Boston, MA

Matt Vautour: Celtics sweep permanently exorcizes Nets, Kyrie Irving demons

Published

3 years ago

April 26, 2022

Matt Vautour: Celtics sweep permanently exorcizes Nets, Kyrie Irving demons

When Kyrie Irving comes again to TD Backyard subsequent yr, presumably with the Nets, he would possibly really get his want. Some Celtics followers will nonetheless mock and jeer him for enjoyable, however the venom received’t be the identical.

They’ll be over him as a result of after finishing a four-game first-round sweep Monday evening, they’ll be over the Nets.

When Irving and Kevin Durant signed with the Nets in 2019, there was this nagging feeling in Boston. Despite the fact that the Celtics had arrange their rebuild by fleecing the Nets within the commerce that despatched what was left of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett for the three first-round picks that restocked Boston’s core, one way or the other Brooklyn had come out forward.

Irving, then like now, was a lightning rod for controversy, however he was the Celtics’ most proficient and achieved participant. His choice to bail on Boston for the sad-sack Nets, even with Kevin Durant, was a kick within the intestine. That ache returned much more pointedly final yr when Irving and the Nets dominated the Celtics within the first spherical of the playoffs.

However when the ultimate seconds ticked off Boston’s win Monday, all of that felt like a prologue to this yr. The Celtics turned 4 video games of unselfish basketball right into a sweep of the Nets and Irving, some of the self-important gamers within the NBA. Irving is not the boogeyman. In some ways, he’s a basketball model of Alex Rodriguez, a star whose immense expertise is overshadowed by the fixed distractions of his personal making.

When the Celtics made the choice to go after the No. 2 seed on the final day of the season as an alternative of avoiding the Brooklyn Nets, it raised some eyebrows. Basketball media nationally and domestically questioned the knowledge of searching for out a showdown with a Nets group with extra expertise than their No. 7 seed and two star gamers, who’d every received championships earlier than.

Even when Boston received the collection, it was honest to query whether or not a matchup that robust would possibly take an excessive amount of out of them for later rounds.

As a substitute, the Celtics go away assured that they’ll make a giant play on the buzzer like they did in Sport 1. That they’ll erase a giant deficit like they did in Sport 2. That they’ll win on the highway like they did in Video games 3 and 4 and that they’ll shut out a collection even after Tatum fouled out like they did Monday evening. Boston acquired much more out of that than they’d have in the event that they’d crushed Chicago or Toronto.

Tatum, who seems to be evolving right into a potential championship-caliber chief, acknowledged as a lot.

“That was large. So many individuals thought we must always attempt to play any individual else within the first spherical,” Tatum mentioned. “My mindset was, to perform what we wish to accomplish, we had been most likely going to should play them finally. I’m assuming the highway to the championship is rarely simple. It’s important to play towards the perfect. We took on that problem. We knew it was going to be robust. I believe that was good for us. Simply understanding who they’ve acquired on their group and what they’re able to had us that rather more locked in from the primary recreation.”

On high of that, they get time to recuperate and further apply to get Robert Williams again as much as full pace whereas the opposite Japanese Convention contenders beat one another up.

Going ahead, the Nets are chasing the Celtics now. Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Sensible are all youthful than the growing older Nets’ core. Durant isn’t probably going to turn out to be much less injury-prone. Irving and Ben Simmons aren’t probably going to turn out to be much less prickly. Brooklyn’s wage cap points will restrict their capacity so as to add key items. Their window is closing and would possibly already be shut.

The Nets’ window of dominating the Celtics is already slammed shut. Irving as soon as in contrast himself to an previous important different that Boston followers couldn’t recover from once they booed him at TD Backyard. Now Irving, who was booed by Nets followers at Barclays Middle on Monday, has turn out to be an ex who’s making another person’s life disagreeable.

Even when the Celtics lose within the subsequent spherical, profitable this collection ceaselessly settled a rating. However even Durant thought the Boston run was simply getting began.

“They’re an unbelievable group,” Durant mentioned. “They’ve an opportunity to do large issues the remainder of the playoffs. They performed superb.”

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Boston, MA

How a postseason resurgence brought a renewed Walker Buehler to Boston

Published

4 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

How a postseason resurgence brought a renewed Walker Buehler to Boston

The typical timetable for a pitcher returning from Tommy John surgery is 12 to 18 months.Walker Buehler didn’t get into a Major League game for nearly 24 months. He pitched on June 10, 2022, had Tommy John in August, then made his long-awaited return on May 6, 2024.The comeback didn’t go smoothly at first. He […]

Originally Published: January 3, 2025 at 7:27 PM EST

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Boston, MA

Weekend To Do List: Holiday light shows across Massachusetts

Published

15 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Weekend To Do List: Holiday light shows across Massachusetts

BOSTON – Happy New Year! It’s officially 2025, so why not start the new year with some fun, family-friendly light displays across Massachusetts?

