Boston, MA
Confident Celtics ‘in a great spot’ as Game 5 nears
SAN FRANCISCO — The Boston Celtics know that, as soon as once more, they didn’t make the most of securing residence court docket by dropping Recreation 4 of the NBA Finals Friday night time.
However, because the collection shifts again right here to Chase Middle for Recreation 5 Monday night time with the collection now turning right into a best-of-3 affair for the NBA title, Boston stays assured it will possibly as soon as once more safe the street win it must get the job carried out.
“You possibly can take positives out of something,” Celtics ahead Jaylen Brown mentioned. “Clearly, I believe we will be in a greater place than we’re in, however we’re not. It is 2-2. Nonetheless, nothing to hold your head about. A number of nice basketball remains to be in entrance of us. We take our errors and study from them and also you apply it as greatest you possibly can going ahead. I nonetheless assume we’re in a fantastic spot.
“I am excited to see how we reply over the following couple of days. I imply, it is thrilling. It is the largest stage on the earth. I am going to take our group, our guys, versus anyone. So I am trying ahead to it.”
There’s loads of cause for Brown to really feel optimistic about Boston’s possibilities in opposition to the Golden State Warriors. Sure, the Celtics should win at the very least yet one more street recreation to win the NBA title, however they’ve — to date in these playoffs — had extra success away from residence than taking part in at TD Backyard. Coming into Recreation 5, the Celtics are 8-3 in street video games on this postseason — in comparison with going simply 6-5 at residence.
And, on prime of that, Boston has received all seven video games it has performed after a loss to date in these playoffs – and has gone 13-1 in such video games for the reason that Celtics started turning their season round in late January.
“We clearly put ourselves within the place to stretch the lead and be up 3-1,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka mentioned. “However, backside line is we’re 2-2 and we earned that as properly, not being down 0-2 or 1-2 or regardless of the case could also be. And so I am positive they mentioned the identical factor about Golden State after we beat them right here. We all know it is a lengthy collection. Like I mentioned, we have been battle examined in two seven-game collection in Milwaukee and Miami.”
These experiences in opposition to Milwaukee and Miami within the Japanese Convention semifinals and finals, respectively, are additionally a part of Boston’s confidence transferring ahead. The Celtics went on the street and received elimination video games in opposition to each groups in their very own constructing, which supplies them confidence they will do the identical factor this time round.
“(Recreation 4) was a troublesome loss, and we perceive that,” Tatum mentioned. “We have been right here earlier than. That is third time in a row I really feel like we have been right here. So we all know what it takes. We all know what now we have to do and a focus to element and issues like that. I am assured like I’ve been all playoffs, assured in the truth that we’ll reply and play higher for almost all of the sport (Monday).”
The opposite issue Boston is concentrated on is that there are clear issues that the Celtics can management that, in the event that they do them, ought to result in optimistic outcomes. When Tatum has at the very least seven assists in a recreation this season, Boston is 18-2 – together with recording 15 consecutive victories. In an analogous vein, when Boston commits 15 or fewer turnovers on this postseason, the Celtics are 14-2 — together with victories in Video games 1 and three.
Conversely, when Boston commits 16 or extra turnovers, it’s 0-6 — together with its losses in Video games 2 and 4.
“I believe the narrative will get shifted to Curry and what he is doing,” Udoka mentioned. “However in our wins and losses, they’re scoring the identical factors. Lots has been reliant on our offense, to your level, within the fourth quarter. However even all through the sport, we had a number of alternatives, being up 5, six, seven, and poor offense or turnovers allow them to again within the recreation. The distinction within the recreation that we stretched the lead was we took benefit of these alternatives. We have been stable. And in opposition to this staff, anytime you run some poor offense, flip the ball over, stay ball turnovers, allow them to get out, we all know how shortly they will get again within the recreation.
“That was the case in Recreation 4 once we had our possibilities.”
One factor hanging over the Celtics heading into Recreation 5, because it has been all through this collection, is the standing of beginning heart Robert Williams, who has been coping with ongoing soreness in his left knee.
Williams was plus-6 in 31 minutes in Recreation 4, ending with 7 factors, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and two blocks, however requested out of the sport with lower than 4 minutes to go within the fourth quarter after an ungainly touchdown on that ailing left knee, during which Williams is coping with a bone bruise and that he had surgical procedure on his meniscus two-and-a-half months in the past.
