Boston, MA

San Antonio Spurs (7-32) at Boston Celtics (31-9) Game #41 1/17/24

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2024

San Antonio Spurs (7-32) at Boston Celtics (31-9) Game #41 1/17/24

The Celtics are back at home to take on the San Antonio Spurs after a short handed win in Toronto. This is the second and final game between these two teams this season. The Celtics beat the Spurs 134-101 on New Year’s Eve in San Antonio. The Celtics won the series last season 2-0, winning in Boston by 44 points. The Celtics are 46-56 overall all time against the Spurs and they are 23-28 in games played in Boston.

The Celtics remain first in the East. They are three games ahead of second-place Milwaukee, four and a half games ahead of third-place Philadelphia (who beat Denver on Tuesday), and seven games ahead of fourth-place Cleveland and fifth-place Miami. They are eight games ahead of sixth-place Indiana. They are 19-0 at home and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are 8-3 against Western Conference opponents. They have won their last two games.

The San Antonio Spurs are 15th and in last place in the West. They are three games behind 14th-place Portland. They are eight and a half games behind 13th-place Memphis. They are 12 games behind the 10th place Los Angeles Lakers for the final play-in spot. They are 4-16 on the road and 3-7 in their last 10 games. They are 2-13 against Eastern Conference teams. They have lost their last two games.

The Celtics have been alternating home and road games for the past few games. They played at Indiana, then Minnesota at home, then at Milwaukee and Houston at home and finally at Toronto for their last game. They are once again at home to face the Spurs. They will play Denver at home on Friday before heading out on a three-game road trip through Houston, Dallas and Miami. Following that, they have a seven-game home stand.

The Spurs are playing in the second game of a five-game road trip. They played at Atlanta on Monday and lost that game 109-99. After this game at Boston, they will play Charlotte, Washington and Philadelphia to complete the five-game road trip. They will then return home for a seven-game home stand.

The Celtics may be short handed against the Spurs. Derrick White is questionable with a sprained ankle. He came up limping in Monday’s game against the Raptors but was able to finish the game. Kristaps Porzingis is questionable due to right knee inflammation. Jrue Holiday is questionable for this game due to a right elbow sprain. He suffered the elbow sprain at the end of December but has continued to play through the issue, missing just one game. I’m just going to post the regular starting five because these players may or may not play and if they don’t, I’m not sure who will start.

For the Spurs, Sidy Cissoko is listed as out due to a left ankle sprain. He has already missed five games with the injury. Zach Collins is also out with a sprained right ankle. He has been out since Dec. 31 and has yet to return to practice. Charles Bassey is out for the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. Victor Wembanyama was originally listed as questionable but is no longer on the report at this time.

Probable Celtics Starters

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Kristaps Porzingis

Celtics Reserves
Dalano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Al Horford
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh
Luke Kornet
Al Horford

2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta

Injuries/Out
None

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

PG: Tre Jones

SG: Devin Vassell

SF: Julian Champagnie

PF: Jeremy Sochan

C: Victor Wembanyama

Spurs Reserves
Malaki Branham
Sidy Cissoko
Devonte Graham
Keldon Johnson
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Doug McDermott
Cedi Osman
Blake Wesley

Two Way Players
Dominick Barlow
David Duke, Jr

Injuries/Out
Zach Collins (ankle) out
Charles Bassey (knee) out
Sidy Cissoko (ankle) out

Head Coach
Gregg Popovich

Key Matchups

Kristaps Porzingis

Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Kristaps Porzingis vs Victor Wembanyama
Assuming that Porzingis will play, this should be a fun matchup. Wembanyama is 7’4” while Porzingis is 7’2”. Wembanyama is averaging 19.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists 1.1 steals and 3.2 blocks. He is shooting 45.9% from the field and 29.2% from beyond the arc. In the first game against Boston, Wemby finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. He shot 50% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to be especially aware of Wemby when they are going to the basket as he is a threat to block shots every time. They also need to keep him out of the paint and off the glass.

Derrick White

Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images
Devin Vassell

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Derrick White vs Devin Vassell
Vassell is averaging 17.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 45.4% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. He shot 60% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. The Celtics have to do a better job of defending him in this game.

Honorable Mention
Sam Hauser vs Keldon Johnson
Johnson comes off the bench for the Spurs and is averaging 17.2 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He is shooting 44.6% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need Hauser and the Celtics reserves to step up to match Johnson’s impact on the game. He didn’t play against the Celtics in the first game in San Antonio.

Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense will always be the most important key to winning games. The Celtics are second with a defensive rating of 110.6 while the Spurs are 24th with a defensive rating of 117.5. The Celtics have to especially defend in the paint since the Spurs average 49.6 points in the paint per game. The Celtics need to make defense a priority and play tough team defense in every game and not let up.

Rebound – The Celtics can’t score if they don’t have the ball, and they will struggle if they give up second chance points to the Spurs. The Celtics are averaging 47.4 rebounds per game (first) while the Spurs are averaging 43.2 rebounds per game (21st). Rebounding takes effort and when the Celtics put forth the extra effort on the boards, that tends to spread to other areas of the game as well.

Be Aggressive – The Celtics need to play hard and be the more aggressive team. They have to go after rebounds, loose balls, and 50/50 balls. They have to be aggressive on defense and in getting to the basket. They have to be the team that works harder and wants to win more. Even the last team in the standings can beat the #1 team if they play harder and are more aggressive.

Play the Right Way – The Celtics need to move the ball to find the best shot. When they play hero ball and don’t keep the ball moving, the Celtics struggle. But, when they keep the ball moving and move without the ball, they are very tough to beat. They need to focus on playing defense and having each others backs. They need to crash the boards and box out. They need to focus on taking and making good shots. If the 3’s aren’t falling, take the ball to the basket. Play with focus and with energy.

X-Factors
Home Game and Don’t Underestimate – The Spurs are playing in their second straight road game and have three more to go. The Spurs will likely be feeling some fatigue from travel and being on the road and from staying in hotels and playing in front of hostile crowds. The Celtics need to take advantage of having the crowd behind them and from playing in the friendly confines of the TD Garden. The Celtics can’t underestimate the Spurs based on their 33-point win in San Antonio and the Spurs record. If a team underestimates an opponent, even the worst team in the league, there’s always a chance it can come back to bite them.

Injuries – The Celtics have three players listed as questionable on the injury report. Their status will be a game time decision. It goes without saying that this game will be a lot tougher without Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis. If one or more of those starters are out, it will be up to the remaining players to pick up their games and to play harder. Hopefully at least one or two of them will be able to play.

Officiating – Officiating is always an X-Factor. Every crew officiates differently and teams need to adjust to the way the game is called. Will they call the game evenly or favor the home team? Will they call it tight or let them play? It seems that the officiating has been particularly poor this season so far. Hopefully we get fair officiating and they let them play and the Celtics focus on playing and not on the officiating.

And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community!

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Boston, MA

Red Sox shed light on plans for outfield, including Ceddanne Rafaela’s role

Published

3 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Red Sox shed light on plans for outfield, including Ceddanne Rafaela’s role

Last year the Red Sox had a unique and enviable problem, which was that at full strength the club had more starting-caliber outfielders than it had available lineup spots.

Injuries kept that from being an issue most of the season, but for some stretches the only way the club could accommodate everyone was by playing Gold Glove center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela at second base.

With Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida and Rafaela all set to return for the 2026 campaign, the Red Sox could face a similar logjam, but both manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow signaled that they’d prefer not to move Rafaela to the infield again.

“We’ll talk about that one, but probably not,” Cora said.

“Ceddanne is an incredibly gifted athlete and can impact a game in so many ways, and it makes it really easy when you can put him at second base or play shortstop for a long time for us like in ’24 when Trevor (Story) was hurt, but he is game-changing in center field,” Breslow said. “We saw that this year, and giving him the consistency of playing the same position every day also has benefits for his offense.”

Rafaela delivered a breakout season in the outfield last year, ranking second in MLB across all positions in defensive runs saved at center (plus-20) en route to his first career Gold Glove.

His impact defensively at second, however, was much more modest. In 24 games at the position he was just plus-one defensive runs saved.

Recognizing Rafaela’s value in the outfield, it was widely expected that the Red Sox would clear a spot by trading one of their incumbent players, most likely Duran or Abreu. But up to this point that hasn’t happened, and Breslow said it was never something he considered an urgent priority.

“It was never likely in my mind,” Breslow said. “We’ve got really talented outfielders and when teams call that’s what other executives point to. They’re young, they’re controllable, they’re dynamic, they’re talented, they can impact games in multiple ways. It’s really nice to be able to say they’re also members of the Boston Red Sox.”

So how will the Red Sox accommodate everyone if Rafaela isn’t going to play second? Cora said he expects to rotate players through more regularly, though he added that Rafaela and Abreu — both Gold Glove winners — will likely play more often than not.

