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Listless Celtics Lose to Bulls

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CHICAGO – Chicago’s combination of Zach LaVine and Coby White each scored 25 points and the Bulls overcame a big effort by Boston’s Kemba Walker and the Bulls soundly defeated the slumping Celtics, 121-99, on Friday night. The game marked the first time this season fans were admitted to Chicago’s United Center, and the Bulls were fueled by their presence. Chicago led by 21 in the third quarter but allowed Boston to draw within eight in the fourth quarter, before putting the game away by scoring 12 straight.

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With the victory, Chicago kept their playoff hopes alive and pulled within three games of Washington and a half-game further away from the Indiana Pacers for the final spots in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Like their arch-rivals out West in the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston is trying to avoid the play-in tourney, but fell to seventh in the East and trail Miami by a game with the Heat beating Minnesota. The Celtics and Heat meet for an all-important game Sunday in Boston.

Sox Come From Behind to Win Again

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox trailed, 7-5 ,entering the bottom of the 6th inning and were behind, 9-8, entering the bottom of the 8th but infielder Christian Arroyo scored the decisive run in the 8th inning on a fielding error by the Detroit 3rd baseman Jeimer Candelario and Boston OF Alex Verdugo singled in two insurance runs to give Boston a 12-9 victory. It marked an MLB best of 13 come-from-behind victories for the Red Sox this season.

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Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi allowed six runs on seven hits in a season-low 4.1 innings pitched. Relieve Matt Andreise was credited with the win while Detroit’s Alex Lange took the loss in a game that can best be described as “sloppy,” as the teams combined for six errors, three wild pitches, two hit batsmen, a passed ball and a balk.

Boston 3B Rafael Devers went 2-for-5, with three RBI, including an RBI single in the 3rd inning and a go-ahead, two-run single with the bases loaded in the 6th inning. Devers stands 14-for-35 (.400) with Runs in Scoring Position this season and leads MLB since the start of 2019 with 63 game-tying or go-ahead RBI. Ten of Devers’ 23 RBI this season have tied the score of given the Red Sox the lead. Devers did make two fielding errors in the game.

After going 10-6 in their last 16 home games, the Red Sox will next visit Baltimore Friday for the first of four games. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-0) will face righty Matt Harvey (3-1).

 

 

 

Tigers Upset Sox in 10 Innings

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BOSTON – Boston starter Martin Perez tossed a season high 5.2 innings for the second time, allowed six hits, three runs, (only two earned, walked two and struck-out six but it was not enough to get the Red Sox a victory as the Detroit Tigers upset the Sox 6-5 at Fenway Park Wednesday night. The series with Detroit is now tied 1-1.

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The Tigers snapped their season-long seven-game losing streak and are now 2-0 in extra-inning games this season and 3-1 in extras since the start of 2020. Detroit 3B Jeimer Candelario went 3-foro-5, including his three-run home run in the 10th off Boston’s highly-touted reliever Garrett Whitlock.

Detroit’s pitcher Casey Mize  threw 6.0 innings, allowed a season-low three hits, but a career-high three walks over a career-high-tying 95 pitches. He held the Red Sox hitless through three frames. Mize allowed his only run to score in the 2nd inning, after starting the inning with two walks. His game-changing efforts came when he worked around a bases-loaded jam in the 6th.

Sox DH J.D. Martinez hit his 10th homer of the season. He is tied with Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. for the major league lead in home runs and leads the majors in RBI (29) and total bases (78), while leading the American League in extra-base hits with 20.

After Boston allowed three runs in the top of the 10th, they rallied for two runs in the home half of the inning but fell short.

Whitlock (0-1) took the loss for Boston.

Red Sox Drub Tigers, 11-7

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BOSTON – Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta went 5.0 innings, allowing six hits, and only three runs, as he tossed at least 5.0 innings for the fifth time in six starts this season, to lead Boston to an 11-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Pivetta struck-out eight and walked only two batters and is 4-0 with a 3.23 ERA (11 ER/30.2 IP) on the young season. Pivetta leads the Sox starters in ERA, opponent AVG (.200), and strikeouts (33).

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The Boston offense returned in a big way and are 9-3 when scoring first and 15-1 when scoring four or more runs. Red Sox hitters clocked 10 homers over their last four games, after hitting only one HR in their previous five games. The outburts tonight vs. Detroit was the third time this season Boston hit four or more HRs in a game (also 4/11 at Baltimore (6) and 4/30 at Texas (4).

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts went 2-for-5, with two runs scored and a pair of RBI as he hit a two-run homer in the 2nd inning. It was his third HR in his last four games and sixth in his last 13 games.

