Perhaps with the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics going on, some may have forgotten that the NBA All-Star Game and all of the festivities that go along with it will be held in Los Angeles this weekend.
For some, All-Star Saturday which includes the league’s 3-point shooting contest as well as the Slam Dunk Contest, is even a bigger highlight than the actual game itself.
A former Slam Dunk Contest participant now shares his professional basketball experiences with the youth of the Burbank community.
Greg Minor, who was once a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Clippers and spent five years in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, has created the Minor Sports Academy, which is based out of the gymnasium at St. Finbar Parish School. He also coaches the St. Finbar School’s ‘A’ team. The Minor Sports Academy is held weekdays at St. Finbar from 5 to 9 p.m. and is open to elementary, middle and high school students.
“It is a year-round training program that I started in September. It is for kids of all ages around the Burbank area. It is for anyone that is willing to train to help their skillset. The classes are not overly big. It’s a more intimate setting. I try to train with a lot of intensity,” said the 6-foot-6 guard.
Minor, 54, said he first came to the area in 2017 to work with a friend. He then left in 2023 to go back to his native Georgia, but returned a year later.
“Living in the state of California everything is much more pricey, but the quality of life is also much better,” he said.” I came back to start the Minor Sports Academy and so far it has been pretty good. It is the families and the connections I made out here that have really made it and it is still growing with the Finbar family.”
Basketball has brought Minor around the world as he spent five years living and working in China prior to coming to Burbank.
He played for the Celtics from 1994 until 2001 when a hip injury forced him to retire.
“When I retired I went back to school to get my degree. Then i started to get into coaching. I started working for the NBA Basketball Without Borders and I would go to China whenever they had basketball camps and in different countries,” said Minor, who played under the legendary Denny Crum at the University of Louisville. “They would bring current or retired players and coaches to work these clinics and that’s how I made my connection with the Chinese companies there.”
A Topps Stadium Club card of Greg Minor during his playing days with the Boston Celtics. (Photo courtesy of Topps Trading Cards).
Minor also has experience working in the NBA’s developmental league with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
“My job was to develop players and put together reports for the general managers or assistant general managers of those teams,” he said, noting that he got to work with the likes of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as well as many others.
Minor’s pro career finally settled in Boston after being selected by the Clippers as the 25th pick of the 1994 NBA Draft. He was traded on draft night along with Mark Jackson to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Pooh Richardson, Malik Sealy and the draft rights to Eric Piatkowski.
But his experience in Indiana was short-lived as the team already had Hall of Famer Reggie Miller and longtime Lakers star Byron Scott at the shooting guard position.
The Pacers had also drafted University of Indiana star Damon Bailey, who was considered a fan favorite in the state.
“They failed to sign me, so I became an unrestricted free agent and it came down to Chicago and Boston. Boston offered a bigger deal and I ended up choosing the Celtics,” said Minor, who said he grew up a fan of the Lakers. “In the first two weeks to a month, I fell in love with the organization with how they do things and the professionalism they have. Eric Montross and I were the only rookies and we came into a veteran team. I had a chance to play with Dominique Wilkins and Dee Brown, Sherman Douglas, Dana Barros and Dino Radja.”
Minor said he has Brown, the 1991 Slam Dunk champion in the event, to thank for his opportunity to participate in the event in 1996 in San Antonio.
Brown passed on the chance to participate once again and recommended that Minor be given the opportunity. Minor finished third out of six behind winner Brent Barry and Michael Finley.
“It was a wonderful experience. One of the things I always share with people is that it is not as simple as it seems because you as a dunker know everybody out there is watching you, whether it is the fans locally or around the world,” Minor recalled. “When you go up and attempt a dunk they don’t think about the back drop. If I am looking at the rim and the back of the rim the glass is clear there are cameras and flashes going off everywhere like crazy and you need to focus. The last thing you want to do is miss a dunk. It is very challenging.”
For those who would like to become a part of the Minor Sports Academy, information can be found online at www.saintfinbar.org or by calling (818) 848-0191 and asking to speak with Jhoanne Gabagat.
For the Philadelphia 76ers, the push toward the NBA Finals will be shaped less by blowout wins against lesser opponents and more by high-leverage games against playoff-caliber teams.
These contests will test lineup flexibility, late-game execution, and mental toughness. They also reveal whether Philadelphia can consistently impose its style on teams that know them well.
Several matchups on the calendar stand out as tone-setters, games that influence seeding, confidence, and league-wide respect.
Each one offers a snapshot of who the 76ers are right now, and who they are becoming as the postseason approaches.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks
Date: February 12
Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The February 12 matchup against the New York Knicks will shine a spotlight on the Philadelphia 76ers’ ability to handle physical, playoff-style basketball. New York brings defensive pressure, rebounding strength, and a slow-it-down approach that forces discipline on both ends.
In the recent 2025/26 coverage, analysts consistently frame the Knicks as a stress test for teams with championship aspirations, and Philadelphia leans into that challenge.
The 76ers emphasize half-court execution, patient ball movement, and attacking mismatches rather than rushing possessions. This game also matters psychologically, as the Knicks are a direct obstacle in the Eastern Conference.
A strong performance will reinforce the opinion that the Philadelphia 76ers can win games where spacing is tight, and points come at a premium.
For fans who closely follow momentum swings and matchups, it’s noteworthy that this type of contest often shapes how those immersing themselves in the sport bet on NBA games. These sorts of matchups reveal which contenders remain composed under pressure rather than relying on pace alone.
When the Philadelphia 76ers face the Indiana Pacers on February 25, the contrast in styles takes center stage. Indiana pushes tempo, prioritizes transition scoring, and thrives when games become chaotic.
The recent 2025/26 analysis points to this matchup as a test of control. Philadelphia focuses on limiting turnovers and dictating pace, knowing that defensive discipline often determines the outcome. This game will force the 76ers’ perimeter defenders to stay locked in while bigs recover quickly in space.
Offensively, Philadelphia will look to exploit Indiana’s defensive lapses by creating high-quality shots rather than trading baskets. A win here signals that the Philadelphia 76ers can adapt without abandoning their identity.
It also matters in the standings, as games against fast-rising conference opponents influence tiebreakers and playoff positioning. More importantly, it’ll show whether Philadelphia can win games that feel uncomfortable, an essential trait for any team with Finals ambitions.
Credit: Taylor Smith-Unsplash
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
Date: March 2
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
The March 2 showdown with the Boston Celtics feels like a preview of May, and for the Philadelphia 76ers, no opponent carries more symbolic weight.
Boston represents the gold standard in the East, and 2025/26 NBA coverage frequently frames this rivalry as a referendum on Philadelphia’s readiness. Every possession matters, and adjustments happen quickly. The 76ers prioritize defensive communication, knowing Boston thrives on exploiting small mistakes.
On offense, Philadelphia targets efficient shot creation rather than volume, understanding that empty possessions swing momentum fast in these games. This matchup also tests mental resilience, especially in late-game scenarios where execution outweighs talent.
A strong showing against Boston reinforces the idea that the Philadelphia 76ers belong in the same championship conversation.
Win or lose, how Philadelphia competes, its poise, adaptability, and response to runs, will shape league perception and influence how seriously opponents take them entering the postseason.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Date: March 11
Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The March 11 game against the Memphis Grizzlies offers the Philadelphia 76ers a different kind of challenge. Memphis brings athleticism, defensive aggression, and a relentless attack.
Recent season analysis emphasizes that Western Conference opponents like the Grizzlies test a team’s physical endurance and depth. For Philadelphia, this matchup is about sustaining intensity across four quarters.
The 76ers focus on defensive rotations and rebounding to prevent second-chance points, while offensively, they look to punish overhelping with smart ball movement. This game also matters because it simulates the grind of Finals-style basketball, where physicality escalates, and whistles tighten.