“I think keeping guys healthy is something we always talk about,” Cora said. “They’re good outfielders, all of them, as a unit they’re the best in baseball. We just have to figure out the stadium, workload, and all that, but Willy and Ceddanne, they’re the best in the business, they probably will be playing the most in the outfield.”

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Boston, MA

Boston woman flummoxed after rat makes a home in stroller she left on porch

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Local News

Boston Reddit did not mince words when it came to the best way of evicting this brazen stroller squatter.

A Boston woman is dealing with an unwelcome tenant on her front porch — a rat that has turned a baby stroller into a cozy winter hideaway.

The woman shared her ordeal Thursday on the r/Boston subreddit, explaining that she had left her stroller, complete with a muff, on her second-floor porch. When she checked on it later, she discovered a rat had moved in.

“I stupidly left our stroller with a muff out on the porch,” she wrote. “Today I found a big rat is nested in there. I can’t see clearly, but it seems it has chewed up the muff lining and is using the filling for a nest.”

The woman said she’s called a few pest control companies, but instead of offering immediate removal, they just tried to sell her a long-term bait boxing service.

“…Which is fine, but I urgently need someone to just safely remove the rat and the nest so I can clean or dispose of the stroller if needed,” she wrote, adding that she couldn’t secure a next-day appointment and felt Monday was too far away.

Turning to Reddit for advice, the woman asked whether she should attempt to remove the rat herself, saying she was worried about being bitten or contracting a disease. “Which professional can I call?” she asked.

Redditors reacted with a mix of humor and practical advice. The top comment began, “Sounds like it’s their porch now,” before offering an elaborate plan involving a bucket trap and joking that the rat could then “go on to be a Michelin star chef at a French restaurant,” a nod to the 2007 film “Ratatouille.”

Others suggested she evict the rat by vigorously shaking the stroller or whacking it with a broom, while many urged her to cut her losses entirely and throw the stroller out.

“I honestly wouldn’t ever use it for a small child after a rat had been cribbed up there,” one commenter wrote.

Pest control experts generally advise against handling rats without professional help. According to Terminix, rodents can become aggressive and scratch when threatened and may carry diseases such as hantavirus and leptospirosis.

“When it comes to getting rid of a rat’s nest in the house, DIY treatments won’t cut it,” the company warns on its website.

Boston has been grappling with heightened rat activity in recent years, prompting a citywide rodent action plan known as BRAP. City officials urge residents to “see something, squeak something!” and report rodent activity to 311. Officials said response teams are typically dispatched within one to two days.

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.

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Boston, MA

Boston’s new city council president talks about election and upcoming term

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Boston’s new city council president talks about election and upcoming term

The Boston City Council is setting out on a new two-year term with a new council president at the helm.

City Councilor Liz Breadon, who represents District 9, won the gavel on a 7-6 contested vote, cobbling together her candidacy just hours before the council was set to vote.

“An opportunity presented itself and I took it,” Breadon said. “We’re in a very critical time, given politics, and I really feel that in this moment, we need to set steady leadership, and really to bring the council together.”

The process apparently including backroom conversations and late-night meetings as City Councilors Gabriella Coletta Zapata and Brian Worrell both pushed to become the next council president.

Breadon spoke on why support waned for her two colleagues.

“I think they had support that was moving,” said Breadon. “It was moving back and forward, it hadn’t solidified solidly in one place. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the moment.”

Political commentator Sue O’Connell talks about the last-minute maneuvering before the upset vote and what it says about Mayor Michelle Wu’s influence.

Some speculated that Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration was lobbying for a compromise candidate after Coletta Zapata dropped out of the race. Breadon disputes the mayor’s involvement.

“I would say not,” said Breadon. “I wasn’t in conversation with the mayor about any of this.”

Beyond the election, Breadon took a look ahead to how she will lead the body. Controversy has been known to crop up at City Hall, most recently when former District 7 Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges tied to a kickback scheme involving taxpayer dollars.

Breadon said it’s critical to stay calm and allow the facts to come out in those situations.

“I feel that it’s very important to be very deliberative in how we handle these things and not to sort of shoot from the hip and have a knee-jerk reaction to what’s happening,” said Breadon.

Tune in Sunday at 9:30 am for our extended @Issue Sitdown with Breadon, when we dig deeper into how her candidacy came together, the priorities she’ll pursue in the role and which colleagues she’ll place in key council positions.

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