for Boston after splitting last season between the NBA and G League.
Queta hasn’t replicated Porzingis’ rim protection and isn’t a perimeter shooting threat, but he entered Tuesday ranked third among Celtics players in rebounds per game behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and first in rebounds and blocks per 36 minutes.
Cavs hurting
Mazzulla said the biggest difference between the current Cavaliers, who carried a perfect 15-0 record into Tuesday’s clash, and the Cleveland squad Boston dispatched in the Eastern Conference semifinals was that this one is “healthier.”
At the top of their roster, that’s certainly true. The Cavs were without Donovan Mitchell for two games of the teams’ playoff series and down Jarrett Allen for all five; both have been available and highly impactful this season.
But Cleveland was missing several important role players in this rematch, with Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade and Caris LeVert all sitting out due to injury. Okoro and Wade have made 15 combined starts this season, and LeVert is the top bench option for head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Atkinson, who didn’t shy away from the hype surrounding this matchup, said playing against the defending champion Celtics would give the Cavs valuable “feedback” about their own championship bona fides.
“Hopefully, we’ll see this team down the road,” he said. “(This is) an important game. On the other hand, I don’t want to blow this game out of proportion. It’s that balance, but it’s more anxious to see where we are. And we all know our schedule has not been the hardest. So we’re playing an elite team, the top team in the league. So I just can’t wait to get some feedback from the game.”
Mazzulla on Montgomery
The Celtics’ fellow TD Garden tenant underwent a coaching change Tuesday, with the reeling Bruins firing Jim Montgomery 20 games into his third season with the club.
Mazzulla, who’s spoken previously about how Boston’s head coaches support each other, called Montgomery’s dismissal an unfortunate reality of their business.
“I talked to him a couple times,” Mazzulla said. “It’s tough. I talked to him a few times, and then watching the games. I didn’t really dive deep into his coaching philosophy or stuff like that. You hate to see a coach have to go through that, but we all get hired to get fired.”
Montgomery and Mazzulla found similar regular-season success in Boston, but each of the former’s first two seasons ended in an early playoff exit. The Bruins then nosedived this season, prompting management to cut bait after an 8-9-3 start.
Joe Sacco will replace Montgomery on an interim basis.
Off the rim
Big Boston sports week for Chris Sale. After attending Patriots-Rams at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, the former Red Sox ace was among the notable attendees at Celtics-Cavs. … Boston’s remaining schedule for NBA Cup group play: at Washington this Friday and at Chicago next Friday. Unless the Celtics make the knockout rounds and earn a home game in the quarterfinals, Tuesday was their final time playing on the bright-green TD Garden court.
Originally Published:
Boston, MA
Little November warmup ahead on Friday after Boston reaches a late first freeze – The Boston Globe
Sometime in the early-morning hours on Thursday, Logan Airport finally reached 32 degrees for the first time this season. This marks the 17th latest first freeze on record and is a trend of later frost starts that continues to occur. For the Boston area, the average date is Nov. 5, according to National Weather Service records.
Overall, the weather over the next several days is looking sunny and dry. But the good news is the brief warmup New England will get on Friday.
When you get up Friday morning, temperatures will be in the 30s east of I-495 and in the mid- to upper 20s west and over the higher elevations, not quite as cold as the past couple of mornings due to some high cloudiness and a southerly flow of air. The day will warm up, getting near or even a little above 50 degrees, especially along the coastal plain. This little boost in mild weather will also feature a blend of clouds and sunshine.
Friday night: Possible light showers
A weak weather system crosses the area Friday night Friday night into early Saturday, with the chance of some shower activity, but this is minimal at best. The clouds will tend to thicken, and there is the chance of a couple of hours of showers. The data that I used to determine rainfall doesn’t show much in the way of precipitation, and some models even have it completely dry.


Saturday-Sunday: Back to sunshine
When you get up Saturday morning, if there is an early shower, it’s quickly out of the picture and we go back to sunshine. Temperatures will start above freezing everywhere Saturday morning, so if you have any field games, the ground will not be frozen. In the afternoon, readings will be between 43 and 48 across most of the region.
Clear skies Saturday night allow temperatures to once again fall back to typical levels in the 20s and 30s, and then it’s a gorgeous Sunday with temperatures in the mid-40s in the afternoon and light wind.


The lack of wind this weekend will make it great for leaf-raking and other fall cleanup since the leaves won’t be blowing around. Remember, if you can leave the leaves in your garden beds, it does act as a protection for many perennials, but I do recommend removing the leaves from the lawn.
With the nice weather across all of New England this weekend, it’s actually an opportunity to take advantage of the early snow that has fallen across Vermont, New Hampshire, and portions of Maine. Northern Vermont, in particular, as well as the mountains of New Hampshire, have done particularly well in terms of November snowfall. This means you can expect almost mid-winter conditions on a few trails for those areas that received the bulk of the snowfall.

Thanksgiving week look-ahead forecast
Next week looks dry until we get to around Wednesday. A weather system may bring a few showers sometime on Wednesday, but it doesn’t look significant. This means great travel weather starts the work week. I don’t see any major storms nationwide to create travel delays. Thanksgiving also looks dry as of now.