A composed performance will show that the Philadelphia 76ers can handle teams that pressure the rim and challenge every possession. It’ll also reveal whether their system can hold up not just against familiar Eastern rivals, but against elite, high-energy opponents from the West.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Denver Nuggets
Date: March 18
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Facing the Denver Nuggets on March 18 represents one of the clearest measuring sticks for the Philadelphia 76ers. Denver’s championship pedigree and disciplined execution force opponents to play near-perfect basketball.
In 2025–2026 previews, this matchup is often framed as a Finals-level chess match. Philadelphia emphasizes defensive versatility, switching schemes to disrupt rhythm while staying connected on shooters.
Offensively, the 76ers prioritize spacing and decision-making, knowing Denver punishes hesitation. This game will also highlight stamina and focus, as Denver thrives on wearing teams down with consistent pressure.
A competitive showing will signal that the Philadelphia 76ers can match elite teams possession for possession without unraveling. Beyond the result, how Philadelphia manages late-game situations, timeouts, matchups, and shot selection offers insight into their championship readiness.
Games like this define whether Finals aspirations feel realistic or remain theoretical.
Collective Impact
The road to the NBA Finals rarely hinges on a single moment, but for the Philadelphia 76ers, these key games collectively define their trajectory. Each matchup reveals something different: resilience against physical teams, control versus speed, composure under rivalry pressure, and adaptability against elite Western opponents.
Together, they shape confidence, seeding, and belief inside the locker room. The Philadelphia 76ers are not chasing style points; they are building habits that translate into postseason success. How they perform in these spotlight games influences how the league views them and how they view themselves.
If Philadelphia continues to meet these challenges with discipline and clarity, the push toward the NBA Finals feels less like hope and more like expectation.
HOUSTON (AP) — Derrick White made six 3-pointers and scored 28 points and the Boston Celtics used a big third quarter to build the lead and cruise to a 114-93 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
White’s performance helped the Celtics win a fourth straight game despite missing star Jaylen Brown, who sat out with left hamstring tightness in the second game of a back-to-back.
Houston coach Ime Udoka was ejected at the end of the third quarter after receiving a double technical for arguing with officials, and Alperen Sengun was tossed midway through the fourth after receiving two technical fouls for yelling at an official following a no-call.
The Rockets trailed by four after a 3-pointer by Amen Thompson early in the third before Boston went on an 18-3 run to make it 67-48 with about seven minutes left in the quarter. The Celtics made five 3-pointers in that stretch, with two apiece from White and Baylor Scheierman.
Thompson made a basket for Houston before Boston used a 10-1 spurt to push the lead to 77-51 with four minutes remaining in the quarter. White led the way during that run, scoring the first eight points, with two 3-pointers.
Reed Sheppard received a loose ball foul near the end of the quarter and Udoka received two technical fouls after the call and was tossed. Boston converted four free throws off those fouls to make it 87-63 entering the fourth.
Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 15 points in his return after sitting out Monday with a sprained left ankle. Sengun, who had 39 points and 16 rebounds in Monday’s win over Indiana, had 13 points and nine rebounds.
Neemias Queta had 10 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, and Luka Garza added 19 points to help the Celtics to the victory.
The Boston Celtics wrap up a season-high five-game road trip Saturday night against one of the NBA’s hottest teams.
The Los Angeles Clippers have won six games in a row — a run that has vaulted them from the bottom of the Western Conference standings to two games out of a play-in tournament spot.
Kawhi Leonard has fueled the Clippers’ recent success with superstar play at both ends of the court. He did not play when these teams met at TD Garden on Nov. 16 — a game the Celtics won 121-118.
Will the Celtics close the road trip with another victory, or will the Clippers extend their win streak to seven games?
Follow our Celtics-Clippers live blog below for video highlights, analysis, exclusive interviews and more.
The Detroit Pistons will face the Boston Celtics at 7 p.m. EST on Monday in a battle of two premier Eastern Conference teams. The Pistons have quietly amassed an excellent 20-5 record, allowing them to occupy the first seed in the East through the first third of the season. Boston has had a significantly more difficult road this season, going 15-10, a winning percentage that would almost certainly allow the Celtics a postseason berth if they are able to maintain it.
As their record indicates, Detroit has been elite in every single category. Star guard Cade Cunningham leads a dynamic scoring attack, while forward Ausar Thompson anchors a tenacious, competitive defense that has consistently given opponents plenty of trouble, largely because of the urgency with which the Pistons consistently utilize it. With five wins in their last six games, the Pistons continue to prove themselves as one of the best teams in the NBA and a legitimate title contender. Knocking off the Celtics on Monday would only further that perception.
While Boston is unlikely to be a serious threat for championship contention, the Celtics are still a very tough out for any opponent. The guard trio of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard has provided Boston with a solid offensive anchor, while head coach Joe Mazzulla continues to push the team to remain scrappy and intense on the defensive end of the floor, regardless of who is on the court. Boston stole the game away by a score of 119-117 the last time they encountered the Pistons, so a competitive contest should be in the books on Monday night.
Pistons +1.5 (+100)
Celtics -1.5 (-113)
Over 230.5 (-104)
Under 230.5 (-104)
Note: The above data was collected on Dec. 15, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Pistons vs Celtics Betting Trends
The Pistons are 14-11 ATS this season.
The Pistons are 2-0 ATS when they enter the game as a road underdog.
The over is 14-10-1 in Detroit’s games.
The Celtics are 14-11 ATS this year.
The Celtics are 7-5 ATS in their home games.
The over is 7-5 in Boston’s home games.
Pistons vs Celtics Injury Reports
Pistons vs Celtics Prediction and Pick
Peter Tran of PickDawgz writes, “The Pistons expect to have a full squad for this contest, while the Celtics are still missing Jayson Tatum. The Pistons are coming into this matchup with plenty of momentum after smashing the Hawks for their third straight win on Friday. They have the luxury of a fully healthy roster, but the Celtics were on a great run before their loss to the Bucks. Now they are back at home, where they have won seven of their last eight. This is a tough one to pick, as you can make an argument for either side, but the Celtics are tough to beat at home, and I think they can edge out a gritty win here in a close one.”
But that was never going to be the plan if the coach could help it. Mazzulla, after all, is one of the most overcompetitive men in sports, which is saying something. He embraces suffering. He starts every day with an ice bath and ends it in his chapel. He hiked through the Costa Rican jungle in bare feet. After winning the championship last year, he told reporters, “People are gonna say the target is on our back, but I hope it’s right on our forehead in between our eyes.” During training camp this past fall, at the annual media pickup game, he had the media play the coaching staff—and then instructed those coaches, which included former N.B.A. and N.C.A.A. Division I players, to run a full-court press on defense. The coaches won 57–4. (The game was just twelve minutes long.) Mazzulla fist-pumped after the final basket. That man? Tank? We all should have known.
The Celtics started the season 0–3, then muddled their way to 5–7, which was more or less where many people thought they’d be. They won some quality games, lost some games they might have won, shot a lot of threes, and couldn’t rebound to save their lives. Brown was great, but White and Pritchard, the other main holdovers from the championship team, struggled badly, and sometimes pressed and panicked as the clock ran down and the shots didn’t fall.
The turnaround was sudden: after a tough loss by two to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Celtics blew out the Memphis Grizzlies the next night, 131–95. And for two weeks after that they had the No. 1 offense in the league. What happened?
The simplest answer centers on Brown. Most of the offense centers on him, too, and he’s been spectacular. Great players can make up for a lot of team-wide weaknesses. Brown is constantly attacking and making sharp reads of the situation; he runs pick-and-rolls now with ease. His main job is to score, and he’s doing it from everywhere—including taking more deep two-point shots than anyone, shots that have fallen out of favor lately for their analytical profile (almost as hard to hit as threes, but worth fifty per cent fewer points). They’re working for him—and for the team, opening driving lanes, causing defenders to hesitate. He’s averaging nearly thirty points a night, and is not only more involved in possessions but also scoring more efficiently—a rare combination.
