BOSTON — You’d be forgiven if, for long stretches of Game 2 Sunday night, you didn’t notice Jayson Tatum was on the court. He wasn’t scoring much and wasn’t impacting the game in the direct ways he usually does.
He’s good with that because Boston is winning and is now two games away from an NBA championship.
“I’ve been here before and we didn’t win, and it’s just like, you know, we’re so close to what we’re trying to accomplish, why would I let my ego or my need to score all the points gets in the way of that?” Tatum asked after Game 2. “There are going to be times where I need to score, and obviously, I need to shoot better. Golly. But you know, really, we always talk about ‘do whatever it takes for however long it takes.’ If I need to have 16 potential assists every single night and that’s what puts us in the best position to win and it doesn’t mean I’m the leading scorer, by all means, if that gives us the best chance to win, sign me up.”
Golly, he does need to shoot better. Through two games Tatum is shooting 12-of-38 (31.6%) in the Finals and is 4-of-14 from 3 as part of that. He has disappeared at points on offense.
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However, Tatum’s fingerprints are still on the games — he leads Boston in assists (17) and rebounds (20), plus he’s in the middle of their elite defense.
“I mean, every time I’d take a couple of dribbles, there was, like, three people were right there,” Tatum said of his offensive hesitancy. “So we got a bunch of shooters on our team and guys that can space the floor. They kept leaving Jrue open. So it wasn’t like I had to do anything spectacular. It was just about finding the open guy.”
“Everybody that stepped on that court today made winning plays on both ends of the floor, is the most important thing,” Mazzulla said, emphasizing team play throughout his postgame press conference. “To answer your question, Jayson makes greatness look easy. He does it in a lot of different ways. He does it on defense, he does it on rebounding, he does it on passing, he does it on screening. He’s a tremendous player and not hard to coach him. When he has the ability to affect the game in different ways, we’re a different team.”
That depth and versatility has Boston up 2-0 in the NBA Finals. Tatum is part of the maturity this version of the Celtics has shown — plenty of young stars (and a few older ones) would let their egos get in the way and feel they needed to score to lead their team, Tatum knows better. He knows how good this team is. He knows it doesn’t matter if Jaylen Brown or Jrue Holiday gets named NBA Finals MVP, so long as banner No. 18 goes up.
The Boston Red Sox will return to action on Friday to kick off the second half of the 2026 Major League Baseball season with a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The last few weeks have been incredible for Boston and have really gotten the organization right back into the thick of the playoff race. Beforehand, the Red Sox looked like one of the worst teams in baseball. Now, Boston is 46-48 and has won 14 of its last 16 games. It’s why you play the games. The MLB season is long and full of ups and downs. Sure, the first few months of the season were full of many down moments for the Red Sox, but they flipped a switch, got hot, and now are right back in the mix.
Now, there are just over two weeks to go until the 2026 trade deadline and Boston should be looking to add. But who should the Red Sox be targeting? Here are four intriguing options for Craig Breslow and the Red Sox’s front office to target.
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Gleyber Torres — Detroit Tigers
Jun 10, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) turns a double play over Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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The former longtime New York Yankee is a member of the Detroit Tigers and was slashing .280/.395/.395 with a .790 OPS, four homers and 18 RBIs before the All-Star break. Torres is on the Injured List, but has already begun a rehab assignment. Torres has the type of right-handed pop Boston’s lineup needs. Plus, he’s just 29 years old.
Luis Arráez — San Francisco Giants
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Jul 12, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez (1) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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Luis Arráez isn’t a right-handed bat and doesn’t have much power, but this is a guy with three batting titles under his belt and has a shot at another one. He’s batting .330 right now and would go a long way for Boston by getting on base towards the top of the lineup.
James Wood — Washington Nationals
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Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals James Wood (29) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This would be a pipe dream type of move. Wood is under team control for four more seasons and is just 23 years old, and yet he’s already a two-time All-Star. He blasted 31 homers last year and already has 28 this season in 97 games played. If the Red Sox could get a bat like his, they’d be all set. But it would cost quite a bit to pry him from Washington.
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Isaac Paredes — Houston Astros
Jul 8, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) fields a grand ball against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
There are few players who were connected to Boston more this past offseason than Isaac Paredes. The Astros don’t look like a team that is going to sell, but Paredes is still worth a call. Houston traded Lance McCullers Jr. to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in a salary dump.
A man was flown to a Boston hospital after being hit by a vehicle Wednesday evening in Norwood, Massachusetts, and the driver has been arrested.
Norwood police responded shortly after 7:30 p.m. to the intersection of Washington Street and St. John Avenue.
The victim was found seriously injured. Fire crews treated him at the scene before he was taken by ambulance to a landing zone to be airlifted by medical helicopter.
Police said the woman driving the vehicle was taken into custody. She is facing charges including operating under the influence of liquor.
BOSTON (WHDH) – The You Got This center, run by Children’s Services of Roxbury, helps young adults coping with homelessness, mental health needs, and addiction.
The drop-in center also provides a space to create community.
One of the programs they center offers, freestyle Fridays, held on the first Friday of every month, gives members a chance to test out their rap skills.
Members said programs like these have taught them to be more confident.
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“It’s a comforting area,” Deryq Samson-Brown said. “I’ve never felt like an outcast; I don’t think anybody has really felt like an outcast. It’s like a real accepting place.”
Samson-Brown said the center has inpsired him to pursue a career giving back to youth.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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