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Celtics seek to be more physical in Game 2

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Celtics seek to be more physical in Game 2


The Celtics tied a franchise postseason record for made 3-pointers in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. They blew out the Miami Heat by 20 points and led by as many as 34.

What must they do Wednesday night to avoid a Game 2 letdown? Ratchet up the physicality against their underdog opponents.

“Better is what we did with higher intensity and higher physicality,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after Tuesday’s practice at the Auerbach Center. “I think that’s what Game 2s call for.”

Top-seeded Boston boasts a far more talented roster than No. 8 seed Miami, especially with Heat star Jimmy Butler expected to miss the entire series with a knee injury. That disparity showed in Sunday’s opener, with seven different Celtics sinking multiple threes and the team going 22-for-49 (44.9%) from deep in a 114-94 victory at TD Garden. The Heat went 12-for-37 (32.4%) from three, and half of their makes came in the fourth quarter with Boston up big.

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The Celtics’ intensity did wane at times, however. The Heat battled back from a 17-2 deficit in the first quarter and outscored Boston 35-23 in the fourth.

“If you think that you’re not going to see a different version of Miami (in Game 2), then you’re kidding yourself,” Mazzulla said of the team that eliminated the Celtics in two of the last four NBA postseasons. “So at the end of the day, it’s about giving what that game needs and having the expectation that it’s just going to be a fight, and just go get ready for a fight.”

Jaylen Brown reiterated that same word — “fight” — multiple times when describing what the Celtics must do to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“Every game is a fight,” said Brown, who had 17 points and eight rebounds in Game 1. “You’ve got to win the game, and you’ve got to win the fight. Both of those things are important, and we embrace both. …

“We’ve got a good game plan (for Game 2). We feel good about it. But we’ve got to win the fight. I can’t stress that enough.”

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Speaking of fights, one nearly broke out on the court in the final minute of Game 1 after Heat forward Caleb Martin upended Celtics star Jayson Tatum while the latter was jumping for a rebound. Brown and Kristaps Porzingis rushed in to confront Martin, leading to a brief scuffle beneath the basket.

Brown said he sent a stern message to Martin, who was a surprise standout in Miami’s Eastern Conference finals upset of Boston last season. Martin scored four points in 29 minutes on Sunday and was 0-for-4 from 3-point range.

“I just told him to watch that, making sure it’s basketball plays being made out here,” Brown said. “We know they like to play hard and be physical, but there’s a line. So, making sure we’re not crossing the integrity of the game. I just told him to watch it.”

He added: “Seeing a guy go down, I’ve got my guy’s back 10 times out of 10.”

Game 2 at TD Garden tips off Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET.

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Tatum fine after fall

Tatum was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice, according to Mazzulla, showing no ill effects from his late-game tumble two days earlier. Mazzulla also said he didn’t believe Martin’s hard foul was deliberate.

“I don’t think it was intentional,” Mazzulla said. “It’s obviously something that people can latch on to for two days, but I didn’t think it was really that intentional. I thought it was just, it is what it is.”

Despite struggling from beyond the arc (1-for-8), Tatum registered the first playoff triple-double of his career in Game 1, finishing with 23 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. Porzingis called the five-time All-Star’s performance “beautiful” and “perfect.”

Mazzulla unbothered by awards snubs

Despite boasting easily the NBA’s best record, no Celtics were among the finalists for the league’s seven end-of-season awards, which were announced Monday.

That lack of individual recognition didn’t bother Mazzulla one bit.

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“No, not at all,” Boston’s head coach said. “I think it’s beautiful. … Why would you get an award for the past?”

Mazzulla said the snubs haven’t been a topic of conversation around the Celtics’ facility.

“The great thing about this team is I think from Day 1, we’ve appreciated the individual awards that we’ve gotten from the Player of the Month, Staff of the Month and whatnot,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I think one of the biggest strengths of this team is they haven’t had that agenda. None of the guys have brought it, and I don’t think it’s important at all because we’re all focused on what we need to do as a team.”

Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, Minnesota’s Chris Finch and Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley were the three finalists for NBA Coach of the Year. Mazzulla was a finalist last season.