Another answer is that White and Pritchard are good players, and even good players have cold streaks; eventually, the cold streaks end. The Celtics’ fortunes have changed as those two have recovered their form. Yet another answer emphasizes the team’s adaptability: a lot of players are getting minutes, and all of them are treating those minutes as valuable. Talent wins in the N.B.A., but solid execution on basic fundamentals can go a long way toward upending the established order. (Then there’s the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have only one loss so far this season, and are an order all their own.) Brown has perfect footwork. Queta is a wall. Everyone sets screens and cuts hard. The team watched a lot of film to fix its rebounding problem, and upped the effort: when you’re smaller, coaches stressed, it helps to hit first and hit hard.
That could describe the team’s over-all approach. Last season, and for a while before that, the Celtics rode a kind of algorithmic process to the top, involving shooting a lot of threes—so many threes that the strategy became known as Mazzulla Ball. And the players taking those shots, particularly Tatum and the seven-foot-two-inch Porzingis, were so smooth that the style could seem a little bloodless. That’s not true anymore. The shotmaking now feels less actuarial than psychologically motivated. The Celtics still are near the top of the league in three-point attempts, but they’re not playing the kind of seamless, positionless basketball that modern teams favor. Every single player appears to have something to prove, and everybody knows their job. The basic instructions are clear enough: don’t turn the ball over, ever; hustle to collect missed shots; knock their balls loose; take open looks. Do absolutely everything you can to help the team score.
Can the team’s success last? Maybe not. On Thursday, playing the Milwaukee Bucks—who had been in freefall, and were without their star, Giannis Antetokounmpo—the Celtics coasted to an early advantage. Walsh hit all seven of his shots in the first half, for eighteen points, to go with three rebounds and three steals. Then, in the second half, the Celtics lost aim. There was an almost slapstick quality to ball after ball being heaved up, over and over, clanging against the rim or missing it altogether. Collectively, the team missed sixteen consecutive three-point attempts.
Boston is losing a major landmark that has stood for 115 years.
Matthews Arena opened two years before Fenway Park and 18 years before the old Boston Garden.
“Every time you step on this ice, walk in this building, it’s a privilege,” said Vinny Borgesi, captain of the men’s hockey team at Northeastern University. “There’s so much history behind it.”
Originally the Boston Arena, the building opened in 1910, quickly becoming the spot for high school and college hockey.
“I’ve been in and out of that building for 60 years or so, and that’s what made it special on Monday,” said Joe Bertagna, the former Hockey East commissioner who grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts.
He and others college legends took part in a final skate Monday. Bertagna recalled playing at an exhibition game against Czechoslovakia at the arena while skating for Harvard University.
“I also lost my last high school game in double overtime to Melrose High, one of our rivals,” he said.
The Celtics and Bruins started playing in building, and it attracted countless politicians and entertainers, as well.
Northeastern has owned the aging arena since 1980 and considered whether it should be renovated or replaced.
“There’s some nostalgia. There’s some sadness,” said Jim Madigan, the school’s athletic director. “But at the same time, we can’t get in the way of progress, and so you look to what the future will bring.”
A state-of-the art venue is now set to replace the old one. It won’t open until 2028, requiring the school’s teams to play all their games on the road for two years.
“Yeah, it’s a little bit of difficulty, but I also think that it’s something we can rally around, a little bit of an underdog mentality,” said Dylan Hryckowian, an assistant captain with the men’s hockey team.
The last game will be Saturday night, when Northeastern’s men’s hockey team takes on rival Boston University.
Northeastern says demolition will get underway this winter.
Jaylen Brown found an unexpected voice of support in the New England Patriots’ locker room Thursday.
Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins played his college football at the University of California, arriving at Berkeley in the fall of 2015. As it turns out, that’s also when Brown showed up on campus to play for the Golden Bears’ basketball team.
And while they only overlapped for one school year — Brown was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2016, while Hawkins stayed at Cal until 2020 — Hawkins has always rooted for Brown from afar.
“That’s kind of one of those situations where the refs sometimes call things and (sometimes) they don’t, and it’s unfortunate,” Hawkins said. “Jaylen’s a dog. I’ve known Jaylen since college, we came in together. He’s a baller. Obviously everybody knows that.
“I don’t think that’s really affecting him too much. But I think just his competitive nature, who he is, that emotion comes out.”
Hawkins saw Brown’s competitiveness first-hand at Cal, where Brown was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year during his lone season with the Golden Bears. And while he was initially booed by Celtics fans on draft night, Brown’s competitive drive has helped him blossom into an All-Star in Boston.
As for Hawkins? He’s making a name for himself in New England, as well. The sixth-year safety has started seven games for the Patriots, racking up two pass defenses, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, two QB hits and a highlight-reel, one-handed interception in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns.
PHILADELPHIA – Maybe 82-0 was just a bit unrealistic.
For the first time in 2025-26, the Sixers lost on Friday night, dropping the opener of their NBA Cup Group Play slate, 109-108, to the Boston Celtics. They fell to 4-1.
The Sixers attempted to stage yet another remarkable comeback, and they did completely erase a 24-point deficit at one point. But on Friday, their defense was not good enough to win without out-of-this-world offensive production, and they did not have another scoring masterclass in them. They fought until the very end – again – but this time, they did not have enough. They never led despite bringing themselves to one shot away from stealing it at the end.
Takeaways from Friday night’s action:
Sixers’ significant defensive struggles continue
There is no way around it: the Sixers have fielded a competitive NBA-caliber defense in just a small number of quarters out of the 20 they have played in this season. For the most part, opposing offenses of varying calibers have been able to accomplish everything they want against this team. Boston initiated a three-point shooting barrage early in the game that might have taken place no matter how the Sixers defended, but on Friday night the Sixers’ lack of defensive aptitude in the first half sunk them. Boston scored 68 points in the first half, and the Sixers turned out to have dug themselves too deep of a hole. It was a continuation of everything they had already put on tape.
Even after they improved to 4-0, it was clear that the Sixers were not doing enough guarding to keep winning at this pace. To some degree, it is a testament to how incredible their offense has been that the Sixers were even competitive in four consecutive games.
“We’ve got some challenges, there’s no doubt about it,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said after the team’s practice on Thursday. “We’re trying to play to our strengths and cover up some of the challenges as best we can. I think there’s going to be a lot of room for improvement… We’re still learning about it. The games really help speed that learning process up. So there’s lots of tweaks, lots of polish, schematically, there’s lots of things we’re seeing we need to add and subtract as we go.”
Among those key challenges is the team’s tendency to rely on undersized lineups. Three of the five best players on this team right now are guards; at full strength it will be four of the six best players who are suited for backcourt roles. And to be fair, three-guard lineups with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes were outstanding in the team’s first four contests because there is so much offensive firepower within those units. But a balance is going to have to be struck, because scoring a lot of points does not mean all that much without getting stops.
Of course, the eventual return of Paul George will help here, particularly as the Sixers look for infusions of size without disrupting their floor spacing. If the nine-time All-Star is willing to cede much of his responsibility as a scorer and ball-handler to the aforementioned guards (plus Jared McCain) and buy into a defensive-oriented mindset, he could be enormously valuable to this group, even if it restricts his ability to make a salary exceeding $50 million look all that wise.
But ultimately, the Sixers have to maximize their talent level, and that is going to lead to a lot of smaller lineups. It is up to the players and coaches to find ways to make it a manageable fit on that end of the floor, because otherwise their tremendous offensive exploits will not be maximized.
VJ Edgecombe finding so many ways to impact winning
What is even more impressive than Edgecombe’s outstanding scoring production through five NBA games is how many ways he has proved capable of helping the Sixers outside of putting the ball in the basket. Edgecombe’s on-ball prowess has been such a revelation that perhaps many have forgotten that he came into the NBA expected to immediately help a team in other facets of the game. That has held true.