Outfielder Hunter Renfroe went 3-for-4, with a pair of runs scored and RBI. He hit an RBI single in the 1st inning and a solo HR in the 5th inning which was his 100th career HR, and his second in his last three games. Renfroe as 12 RBI in his last 17 games…Is 6-for-12 (.500 AVG) with 2 HR and 5 RBI in his last three games.

The Sox are 9-5 in their last 14 games at Fenway Park.

Boston’s Matt Barnes converted his first career five-out save, and just his second of at least four outs (1.1 IP on 5/7/19 at BAL) as he entered in the 8th inning. Barnes is seven-for-seven in saves vs opportunities this season as he earned Manager Alex Cora’s confidence as the team’s full-time closer.

IVY League to Return to Fall Sports

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PRINCETON – IVY League football will be back in action this Fall, barring any unforeseen and major setbacks from the variants of the COVID-19 virus which halted IVY League sports in March, 2020.

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The IVY League school Presidents issued a joint statement today, addressing likely “in-person” learning and the resumption of all Fall sports.

“At each of our campuses, we are busily planning for the fall semester. As is prudent given all the uncertainty around the course of this pandemic, we are each planning for a range of possible scenarios. But given the current steady decline of Covid-19 infections in this country, and the broad availability and uptake of vaccinations, we are optimistic that our campuses will be back to something close to normal by this fall, including in-person learning with students in residence. And this includes our expectation for the resumption of regular competitive schedules for Ivy League athletics across all sports beginning in fall 2021.

“We know that this has been a challenging year for Ivy League student-athletes – as it has for our entire campuses, our country and the world at large – and we very much look forward to a return to spirited athletics competition and to the Ivy League rivalries that make our conference so special. Barring unanticipated circumstances, such as a dramatic increase in infection rates from a variant in the virus, we look forward to welcoming our teams back to intercollegiate competition this fall,” read the statement (which did not have typos).

 

Bruins Are In for Lord Stanley’s Cup

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NEWARK – The Boston Bruins clinched the final slot to compete in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs and battled throughout the competitive East Division of the NHL to post a decisive 3-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. The Bruins (31-14-6) moved into third place, a point (68-67) ahead of the New York Islanders and three behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals with five games remaining.

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“You play for an opportunity to play for the cup, so we’ve accomplished the first part of that — getting into the playoffs,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We had our share of adversity as much with COVID rescheduling and injuries, and using different people, but the flip-side of that — the positive side of that — is you learn a little bit about guys. They get thrown into situations where they have to step up. We came out of it OK.”

Boston team Captain Patrice Bergeron scored his 20th goal of the season and Boston clinched its fifth consecutive playoff berth with the road victory. Bruins’ No. 1 goalkeeper, Tuukka Rask, stopped 20 shots for his second shutout of the season, supported by Nick Ritchie goal which broke a scoreless tie in the second period.

The Bruins won their fourth straight game and ended the Devils’ three-game winning streak.

Boston had five games remaining, including another match-up against the Devils at Newark tonight.

Red Sox Drop Three-of-Four to Texas

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ARLINGTON – Former Red Sox utility man Brock Holt had a key RBI single to help the Texas Rangers produce a three-run 8th inning to defeat the Boston Red Sox 5-3 on Sunday. The Rangers took 3-of-4 games against the Sox for their first winning series of the season.

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Rangers SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa homered to help Texas win a series against Boston for the first time since 2016. Rangers reliever Josh Sborz (3-1) got three outs for the win, and Ian Kennedy worked the ninth for his seventh of seven save opportunities.

Boston’s star SS Xander Bogaerts cracked three hits for Sox, including his fifth homer, as the Red Sox built a 3-1 lead with runs in the second, fourth and seventh innings. The loss marked the AL East-leading Sox’ first lost a series since being swept by Baltimore at Fenway Park to open the season.

“Like I told you guys after we started 0-3, we thought we had a good team,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “And after we won all those games, we still have a good team. We reset tomorrow.”

Bogaerts scored the game’s first run after he reached on a towering popup that second baseman Nick Solak lost in the sun. He advanced to third on Marwin Gonzalez’s double and scampered home on Hunter Renfroe’s grounder to Solak.

Boston starter Garrett Richards struck out seven while pitching five innings of one-run ball. He allowed four hits and walked one.

The Red Sox have a day off for travel today and then ace SP Nick Pivetta (3-0, 2.81 ERA), who held the Mets to one hit through five scoreless innings in his previous start, will open a three-game home stand against Detroit at Fenway on Tuesday.

 

Celtics Suffer Costly Loss to Blazers

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BOSTON – Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum scored 10 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and the Blazers continued their winning ways on the road with a 129-119 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Sunday night. The Trail Blazers extended their winning streak to four, all on the road, and will play two more games on this trip.

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The Blazers entered the game in the seventh slot of the Western Conference playoff standings and are trying to work their way out of the NBA’s new play-in round.