Each he and Udoka, nonetheless, mentioned that he was feeling higher Sunday, and have been optimistic about him being on the court docket as soon as once more in Recreation 5.
“Feeling good,” Williams mentioned. “Somewhat sore, however on the facet of the higher days (I’ve had).
“I used to be truly in search of the clip (to see what occurred). I can not essentially let you know if it was the leaping or the touchdown, however typical soreness, man. However like I mentioned, I really feel okay.”
Udoka went on to say that there was no particular play that triggered Williams’ damage, and that whereas he should undergo his regular pregame testing to find out if can go, Udoka felt assured Williams would be capable to.
BOSTON – South Street Diner is an institution in the city. They see Bostonians coming at all hours of the night. The line out the door comes for the breakfast, particularly the eggs. Only these days, a shortage in the country is making eggs harder to stomach for the only restaurant in the city licensed to serve 24 hours.
“Just about six weeks ago, middle of November, we started getting phone calls from US Foods,” said Solomon Sidell, owner of South Street Diner. “Our pricing has not changed at all. We have ingested the pricing to be able to make sure we can serve the customer at this time.”
Impact of bird flu
The price of an egg has doubled for Sidell and his team now that the shortage has impacted their supplier. Chickens became impacted by an avian flu. Roughly 40% of the country’s hens are raised in cage-free facilities, and 60% of the bird flu cases were found in such type farms. In addition to the price hike, Sidell also has to order two weeks ahead just to make sure they keep coming.
“We have about just under a pallet of eggs about 150 dozen left,” said Sidell. “We buy those Friday morning, Saturday morning, and then by Monday morning they are gone, so we have to start the process again.”
On a given weekend, they can go through 400 dozen eggs. Their busiest night of the year is New Year’s Eve through New Year’s Day.
“To have the highest prices for eggs for the year on your busiest day of the year is a punch in the gut,” said Sidell. “I would prefer not to raise pricing in inflation time.”
He expects the shortage to end in mid-February. Right now, they have no plans to adjust their pricing, but if the shortage continues past February, he says they will have to re-evaluate.
Boston, MA
Defending champions Hellen Obiri and Sisay Lemma are returning to run Boston Marathon – The Boston Globe
“Boston annually brings together the world’s best each April, and this Patriots Day is no different,” said Jack Fleming, CEO of the BAA. “Coming off an Olympic year, top contenders from around the world have turned their attention to Boston and hope to etch their name into Boston Marathon lore with a victory.”
The last woman to win three straight Boston Marathons was Fatuma Roba in 1997-99. Just three others — Bobbi Gibb (1966-68), Sara Mae Berman (1969-71), and Uta Pippig (1994-96) — have three-peated.
Among the threats to Obiri’s bid are Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso and Yalemzerf Yehualaw, whose personal bests top the women’s field, at 2:14:58 and 2:16:52, respectively.
Sharon Lokedi, who finished second last year, also will return, along with fellow Kenyans Edna Kiplagat (a two-time Boston winner), Irine Cheptai, Viola Chepngeno, and Mary Ngugi-Cooper.
The BAA said the women’s race will include the best-ever field of Americans, with 2018 champion Desiree Linden joined by Dakotah Popehn, Keira D’Amato, Emma Bates, Jessica McClain, Sara Hall, Sara Vaughn, and Lindsay Flanagan.
Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma, who finished 41 seconds ahead of the second-place men’s finisher last year, will face a deep field trying to keep him from repeating.
It includes Kenya’s Evans Chebet, who finished third last year and has won Boston twice. John Korir and Albert Korir, also from Kenya, will be back as well, after finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, last year.
“I was very happy after winning the Boston Marathon last year, and in 2025 I know it will be an even bigger challenge to win again,” said Lemma. “I was unlucky, because of an injury, not to be able to participate at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and I was not completely ready at the Valencia Marathon last December, but I will be 100 percent ready next April because the Boston Marathon is a special event.”
Among American men, Olympians Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in Paris last summer, will run Boston. So will CJ Albertson, who finished seventh last year and first among US men. Also in the Boston field will be four runners who finished in the top 10 at last year’s US Olympic trials: Zach Panning, Nathan Martin, Reed Fischer, and Colin Bennie.