Edgecombe’s passing is far more advanced than anticipated, and his absurd athletic capabilities have enabled him to soar in for critical rebounds time and time again. His rebounding numbers look good and still likely do not tell the full story; so many of his boards have been contested and in important moments. Edgecombe has been reliable as a spot-up three-point shooter, and his transition scoring has been tantalizing; this finish was a favorite of Friday’s crowd:
He is an engaged, energetic defender and Nurse has had no qualms about putting him on some very good offensive players and asking him to turn the water off. Edgecombe turned in plenty of good defensive possessions on Friday night against each member of Boston’s excellent guard trio of Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons.
While it was jaw-dropping to watch Edgecombe dominate the ball and prove he has earned the right to do so early on, it is just as impressive for a 20-year-old rookie to immediately pivot to an off-ball role and show they have so many different pathways to impacting any given possession on either end of the floor.
Odds and ends
Some additional notes:
• Jared McCain (thumb) was one of three Sixers sidelined in this game – George and Dominick Barlow were the others – but the 21-year-old guard continues to make strides in his recovery after his surgery about a month ago. The latest indication of progress: McCain went through an intense pregame warmup routine on Friday.
• After 20 horrid minutes to begin this game – the Sixers’ offense was merely okay and their defense was dreadful – Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond provided some life. Edgecombe knocked down a triple and finished an acrobatic and-one layup in transition, Oubre converted multiple impressive rim finishes and Drummond knocked down a corner three, and a terrific four-minute burst to close the half enabled the Sixers to shrink the lead to 11 points at intermission. That run provided what was far and away the most excitement in the building during the first half.
• It very much feels like Nurse’s plan at backup center when Embiid plays is to ride the hot hand. On basically any occasion in which Drummond or Adem Bona has started producing, Nurse has just opted to ride them for a while. Nurse has talked before about empowering his situational pieces when he can find the right spot for them to play for a prolonged stretch. It is part of the give and take that comes with players in roles that might limit their playing time.
Up next: The Sixers will be back in action on the road on Sunday evening when they take on the lowly Brooklyn Nets.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested early Thursday morning in Orlando as part of an FBI sports betting and gambling probe, law enforcement sources told CBS News.
The Eastern District of New York and FBI Director Kash Patel are expected to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. ET to announce arrests tied to the ongoing investigation.
The exact charge he faces was not immediately known.
According to earlier reporting from ESPN and CBS Sports, federal investigators have been examining unusual betting activity linked to a March 2023 game when Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets, including heavy wagers on his player stats (“under” on points, rebounds and assists). At the time, the NBA said it found no evidence that Rozier violated league rules.
Rozier played four and a half seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, becoming one of the team’s leading scorers and averaging more than 19 points per game before being traded to the Miami Heat in early 2024.
Team officials and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra have not commented publicly on Rozier’s arrest.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was also taken into custody in Portland, Oregon, sources told CBS News.
Terry Rozier’s rise with the Boston Celtics
Before joining Miami, Rozier spent four seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he developed a reputation as a hard-nosed defender and clutch performer in the playoffs.
Drafted by Boston in 2015, Rozier played a limited role early in his career but gradually earned more minutes under coach Brad Stevens. By the 2017–18 season, he emerged as a key contributor, stepping into the starting lineup after injuries to Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
That postseason, Rozier became one of the Celtics’ breakout players, averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists while helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals. He earned praise for his intensity and leadership, including a standout 29-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs.
Rozier played a total of 272 games with the Celtics, averaging 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets in 2019.
The Sixers have officially generated more momentum than they could at any point last year. They beat the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday night, 117-116, to begin the 2025-26 regular season in the win column. VJ Edgecombe dominated in the first quarter, Tyrese Maxey did the same in the second and the Sixers entered intermission with a lead. Joel Embiid’s conspicuous silence and a disastrous third quarter looked like they would sink the Sixers, but Maxey and Edgecombe took turns taking over to keep them afloat.
It was impossible to justify trying to complete the comeback with a hobbled version of Embiid, so Sixers head coach Nick Nurse did not try to do it. He relied on his starting guards and a makeshift frontcourt to cross the finish line, and his Sixers just kept on pushing. Finally, Kelly Oubre Jr. turned around his struggles and put them ahead with a corner triple, then immediately drew an offensive foul on the other end. Despite Embiid’s complete ineptitude, the Sixers found a way to escape with a win, capitalizing on Maxey’s 40-point night and Edgecombe’s historic showing – a 34-point, seven-rebound masterpiece.
Everything that stood out from the Sixers’ thrilling, gutsy win to open the season:
VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey steal the show
Good lord.
There is not much else to say in reaction to Edgecombe’s first quarter of NBA action. The rookie talks a big game about being fearless and embracing challenges head-on, and he backed it up immediately. Edgecombe did not look remotely hesitant in his first quarter of his NBA debut in front of a raucous crowd. Instead, he looked eager, but not in an overzealous sort of way.
Edgecombe was completely under control as he diced up Boston’s defense, scoring 14 points in 11 minutes and change. He made a free throw for his first NBA point, and soon after scored 10 Sixers points in a row, beginning with a blazing drive to the basket and continuing with some impressive shot-making mixed in as well:
Edgecombe’s confidence has always appeared genuine. But watching him take no prisoners against the Boston Celtics in his very first burst of NBA action was pretty breathtaking. It reinforced everything he has said over the last few months, and affirmed the Sixers’ beliefs about his special mental makeup.
According to the NBA, Edgecombe’s 14 points are the most ever scored in the first quarter by a player making his NBA debut, surpassing the mark of 12 established by LeBron James in 2003.
Maxey happily played in a supporting role while Edgecombe dominated, but when the second quarter started it was the sixth-year guard’s turn to take over. After the first Edgecombe heater in the NBA, Maxey staged one of his vintage heaters. And with Embiid almost completely silent prior to intermission, the Sixers needed every bit of it.
Maxey scored 19 points in the second quarter alone, and he did it in all sorts of ways: Maxey hit some ridiculous jumpers, but also scored at the rim, the free throw line and the mid-range area. His finest moment came when he knocked down back-to-back threes, and the second one reduced Maxey to flashing his signature smile. He got Celtics wing Josh Minott with a nasty step-back:
Only one player not named Maxey or Edgecombe made multiple field goals in the first half (starting power forward Dominick Barlow made two shots). Yet those two guards were so dynamic that the Sixers entered intermission with a 57-51 lead. The Sixers’ overall defense was not quite as crisp as the Celtics’ 51-point mark would indicate – Boston missed a few wide open threes enabled by defensive breakdowns – but it was largely very good. It was in the second half when Boston started knocking down shots and the Sixers’ breakdowns became even more frequent.
Joel Embiid a shell of himself in first game of season
Many components of the identity the Sixers are attempting to adopt – regardless of Embiid’s availability – were on full display on Wednesday. That is, in itself, a major positive.
But the Sixers embracing pace will only take them so far without doses of Embiid’s methodical scoring. And on Wednesday, there were almost no signs of life from Embiid as a scorer. He just was not moving well enough to succeed, as a scorer or in any other capacity in an NBA game.
Embiid’s stints on the floor were short, but those quick bursts did not lead to any sort of increased intensity. Embiid constantly looked like he was laboring out there, and the Sixers were clearly better off when they did not bother trying to work him into the action and instead dialed up the tempo as much as they could, with Maxey and Edgecombe at the helm.
Boston opened the game with 6-foot-6 wing Jaylen Brown defending Embiid, and the seven-footer did nothing to take advantage of the mismatch. He only played the first five minutes of each of the first two quarters; the Sixers had to summon Andre Drummond to help finish the first half. In the fourth quarter, it became impossible for the Sixers to get stops because the Celtics ramped up their pace and Embiid simply could not keep up in any capacity.