Greater Boston: Look for a blend of clouds and sunshine on Friday with temperatures starting in the low to mid-30s and reaching near 50 in the afternoon. An early shower gives way to sunshine on Saturday with highs in the 40s.
Central/Western Mass.: Look for temperatures starting in the 20s on Friday, reaching the upper 40s in the afternoon, along with a blend of clouds and sun. Clearing takes place Saturday morning with highs in the 40s along with sunshine.
Southeastern Mass.: Plenty of sunshine mixed with clouds on Friday with temperatures near 50. An early shower Saturday leads to clearing in the afternoon. Highs will be in the 40s with lows back in the 20s. Sunday features sunshine with temperatures back into the mid-40s.
Cape and Islands: Look for a blend of sunshine and a few clouds on Friday with temperatures in the mid-40s. The weekend starts on a cloudy note with clearing developing in the afternoon on Saturday and highs near 50. It’s cold Saturday night with temperatures near 30 and in the 40s with sunshine on Sunday.
Rhode Island: Sunshine is abundant on Friday with temperatures near 50. Look for clearing from north to south on Saturday morning after an early sprinkle across the south coast. Temperatures will be near 50 in the afternoon sunshine, with temperatures in the 40s for Sunday.
New Hampshire: You can expect sunshine on Friday with temperatures near 40. Look for a dry weekend ahead with temperatures within a few degrees of 40 on Saturday and just under 40 on Sunday. Both days will feature sunshine; it’s a bit breezy on Saturday.
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Boston, MA
‘Game-changer’ as Michelin Guide recommends Boston-area restaurants
Boston finally has its first Michelin star.
311 Omakase in the South End received one star at Michelin’s Northeast Cities ceremony in Philadelphia Tuesday night. The 10-seat restaurant is tucked away in a basement, and the price starts at $250 per person. It was the only restaurant to receive a star in Boston’s inaugural year with the Michelin Guide.
“It’s a starting point. It’s going to build momentum for us,” said David O’Donnell, vice president of communications for Meet Boston.
Meet Boston was influential in bringing the Michelin Guide to Boston, but would not disclose how much the organization paid for it.
“Any recognition you get from Michelin is a game-changer, not only for those restaurants and chefs, but for the destination,” O’Donnell said.
The legendary recognition goes to 311 Omakase on Tremont Street in the city’s South End.
Six restaurants received Bib Gourmand awards recognizing high-quality food at a reasonable price, including Bar Volpe and Fox & the Knife in South Boston, both owned by Karen Akunowicz.
“I want to cry. I mean, I was shocked, and I still am,” said Akunowicz. “For me, that was like getting three stars. Our teams work tirelessly to bring excellent food and amazing hospitality experiences to the folks in Boston and beyond.”
In Cambridge, three restaurants — Jahunger, Pagu, and Sumiao Hunan Kitchen — also earned Bib Gourmands, along with Mahaniyom in Brookline.
On top of that, 20 eateries were named Recommended Restaurants, including Select Oyster Bar in Boston’s Back Bay.
“We try and serve the best seafood we can get our hands on, and if it’s not top-shelf, A+ grade, we don’t let it in the door,” said Benjamin Sandrof, a bartender at Select Oyster Bar.
Toro in the South End also earned the honor of Recommended Restaurant after two decades in the neighborhood.
“This long in, we’re like, ‘Who would ever even recognize us for what we’re doing?’ Because there’s so many new, great chefs in Boston, and we’re not the new kid on the block anymore, and it’s just so nice that people still notice the effort,” said Ken Oringer, the chef and owner.
See the full list of Boston-area restaurants recognized in the Michelin Guide.
Boston, MA
Nearly 200 people become American citizens during emotional Boston ceremony
By Aaron Parseghian, WBZ-TV
Nearly 200 people from more than 50 countries became America’s newest citizens Tuesday, raising their right hands and reciting the oath of allegiance during an emotional naturalization ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
“By your hard work, patience, and commitment to this long process, you have all earned the right to be citizens of the United States of America,” said U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs, who presided over the naturalization ceremony. “I think that John F. Kennedy, if he could see us now, would love knowing that his library is one of the places where people become citizens.”
Boston naturalization ceremony
For some, the day marked the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Gaison Brumaire, who came to the U.S. from Haiti in 2016, said the ceremony opened the door to new possibilities.
“I’m just excited. I mean, there’s a lot of opportunity. Like, you know, we can vote now,” Brumaire said.
“I’ve long been hearing about America. America has been a great country, so it’s everybody’s dream. And I’m happy to be a part of it,” added Beatrice Gray, a new U.S. citizen from Liberia. “I’ve long been wanting this forever, and I decided to just abide by the rules and laws of this country and being in America, being so great. I mean, I’m so happy.”
Others described a mix of joy and relief. João Oliveira moved from Brazil to Milford as a teenager and spent nearly a decade waiting for this moment.
“Having all the responsibilities and rights that only you can get when you are a citizen, it’s awesome. It’s a thing that I always wanted to have,” Oliveira said.
“I feel so proud to be an American citizen”
Despite living in the country legally, he said recent national debates and crackdowns on immigration left him feeling uneasy.
“You know we see a lot of political talk about immigration and everything and laws changing every time. You never feel safe,” Olivera said. “Someone could sign a law that makes you not part of this country anymore. So you always feel anxious about it. And being a citizen says, like, nobody can take this right away from me anymore.”
For Tibet native Yeshi Nyizing, becoming an American was the culmination of hard work and sacrifice.
“I work day and night and I pay a lot of taxes and then I made it,” she said. “I feel so proud to be an American citizen. I love America.”
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