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Boston, MA

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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Boston, MA

‘This is really just the start of it all’: Mojo Boston makes splashy debut at City Hall Plaza – The Boston Globe

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‘This is really just the start of it all’: Mojo Boston makes splashy debut at City Hall Plaza – The Boston Globe


Attendees held umbrellas as The Bends performed at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

Mojo, a music brand and concert organizer, was founded in 2021 by Charley Blacker, Alex Parker, and Emily Donovan while they were students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The trio of friends decided to create Mojo out of their shared love for music and house shows.

“We saw there were so many local musicians that were so talented, but they didn’t have the platform we thought they really deserved,” Blacker told the Globe during Saturday’s festivities. “So we thought if we could do the behind-the-scenes work of organizing photographers and [provide] a social media platform, we could give these musicians the platform they deserve.”

Attendees danced as The Bends performed at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

Five years later, the team behind Mojo is sticking to their mission, tackling their biggest venue yet with this weekend’s event at City Hall Plaza, which previously served as the original location for Boston Calling before it moved to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston. Boston Calling announced last year that it is taking a one-year hiatus in 2026, with plans to return in 2027.

In addition to getting the chance to work on such a big event with his best friends, Blacker hopes Mojo Boston can help “lead to a lot more opportunities for local music.”

People browsed food vendors at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

There was a wide range of genres represented at Saturday’s event, from the pop-rock stylings of The Bends to house and garage music from DJ AC Slater. Prior to the Boston debut, Mojo brought a festival to Pennsylvania’s Happy Valley in April and returned to Amherst later that month to host another event.

Mojo Boston attendees and former UMass Amherst students Emily Bowler and Max Debeau have been familiar with Mojo since its inception, watching the organization go from hosting basement shows to full scale music festivals. Debeau noted how many of the acts at Saturday’s event have worked with Mojo in the past, performing at UMass and other shows around the Bay State.

“To see it all come together has been great,” Debeau said. “This is the stage that they all deserve.”

“It’s crazy how quickly they were able to erect something so amazing,” Bowler added.

Amanda Giroux danced away from the stage while The Bends performed at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

Formed in New Bedford, the band Autumn Drive was one of 18 acts that performed at Mojo Boston, and they are no strangers to a Mojo show.

“We’ve done, I think, every single Mojo that there is, so we’re very tight with them,” said guitarist and singer Charlie Gamache. “When we found out they were doing a big festival [in Boston], I was like, ‘We want in no matter what.’”

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The band emphasized how much their relationship with Mojo has meant to them over the years, with Autumn Drive drummer Joe Gauvin praising the organization for “always putting us in front of a crowd that’s there to see music and hear us.”

Michael Asulin, of Stoughton, and Jackie Ludicke, of Miami, Fla., talked while wearing ponchos at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

From a makeshift stage out of wooden pallets in his basement to Boston’s City Hall Plaza, Blacker is is proud of Mojo’s success and is already looking ahead at what’s to come.

“This is really just the start of it all,” said Blacker. “We have very lofty ambitions and goals, and we have nothing but confidence in our ability to accomplish everything we set out to do.”


Gitana Savage can be reached at gitana.savage@globe.com. Follow her on X @gitana_savage.





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Texas A&M SS Boston Kellner suffers orbital bone fracture

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Texas A&M SS Boston Kellner suffers orbital bone fracture


(KBTX) – Texas A&M shortstop Boston Kellner suffered a fractured orbital bone after he was hit in the face with a fastball in Friday night’s series opener at Ole Miss, according to a team spokesperson.

He did not sustain a concussion, and there was no damage to his eye, a team spokesperson said.

The extent of the injury was first reported on the SEC Network+ broadcast.

The true freshman has been a starter for the Aggies since the beginning of the season, slashing .248/.432/.418. He has five home runs and 27 RBIs, typically batting at the bottom of the order. Defensively, he has a .928 fielding percentage.

Ben Royo entered in his place and was a key contributor early Saturday. The senior blasted a pair of home runs against Ole Miss on his first two hits of the season. He entered Saturday’s first game with four at-bats this season.

A&M has struggled with injuries as of late. Chris Hacopian, who also could have been an option to fill in at shortstop, has been relegated to the designated-hitter role as he recovers from a leg injury suffered during the Florida series. Third baseman Nico Partida remains out with a pulled hamstring he sustained against Auburn.

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