It is just one game, but all of this is obviously ominous to some degree. Nobody was expecting Embiid to return to MVP-caliber play on opening night, and most people have written off the idea of him ever reaching those heights again. But if Embiid’s availability will consistently be limited – both in terms of games and minutes – he must be able to achieve some sorts of high-end outcomes for this team to thrive. Otherwise, there will be too significant of a workload on the rest of the group.
Odds and ends
Some additional notes:
• The opening frame belonged to Edgecombe, but the most impressive individual moment early on in this game belonged to Barlow. The Sixers have been praising his activity and rebounding for weeks, and Maxey said last week that he gets a lot of rebounds people do not expect him to grab. Barlow did just that, soaring out of nowhere to grab an Embiid miss and quickly assist a 28-foot Maxey triple for the star guard’s first basket of the season. He then missed a corner three, but emphatically swatted Derrick White in transition to force a jump ball. Barlow won that jump ball, immediately ran the floor and converted an and-one in transition:
Ever since the start of training camp, Nurse and several Sixers players have raved about what Barlow has brought to their gym. Everything they described was on display immediately on Wednesday night, from Barlow’s five rebounds (three on the offensive glass) to his hustle on the defensive end.
• Justin Edwards was not in the Sixers’ regular rotation in this game. He played the last defensive possession of the first quarter, but otherwise the Sixers forward’s minutes went to Oubre, Barlow and fellow two-way signee Jabari Walker. It is a slight surprise given the Sixers’ absences at those positions, but not a stunner because Edwards has not played well since the end of last season.
• The Sixers’ use of three-guard lineups should create advantageous perimeter matchups pretty regularly. On Wednesday, they had many chances to attack new Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, one of the weakest defenders in the NBA. Simons often found himself defending Grimes, a much taller and bigger player, but the Celtics got away with it the whole way. The Sixers should not feel compelled to completely disrupt their offensive flow for the sake of attacking mismatches, but sometimes it must be done.
Up next: After a pair of days off, the Sixers will play their home opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
The Celtics are taking a break from the color green with their newest City Edition jerseys.
The unveiled the new look, which features a clean, white jersey with gold lettering and numbers.
“A white base accented with gold representing success, achievement and triumph,” the team posted on X. “The word mark and number set are trimmed in black, making this our first uniform to not feature green.”
As an added touch, Red Auerbach’s signature is stitched in to every jersey.
“The Gold Standard – a uniform honoring our storied franchise,” the Celtics wrote on Instagram. “Notable teams, plays and careers are weaved into our DNA, transcending time. To be a Celtic is to be someone who works hard, never gives up and never has excuses. As we look to our past, sit in our present and plan for the future, we will recognize the accomplishments of all that have come before us.”
The gold-lettered jerseys replace last year’s City Edition jerseys, which were black with neon green lettering and numbers. The team has experimented with various looks each year, though the color green has always been a part of those outside-the-box concepts.
The Celtics didn’t announce a schedule for when this year’s City Edition jerseys will make their on-court debut, but their preseason begins on Oct. 8, with the regular season beginning on Oct. 22.
We’ve spent most of our Ramp to Camp series trying to answer the big questions surrounding the Boston Celtics to open the 2025-26 season. Now, only a few days out from the first training camp practice of the year, we are really hitting the accelerator on this year’s squad.
For Day 17, and continuing our Predictions Week, we asked our panel to fast forward all the way to early February and give us one bold midseason headline about the Celtics that you might read on NBC Sports Boston before the All-Star break.
What will we be screaming about on Early Edition? What will occupy the conversations on Pregame Live?
Our headline: “How Payton Pritchard set the tone for overachieving Celtics.”
Good things happen when Pritchard is on the floor for the Boston Celtics. Two seasons ago, even before last season’s Sixth Man of the Year glow-up, Pritchard finished second in the NBA in net rating (+13.6, trailing only teammate Sam Hauser).
Pritchard’s playing time is going to spike, particularly if he slides into a starter role. Last season, he posted per-36 minute averages of 18.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals, all while displaying some of the best ball security in the NBA.
We’ll keep saying it: If Boston is better than the pundits expect out of the gate, then either Pritchard or Derrick White is going to claw their way to All-Star status.
After making a strong case in each of the past two seasons, it’s easy to see a pathway for White landing that elusive nod. But we can’t shake this feeling that Pritchard will thrust himself into that conversation, too.
Pritchard should serve as a bit of a role model to the younger players on Boston’s roster. He’s proven to be a professional, even when the depth chart conspired against him. He not-so-patiently waited for his opportunity and was ready when it arrived.
Now he has a chance to do the same thing yet again in the 2025-26 season. And the rest of the Celtics should follow his lead.
Heck, the NBA is tweaking its own rules based on Pritchard’s recent impact. He hit so many big heaves during Boston’s 2024 title run that the league is changing heave rule statistics to inspire more players to be like him.
The younger Celtics should want to be like Pritchard, too. If they operate with the same energy and desire as Pritchard, the 2025-26 Celtics will go a long way toward masking the talent that was lost in the overhaul brought upon by the second apron.
Let’s check out the headlines our panel came up with:
Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor
“Celtics still have playoffs in sight after Simons trade.”
I can absolutely see this group overachieving and being in the postseason mix as the Feb. 5 trade deadline nears. I can also see Brad Stevens finding a trade partner for Simons’ expiring contract as part of Boston’s goal to get out of the luxury tax.
This might be the one unpopular move Stevens makes — especially if Simons is playing well — and how Celtics players respond in this totally hypothetical scenario will be fascinating to watch.
Michael Hurley, Web Producer
“Amari Williams isn’t bad.”
Is that bold enough? I like the idea of a young 7-footer getting increased opportunities and playing well. I wouldn’t expect a rookie to have the know-how of Al Horford, but can he help replace Horford’s nightly production (9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists) while blocking a shot or two per game?
Perhaps he’s not at all ready, but you asked me for a bold headline, Chris, so you freaking got one, buddy.
Sean McGuire, Web Producer
“Jaylen Brown is in the running to win the 2025 NBA MVP.”
What does in the running mean? Brown opened at 100-1 to win the award behind the heavily-favored Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 12 other players including Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant.
When the trade deadline nears in early February, Brown will be in the top six.
Josh Canu, Media Editor
“Are the Celtics real contenders in the East?”
I think this team is capable of winning a lot of games, and odds are one of the projected top teams in the East will deal with injuries or underachieve, so I think the Celtics could be in the mix even without Tatum.
We know the East is thin, so I don’t think it is that crazy the Celtics could be perceived as real contenders.
Kevin Miller, VP, Content
“Minott Us?!”
Josh Minott becomes a fan favorite and finds a sustainable role on a good team.
Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy
“Winning DNA has Celtics in the drivers’ seat.”
Regular-season basketball is different, and this team will remain competitive for the top spot in the East.
Kayla Burton, Celtics Pregame Live host
“A new home for Hauser: The Boston Celtics trade away Sam Hauser.”
I am not going to say where because I have no idea, and as sad as this headline makes me feel, I just think they make a bold, somewhat sad move around the trade deadline and acquire a big man.
WOBURN — When the Boston Celtics won Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks to recently clinch the NBA championship, Ned Flynn got on the phone and started telling his employees at New England Flag & Banner to report to work at 6 the next morning. By the next day, Flynn had delivered 10 small banners to the Celtics offices in Brighton.
In October, Flynn will deliver the real version of those banners – the one that will be raised to the rafters at TD Garden as the long-sought Banner 18.
Flynn, who lives in Wenham, is the owner of New England Flag & Banner, a company that has made all of the Celtics’ championship banners since they won their first in 1957. The latest championship, the team’s first since 2008, has thrust the small company, tucked away in a neighborhood in Woburn, back into the spotlight.
“It’s very exciting,” Flynn said. “When they win, it means a lot of publicity for the company. It certainly makes us all feel good. Our banner symbolizes what they did. We didn’t have anything to do with them winning, but it’s pretty cool.”