Winterlights in Canton

Winterlights is open at the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate through January 4. The outdoor light show is fun for the entire family! They have warm cocoa, cider, and hand-baked desserts. Cozy up while you walk through the mile-long trail from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, Canton

When: January 3 and 4 from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Cost: $30 for adults, $12 for children ages 3-13, and free for children under 2. Tickets are $5 cheaper for members. Concession items are available for purchase.

Click here for more information.

Winterlights on the North Shore

If you can’t make it to Canton to enjoy the Winterlights, they also have one on the North Shore! The Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens in North Andover will be lit up for an outdoor experience. It’s open through Saturday from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Be sure to get your tickets in advance for either Winterlights experience.

Where: Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens, North Andover

When: January 3 and 4 from 4:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Cost: $30 for adults, $12 for children ages 3-13, and free for children under 2. Tickets are $5 cheaper for members. Concession items are available for purchase.

Click here for more information.

2024 JP Holiday Light Show

If you’re in the Boston area, Jamaica Plain hosts an annual holiday light show! The event projects the lights onto the steeple of Jamaica Plain’s First Baptist Church every thirty minutes from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Be sure to scan the QR code while there to listen to the music and dialogue for the event in Spanish or English!

Where: First Baptist Church, 633 Centre St, Jamaica Plain

When: January 3 and 4 from 5 p.m. through 8:45 p.m.

Cost: Free

Click here for more information.

Jordyn Jagolinzer

Jordyn Jagolinzer is a reporter for WBZ-TV. She joined WBZ in 2022 from WGGB/WSHM in Springfield, where she spent 5 years as an anchor-reporter.

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Boston, MA

Bruins Notes: Boston's Scoring Woes Continue In Loss To Struggling Rangers

Published

23 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Bruins Notes: Boston's Scoring Woes Continue In Loss To Struggling Rangers

The Boston Bruins are simply having an excruciating time finding the back of the net.

For the second straight game, the Bruins had their chances but managed to score just one goal. After a couple of defensive lapses in the first period, they lost a 2-1 decision to the New York Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

“I like the effort for the most part of our group,” interim head coach Joe Sacco told Andy Brickley on NESN’s postgame. “I thought that the guys tried to execute the game plan. I feel like we’re trying to make a better play all the time right now in situations where we can put the puck to the net and create some more opportunities for us that way.

“But, you score one goal the last two games, it’s tough. It puts a lot of pressure on your team’s defense. We’re still defending fairly well, but we’ve got to find a way to be more consistent offensively.”

The Bruins outplayed the Rangers for most of the game, but with the Rangers leading 2-0 at the end of the first period, Jonathan Quick did a great job of preserving the two-goal lead.

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“We had a lot of chances, but we didn’t capitalize,” David Pastrnak told reporters in New York. “It’s tough because their goalie played amazing. I thought, especially in the second period, we had the opportunity to tie the game. We played really well, and the chances were there. We just didn’t capitalize.”

Here are more notes from Thursday’s Bruins-Rangers game:

— The Rangers snapped a four-game losing skid with the win over the Bruins. They had lost seven of their last eight and 15 of their last 19.

— Jeremy Swayman stopped 25-of-27 shots he faced and fell to 13-12-3 on the season.

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— The Bruins fell to 8-12-2 on the season when opponents score first, 11-10-1 against Eastern Conference opponents and 5-7-0 against teams in the Metropolitan Division. Boston is 0-3-1 against New York in their last four meetings dating back to last season. The two Original Six franchises will play two more times this season — Feb. 1 in Boston and Feb. 5 in New York.

— Elias Lindholm tallied the only Bruins goal of the game, his seventh of the season. He has faced Quick in 14 games and has four career goals against the Connecticut native.

— Both clubs had one power play opportunity but were unable to capitalize on the man advantage. Neither team registered a shot on goal while skating 5-on-4.

— Quick improved to 14-6-1 against the Bruins in 21 games with the Los Angeles Kings and Rangers.

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— The Bruins complete their three-game road trip on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Puck drop for the Original Six matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game on NESN, following an hour of pregame coverage.

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