Michael Silverman can be reached at michael.silverman@globe.com.
After a tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Celtics wrapped up their west coast road trip with a visit to the Mile High City to face off against the Denver Nuggets. With Nikola Jokic ruled out for this game, the Celtics were able to take care of business and defeated the Nuggets 118-106.
Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics with 29 points and 11 rebounds on 11-23 shooting while Kristaps Porzingis had one of his best games of the season finishing with 25 points and 11 rebounds on 9-18 shooting. Jrue Holiday had a sneaky great game as well with 19 points and 7 assists as it felt like he was always in the right place at the right time.
While the Celtics’ three ball was lacking, they dominated the paint in this game, winning the points in the paint battle 60-46.
The Celtics offense started with a lot of Kristaps Porzingis touches as he scored the first basket for Boston with a mid-range jumper and 9 of the Celtics first 12 points. The Nuggets looked good on offense as well as Michael Porter Jr., Jamal Murray, and Russell Westbrook carrying the load.
Porzingis finished the first quarter with 15 points on 6-10, including being the recipient of an alley-oop after Jayson Tatum blocked Christian Braun on one end and found Kristaps on the other.
The Celtics led 37-25 lead after the first quarter with their offense was clicking. Boston shot 14-27 (51.9%) in the quarter as the shorthanded Nuggets had no answers for them. Porzingis (15) and Tatum (11) combined for 26 of the Celtics’ 37 points in the quarter. Boston’s paint defense was elite as well, only allowing 2 points in the paint after one.
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The Celtics continued their hot shooting to start the second quarter, as they opened a 15-point lead on the Nuggets two minutes in. Denver responded with a 13-2 run of their own to cut Boston’s lead to single digits.
Neemias Queta started to make his presence known with three straight buckets for the Celtics as he played some solid minutes for Boston in the quarter, finishing with 8 points.
Jamal Murray started to heat up to end the quarter scoring 8 straight points for Denver as Boston started to struggle to hit shots. Payton Watson started to make an impact on this game with 3 blocks in the first half and a corner three that tied the game 57-57 going into the half.
The Nuggets ended the first half on a 12-4 run and finished with four players with double digit points. Boston started the second quarter well but couldn’t maintain it as their three point shooting hurt them. The Celtics only shot 5-16 (31.3%) from beyond the arc in the half while Denver out shot them going 9-18 (50%) from three.
The Jays were cold in the first half as they combined for 15 points on 5-18 shooting. Jaylen Brown especially struggled, with only 2 points on 0-4 shooting. Kristaps Porzingis was the Celtics leading scorer at the half with 16 points while Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 15 points.
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The second half started with Jaylen Brown facilitating the Celtics offense with three straight baskets and a nice assist to Porzingis to start the third quarter. The Nuggets were able to respond as the lead went back and forth.
A very loud “let’s go, Celtics” chant started to rain down in Ball Arena midway through the quarter just as Jrue Holiday grabbed a tough rebound and found a streaking Tatum on the other end for a dunk.
The Celtics were able to hold off the Nuggets with the lineup of Tatum and the bench to secure an 88-83 lead at the end of the third quarter. Jaylen Brown had a bounce back third quarter scoring 8 points on 4-4 shooting. The Celtics were still getting out shot from three, but they dominated the points in the paint battle.
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The fourth quarter started similarly to the way the third quarter went, both teams trading baskets. The Celtics played some tough defense highlighted by Porzingis meeting DeAndre Jordan at the summit to block a potential poster dunk.
With Denver only having one timeout left midway through the quarter, the Celtics rattled off a 12-0 run to push their lead back up to double digits and force the Nuggets to use their final timeout with under five minutes left in the quarter. That run had everyone involved as it included a Porzingis put back dunk, a Holiday three, a Brown layup, an Al Horford three, and finally a nasty mid-range jumper by Jayson Tatum.
The Nuggets tried to fight back but they just didn’t have enough as Tatum and Holiday buried them down the stretch to give the Celtics the victory.
The Celtics return home for their next game on Friday, January 10th to take on the Sacramento Kings at 7:30 pm.
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