Churning out championship flags and banners for local sports teams is nothing new for New England Flag & Banner. The company started in 1892 and made the flag for the first World Series in 1903.
Flynn bought the company in 2006 and began expanding its reach beyond the Boston area. Today, Flynn said the company makes flags and banners for roughly half the NBA, NFL and NHL teams, and for the majority of college sports teams.
As Flynn showed off a series of photos of his company-made banners at various sports venues, including The Masters at Augusta Country Club, he said, “We’re not famous but a lot of our customers are.”
Flynn said his company is one of the few, if not the only one, that handsews its flags and banners. He employs 15 seamstresses, some of whom have worked for the company for 40 years.
“That’s what we’re selling is their skill,” he said. “I can’t do it.”
Flynn said his company will start making Banner 18 in the fall. It will be 10 feet by 15 feet and made of nylon, saying, “Boston Celtics, NBA, 2024 World Champions.”
Flynn, 66, grew up in Newton and moved to Wenham with his wife, Nancy, 10 years ago. He previously started a hard cider business, which he sold, then bought the banner business when the previous owner retired.
Flynn said he plans to be at the Garden when the Celtics raise the banner next season. As it goes to the rafters, he might be the only one in the crowd who will notice the small logo in one of its corners that reads: New England Flag & Banner.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
WOBURN — When the Boston Celtics won Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks to clinch the NBA championship last month, Ned Flynn got on the phone and started telling his employees at New England Flag & Banner to report to work at 6 the next morning. By the next day, Flynn had delivered 10 small banners to the Celtics’ offices in Brighton.
In October, Flynn will deliver the real version of those banners — the one that will be raised to the rafters at TD Garden as the long-sought Banner 18.
Flynn, who lives in Wenham, is the owner of New England Flag & Banner, a company that has made all of the Celtics’ championship banners since they won their first in 1957. The latest championship, the team’s first since 2008, has thrust the small company, tucked away in a neighborhood in Woburn, back into the spotlight.
“It’s very exciting,” Flynn said. “When they win it means a lot of publicity for the company. It certainly makes us all feel good. Our banner symbolizes what they did. We didn’t have anything to do with them winning, but it’s pretty cool.”
Churning out championship flags and banners for local sports teams is nothing new for New England Flag & Banner. The company started in 1892 and made the flag for the first World Series in 1903.
Flynn bought the company in 2006 and began expanding its reach beyond the Boston area. Today, Flynn said the company makes flags and banners for roughly half the NBA, NFL and NHL teams, and for the majority of college sports teams.
As Flynn showed off a series of photos of his company-made banners at various sports venues, including The Masters at Augusta Country Club, he said, “We’re not famous but a lot of our customers are.”
Flynn said his company is one of the few, if not the only one, that hand-sews its flags and banners. He employs 15 seamstresses, some of whom have worked for the company for 40 years.
“That’s what we’re selling is their skill,” he said. “I can’t do it.”
Flynn said his company will start making Banner 18 in the fall. It will be 10 feet by 15 feet, made of nylon, saying “Boston Celtics, NBA, 2024 World Champions.”
Flynn, 66, grew up in Newton and moved to Wenham with his wife, Nancy, 10 years ago. He previously started a hard cider business, which he sold, then bought the banner business when the previous owner retired.
Flynn said he plans to be at the Garden when the Celtics raise the banner next season. As it goes to the rafters, he might be the only one in the crowd who will notice the small logo in one of its corners that reads: New England Flag & Banner.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
From top to bottom in the Celtics‘ organization, they did what needed to be done to win a championship.
Whether it was role players going above and beyond, the number 2 option exceeding expectations, the scouting department finding the right guy, the coach leading them to victory, etc., they succeeded at the highest level.
Every team in the league should use the Celtics as a blueprint for winning a championship.
The Celtics Stuck With Their Guys
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have played their whole careers in Boston together. They have grown and developed into one of the best (if not THE best) duos in the NBA today. Even after coming up short for a few years, the front office kept building around them and drafting other guys who contributed to the team in major ways.
Not every guy on the team was drafted by them, but a few of the free agents they’ve signed have played for them for multiple years. Derrick White, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford have all spent time on different teams, but they’ve been on the Celtics for at least the last 2 years, building chemistry with the main guys (Brown and Tatum).
Also, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, drafted in 2021 and 2020, both have spent their short careers fully with the Celtics. Having 7 guys who know the organization and build chemistry together for years will yield strong results a lot of the time. That’s exactly what happened with the Celtics.
The Value of Drafting
Over the years, the Sixers have traded many of their picks away to get a “star” in return. How has that worked out?
The Celtics use their draft picks much more productively to acquire talent. Not only do they choose better players, they are much more patient to let the talent develop. Outside of the top-5, most players need time to grow into real contributors. The Celtics understand that. They let their players develop over time and learn how to play around the guys they have on the team. This gives the team cheap talent, which helps them acquire players like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
The Sixers need to value their drafting more. If they invest more into their scouting department and take the draft more seriously, they could give Tyrese Maxey another great player who could play with him for years to come.
Celtics are Smart with their Contracts
When teams draft and develop their own players, it also allows them to keep players on more affordable contracts instead of overpaying in free agency. This year, the Finals MVP (Jaylen Brown) only made the 4th most money on his team, and the team leader (Jayson Tatum) made the 3rd most. Drafting these two guys put the Celtics in a very good position to build talent and get the job done.
While they did make some major additions with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, they didn’t just sign someone because of their name. The Sixers seem to have a tendency to sign names rather than players, while the Celtics do the opposite.
Players like James Harden make way too much money than they believe they are worth, which puts teams in a bad spot. The Sixers couldn’t get it done with him, and neither could the Clippers.
The Sixers need better league and draft scouting. Finding players on more valuable contracts could send them to the next level.
BOSTON — BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum spent part of his Father’s Day thinking about how his son made him a better person — and probably a better basketball player, too.
Speaking at practice the day before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Tatum acknowledged that he was “a little selfish” when he learned, as a teenager still in college with hopes of basketball stardom, that he would be a father.
“I’d be the first to say I wasn’t super-thrilled to find out I was going to be a dad, and quickly realized that it was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. There’s nothing better than being a dad,” Tatum said Sunday. “I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.”
Now 26 and in his seventh season, Tatum is a five-time All-Star who has led Boston to the Eastern Conference finals five times and to the NBA Finals twice. The Celtics lead the Dallas Mavericks 3-1 in the best-of-seven series; after missing their first chance to clinch a title on Friday, they have a second shot at an unprecedented 18th championship banner on Monday night.
Tatum had just turned 19 and was in his only year at Duke when he learned his girlfriend at the time was pregnant.
“I wasn’t ecstatic,” Tatum said Sunday. “I was a little selfish at that point because I knew that I was about to go chase my dream and be in the NBA. I felt like that was going to affect what people thought of me, affect where I went in the draft.”
Tatum was picked No. 3 overall by the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum Jr. – familiar around the Celtics as “Deuce” – was born in December of his father’s rookie season. Having a son helped the NBA star manage the expectations of his new wealth and fame, and the temptations that came along with them, too.
“It taught me a sense of responsibility,” Tatum said. “Nobody can help you or prepare you for what it’s like to be 19 and have millions of dollars.
“And I think — not that I think, I know — that having Deuce at that age grounded me. Because whatever decision I wanted to make, I had to make sure that he was taken care of. I couldn’t just up and go or do everything that some of my peers were doing because I had to go home and put him to bed. Or for Father’s Day weekend I was going out of town, or I had to skip out on this trip with my friends because it was my weekend with him.
“Not that it’s a sacrifice. I willingly would choose those things. But it has taught me a sense of responsibility — as well as just making the right decisions, knowing that there’s a 6-year-old ‘mini me’ essentially watching everything that I do and knowing that I have to be the best version of myself. I have to make the right decisions, because he’s always watching.”
GAME. TED. WELL, MARIA THIS WEEKEND, NO DOUBT BOSTON POLICE ARE WARNING PEOPLE TO STEER CLEAR OF FAKE 2020 FOR GAME TWO. TICKETS AROUND TOWN. BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER GAME THIS WEEKEND AND A SOLD OUT EVENT. IT’S A SOLD OUT FENWAY PARK SATURDAY NIGHT. NOT FOR THE RED SOX, BUT FOR THE SAVANNAH BANANAS WORLD TOUR THIS TRAVELING BASEBALL SHOW IS HUGE WITH KIDS AND ADULTS. HOW AM I THE IDIOT THAT GETS SCAMMED? I SHOULD KNOW BETTER. CHERYL FROM WEYMOUTH SHARED HER STORY WITH US IN JANUARY. SHE WENT ONLINE LOOKING FOR BANANA TICKETS FOR JUNE 8TH AT FENWAY, ASKING A WOMAN ON FACEBOOK, HOW MUCH ARE YOU ASKING FOR THEM? THE SELLER SAYS $50 EACH. EVEN SHOWS THE SECTION, ROW AND SEATS SHE’S WILLING TO SELL. CHERYL WANTS UP TO EIGHT SEATS IN THE ONLINE SCAMMER SAYS MY UNCLE WORKS IN THE BANANAS OFFICE, SO IT WAS SUPER EASY TO GET THE TICKETS. WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO A FUN NIGHT. WE WERE GOING OUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING DINNER. CHERYL AND THE SCAMMER AGREE TO USE VENMO AS A PAYMENT OPTION. EIGHT TICKETS FOR $500. CHERYL THINKS SHE HAS THE ONLINE TICKETS IN HAND WITH A BARCODE. THEY LOOK LEGIT, RIGHT? UNTIL SHE TRIES TO GET INTO FENWAY TO SEE THE WORLD FAMOUS SAVANNAH BANANAS. AND CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BAD NEWS FOR HER. JUST BEFORE GAME TIME, SHE’S TOLD ME THAT THEY’RE NOT REAL, LEGITIMATE SECONDARY TICKET BROKERS LIKE JOHN HIGGINS FROM HIGGS TICKETS HAS THIS ADVICE FOR ALL TICKET BUYERS, ESPECIALLY THE NBA FINALS. GET YOUR TICKETS FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY. DON’T BE GOING TO CRAIGSLIST. THERE’S A LOT OF SCAMMERS OUT THERE. WHEN THE NBA FINALS COME IN TOWN. UH, DEFINITELY USE YOUR CREDIT CARD AND, UM, BUY FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY. GO BACK LIVE. NOW YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE DIGITAL TICKET THAT CHERYL GOT IN THE STORY WE’RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT YOU SE
Woman scammed out of $500 trying to get Savannah Bananas tickets
The fun-loving, barnstorming baseball team played in front of a sold-out crowd at Fenway Park
Updated: 1:21 AM EDT Jun 11, 2024
A Massachusetts woman says she spent hundreds of dollars on tickets to Saturday’s sold-out Savannah Bananas game at Fenway Park in Boston that wound up being counterfeits.A Weymouth, Massachusetts, resident named Cheryl said that when she was searching for tickets, she encountered a woman on Facebook who was initially offering tickets at $50 each.When Cheryl indicated she wanted up to eight seats, the Facebook user wrote: “My uncle works in the Bananas office, so it was super easy to get the tickets.””We were looking forward to a fun night and going out, having dinner,” Cheryl said.Cheryl said she agreed to use Venmo as a payment option and wound up getting the eight tickets for $500.The digital tickets Cheryl received had a QR code that looked legitimate, but she and her guests were unable to get into the Bananas game. The customer service team at Fenway Park then informed her that the QR codes on her tickets were bogus.”She’s the one that told me they’re not real,” Cheryl said. “How am I the idiot that gets scammed? I should know better.”Cheryl said she is now working with her bank and Venmo to get the $500 she spent on the fake tickets back.Legitimate secondary ticket brokers like John Higgins, of Higs Tickets, suggest that fans get their tickets from a reputable company, especially during big events like the Bananas game at Fenway Park and NBA Finals games at TD Garden.”Don’t be going to Craigslist. There’s a lot of scammers out there when the NBA Finals come in town,” Higgins said. “Definitely use your credit card and buy from a reputable company.”Before the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks faced off in the NBA Finals, the Boston Police Department issued a warning to fans about counterfeit tickets in the secondary market. They issued a similar warning before the Celtics and Boston Bruins started their playoff runs this spring.
A Massachusetts woman says she spent hundreds of dollars on tickets to Saturday’s sold-out Savannah Bananas game at Fenway Park in Boston that wound up being counterfeits.
A Weymouth, Massachusetts, resident named Cheryl said that when she was searching for tickets, she encountered a woman on Facebook who was initially offering tickets at $50 each.
When Cheryl indicated she wanted up to eight seats, the Facebook user wrote: “My uncle works in the Bananas office, so it was super easy to get the tickets.”
“We were looking forward to a fun night and going out, having dinner,” Cheryl said.
Cheryl said she agreed to use Venmo as a payment option and wound up getting the eight tickets for $500.
The digital tickets Cheryl received had a QR code that looked legitimate, but she and her guests were unable to get into the Bananas game. The customer service team at Fenway Park then informed her that the QR codes on her tickets were bogus.
“She’s the one that told me they’re not real,” Cheryl said. “How am I the idiot that gets scammed? I should know better.”
Cheryl said she is now working with her bank and Venmo to get the $500 she spent on the fake tickets back.
Legitimate secondary ticket brokers like John Higgins, of Higs Tickets, suggest that fans get their tickets from a reputable company, especially during big events like the Bananas game at Fenway Park and NBA Finals games at TD Garden.
“Don’t be going to Craigslist. There’s a lot of scammers out there when the NBA Finals come in town,” Higgins said. “Definitely use your credit card and buy from a reputable company.”
Before the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks faced off in the NBA Finals, the Boston Police Department issued a warning to fans about counterfeit tickets in the secondary market. They issued a similar warning before the Celtics and Boston Bruins started their playoff runs this spring.
Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics look on during the second quarter in Game One of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 06, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
After an exciting Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks are back to face the mighty Boston Celtics. Sunday night plans are as locked in as Kristaps Porzingis on the three-point line.
Keep reading to learn how and when to watch the Mavericks vs. Celtics in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals tonight.
How and when to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game 2
Game 2 of the Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics NBA Finals series will be played on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT). The game will air on ABC and stream on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.
How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game 2 without cable
If your cable subscription doesn’t carry ABC or you’ve cut the cord with your cable company, you can still watch today’s game. Below are the platforms on which you can watch today’s game live.
If you don’t have cable TV that includes ABC, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream today’s game is through a subscription to Sling TV. To watch today’s game, you’ll need a subscription to the Blue tier, which includes access to your local network affiliate’s live feed (excluding CBS). To level up your coverage and get access to sports and content broadcast on ESPN and TNT, subscribe to the Orange + Blue tier plan.
The Blue tier is $45 per month. The Sling’s Orange + Blue tier costs $60 per month, but the platform currently offers 50% off the first month of any pricing tier, making the Orange + Blue tier $30 for the first month.
Note: Because Sling TV doesn’t carry CBS, you won’t be able to watch CBS-aired programming like next year’s NFL games on CBS. To watch these games, plus PGA golf, UEFA Champions League and more live sports, we recommend you also subscribe to Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ with Showtime costs $12 per month after a one-week free trial.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
Sling TV is also our top choice to stream the NHL Finals.
There are 46 channels to watch in total, including ABC, NBC and Fox (where available).
You get access to NBA games airing on TNT.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
You can also catch today’s game on Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to ABC and ESPN, in addition to almost every NFL game next season.
To watch the NBA Finals without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NBA basketball, you’ll have access to NFL football, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. Fubo’s Pro Tier is priced at $80 per month after your free seven-day trial.
Sports fans will want to consider adding on the $7.99 per month Fubo Extra package, which includes MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, SEC Network and more channels with live games. Or upgrade to the Fubo Elite tier and get all the Fubo Extra channels, plus the ability to stream in 4K, starting at $90 per month ($70 for the first month).
Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:
There are no contracts with Fubo, you can cancel anytime.
The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Fubo includes most channels you’ll need to watch live sports, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.
You can watch today’s game with the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. The bundle features 95 channels, including ABC, TNT, local network affiliates and ESPN. It also includes the ESPN+ streaming service. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch today’s game, the 2024 NBA playoffs, MLB this season and network-aired NFL games next season with Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It’s priced at $77 per month after a three-day free trial.
Watch today’s game live with a digital HDTV antenna
Amazon
You can also watch today’s game on TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.
For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch NBA basketball without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.
This amplified digital antenna with a 50-mile range can receive hundreds of HDTV channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox and Univision and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV and top-tier sound.
The best place to get NBA Finals fan gear: Fanatics
Rooting from home is more fun while repping your team with the latest NBA fan gear. Fanatics is our first stop for the newest NBA fan gear, our go-to for the latest drop of NBA Finals merch like jerseys, commemorative T-shirts, hats and more. Fanatics also has just-released NFL Draft jerseys, like No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams‘ new Chicago Bears jersey. Fanatics is offering free shipping on orders over $24 through June 8, 2024 (exclusions apply, use code FS24).
2024 NBA Playoffs: Full playoff schedule and results
Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in Game One of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 06, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
2024 NBA Finals schedule
The 2024 NBA Finals is a best-of-seven series beginning on June 6, 2024 airing on ABC. All times Eastern.
BOSTON — Twenty years after the Seven-Seconds-or-Less Phoenix Suns shook up the NBA with an offense the likes of which the league had never seen or tried to defend before, the Boston Celtics have taken things to the next level.
Behold the perfect modern NBA offense, matching 3-point volume and efficacy with ruthlessly efficient midrange shooting, with the occasional drives, dives and triples from the best forward tandem in the league in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown crushing opponents’ will.
The Celtics did the same thing to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday that they’ve done to opposing defenses all season. They stretched the Mavs to the breaking point, then broke them behind a barrage of first-half 3s and a sensational return to action from Kristaps Porziņģis. Even after Dallas cut a 29-point first-half deficit to 8 midway through the third quarter, Boston had plenty left in the tank to stretch its lead right back to 20 and put away Game 1, 107-89.
Like a great boxer, Boston just bludgeons you with punches from all angles and speeds. Thursday, it was Porziņģis — in his first action since straining his calf in Game 1 of the first round against the Miami Heat in April — who set the tone off the bench. Dallas threw everyone it could at the 7-foot-2 big man: Luka Dončić, Derrick Jones, Jaden Hardy, rookie Dereck Lively II. No one slowed him, much less stopped him; Porziņģis made 7 of 9 shots and scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half, raining jumpers from the elbows and nail. The Cs made 16 of 42 from deep, including three quick ones to end the third quarter and put the Mavericks right back in their place after getting within 72-64.
GO DEEPER
Kristaps Porziņģis’ career was at a crossroads. Then he learned to trust the numbers
At the same time, Brown was turning the game back in Boston’s favor as well by drawing Lively’s fourth and fifth personal fouls within a minute, forcing Dallas to bench its big man, who defends best in space.
“When a team goes on a run, you got to manage it, you got to stay composed, and you got to keep playing basketball,” Brown said of that end-of-quarter stretch. “It’s almost like you just have short-term memory a little bit, like the team’s not even on a run. You got to play smart basketball and make great plays to get us on a (run), get our flow back, and I think in that third quarter, I got to the free-throw line. I think that helped us get going. Then we made some kick-outs to the corner. Al (Horford) got a 3. We was able to get some good offense going.”
Brown finished with 22 points and six rebounds. Tatum was just 6 of 16 from the floor but had 11 rebounds and five assists and made his bones against Dallas as a playmaker, piling up hockey assists all night. Jrue Holiday was a plus-20 in nearly 35 minutes on the floor. The Celtics’ relentless pressure on defenses over 48 minutes this season is why they’re now three games away from the franchise’s 18th NBA title. Pick your poison? It’s all poison when Boston is rolling. And it gets in opponents’ heads.
“We let the crowd get to us, we let the refs get to us, we let them making shots get to us,” Dallas forward P.J. Washington said.
This series isn’t over. Dallas almost always does its best work after a bad Game 1 in a seven-game series. But the Mavericks’ dilemma, again, is that what they’ve become great at defensively this season is what Boston is not dependent upon: scoring in the paint.
Dallas has been an outstanding defense since acquiring Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards and Washington from the Charlotte Hornets. Gafford and Lively shut down the lane. The Celtics were good this season at scoring in the paint, finishing tied for eighth in the league with the Milwaukee Bucks in paint points per game (43.7). But that’s not what Boston counts on to take out teams.
Boston has turbocharged what Phoenix did to the league 20 years ago, when the Suns found success playing small ball. The 2003-04 Suns had a brilliant point guard in two-time league MVP Steve Nash, who pushed the pace at every opportunity, never gave up his dribble and sliced up defenses all season. They had wings in Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson, who could all shoot and finish downhill. And the Suns had a sledgehammer of a young power forward in Amare Stoudemire, who dove to the rim for lobs and pocket passes from Nash.
The Suns led the NBA in 2003-04 in 3-point attempts and makes, with 2,026 3-point attempts and 796 makes. This season, Boston also led the NBA in 3-point attempts and makes, after finishing second in each category last season.
The Celtics had 3,482 3-point attempts this season and 1,351 makes. Boston finished just 12 3s short of the single-season team record set last season by the Warriors. And the Celtics are not doing it by playing small; they have massive size up front with Tatum, Brown, Horford and Porziņģis.
“I think we do our best to find what works and then keep doing it,” Holiday said. “I think that’s something that we kind of lock into. And then, at the same time, in NBA games, 20-point (leads) can mean nothing. I just think staying poised and being able to keep our heads helps us with that. I think being consistent and doing things that we feel work worked out tonight.”
The addition of Porziņģis from Washington last summer only adds to the Celtics’ offensive riches.
He gives Boston a dimension it didn’t have in previous years: a big man who can get his shot off, any time, against just about everyone. His development as a scorer at the elbows and nail makes it extremely difficult even if defenses sell out completely on closing out on Boston’s 3-point shooters. Now it doesn’t matter if Tatum or Brown has an off-night shooting. Boston just runs Porziņģis off a pick-and-roll with Derrick White or Holiday, and he squares up (always smaller) defenders and lets it fly.
That takes some pressure off Tatum. But make no mistake: Tatum remains the catalyst for everything that’s happened here over the past several seasons. Even on off-nights shooting like Thursday, his presence tilts the floor.
“For us, it starts with JT, and then it’s kind of a trickle-down effect,” Horford said. “And we’ve all kind of fallen in line because of it. And he is, I feel, a big part of why everybody else gets all these things. He opens up a lot of things for us. And this, tonight, was just another night of us being consistent in that regard.”
The Mavericks spoke afterward about how they have to defend the 3 better and how they’ll do better in Game 2. And they might. Kyrie Irving had an off-night; if he had made two or three wide-open shots, Dallas might have been able to withstand the Celtics’ offensive onslaught into the fourth quarter, when Dallas can close out tight games behind its two premier offensive talents.
But we’re into June now. No one has been able to stop Boston’s offense all season. It’s starting to feel like no one can and might not be able to for quite a while.
(Photo of Kristaps Porziņģis: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