Damian Lillard had 26 points and 13 assists for Portland. Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony added 13 points for Portland — including a 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining to help seal it after Boston pulled within two points.

For the Celtics, All-Star forwards Jalen Brown and Jayson Tatum collided at the end of the game and Brown needed assistance as both players left the game and went right to the locker room. Brown has been suffering from right ankle pain and the collision seemed to stem from that fact. Tatum “seemed okay,” according to Boston Coach Brad Stevens.

Tatum scored 33 to lead Boston, as they play to avoid falling into the play-in round in the playoff stretch run of the NBA season.

 

While We’re Young (Ideas) – May 2

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Sunday Sports Notes for May 2

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – It happens every spring. March Madness fades into One Shining Moment which almost simultaneously brings Major League Baseball’s Opening Day and the crack of the bat. Pro basketball and ice hockey take a back-seat breather in March and early April for the dog days of their seasons, but the playoff races begin to intensify and – soon enough – every single possession of every single minute of every single game matters.

At this time of year, good teams must defeat the bad ones.

That translates to the proverbial “must win” for every team in playoff contention to defeat every team playing .500 or worse.

First, let’s take a look at the NHL’s Boston Bruins who’ve played 50 games and, as of May 1, are 30-14-6 which calculates to 65 points. They are in fourth place but only two victories (or four points) from the NHL East Division-leading Washington Capitals. Sandwiching the Bruins are the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders. The four best are lengths ahead of the bottom-feeder New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres.

The Bruins have won nine of their last 11 games, all against East Division foes. The six remaining games are also against their division opponents, with the next two against the Devils and the following deuce against the Rangers.

Bruins’ goalkeepers Tuukka Rask and newly elevated back-up Jeremy Swayman have stepped-up their games, peaking at the right time of year for a playoff run. Newly acquired (trade deadline) forward Taylor Hall’s arrival has coincided with the streak. In the 10 games he’s been a Boston Bruin, the team is 8-2 and Hall has five goals and three assists for eight points. He’s recorded a plus/minus rating of (+9,) while his shooting percentage has risen to a lofty 14.3 percent.

To sum it up, the Bruins are winning the games they “must win” if they are to compete – and succeed – in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Boston Celtics of the NBA can not claim such consistency. The Celtics boarded a roller coaster ride since Baylor soundly defeated Gonzaga at the NCAA Final Four. The trade deadline acquisition of Evan Fournier didn’t result in a boost a la Taylor Hall. Instead, Fournier went 0-10 and – after getting on track a game or two later – he landed on the COVID+ injured list.

From April 2nd to 17th, the Celtics won eight of nine games. From April 19th to 27th, the Celtics lost four of five, including two losses against those “must win” opponents – vs. the sub-five-hundred – Chicago Bulls (24-33), and Oklahoma City Thunder (21-41).

Heading into today’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers (35-28), the Celtics are (34-30, .531) and are holding down fourth place in the NBA’s Atlantic Division and the sixth slot in the Eastern Conference, dangerously close to the seventh-seed Miami Heat and the dreaded play-in tournament. Friday night’s miraculous 143-140 Celtics’ overtime victory over the San Antonio Spurs included a franchise/Larry Bird-tying 60-point outing by Jason Tatum to help the Cs overcome a 32-point deficit (65-33, 3:58 left in the 2nd quarter).

Starting this evening, the Celtics play eight more regular season games down the playoff stretch, two against the Miami Heat. The “must wins” are evenly dispersed over the final fortnight of the 2020-21 season and they are circled vs Orlando, Chicago, Cleveland and Minnesota. But, to be a contender and a pretender, the Celtics will need to defeat the Heat, not once but twice.

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JT = 60 as Celtics Top Spurs in OT

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BOSTON – Boston Celtics all-star forward Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 60 points, including four key free throws in the final 12 seconds of overtime, as the Boston Celtics came back from a 32-point deficit to beat the vSan Antonio Spurs, 143-140, Friday night at TD Garden.

The 60-point performance tied Boston’s franchise record for most points in a game, set by Hall of Famer Larry Bird on March 12, 1985 in a game against the Atlanta Hawks that even had the Hawks players frolicking on the bench in amazement.

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The Celtics fell to the 32-point deficit 18 minutes into the game, but they roared back to tie the contest midway through the fourth period.

Boston took its first lead since the game’s opening minutes at 127-126 on Tatum’s 3-pointer with 38 seconds remaining in regulation. Tatum hit a free throw with 18.8 seconds to play to push the Celtics’ lead to two points. but the Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan re-tied the game with a pair of free throws with 10.8 seconds left, giving Boston a final shot for a win in regulation. Tatum missed a jumper at the buzzer to force overtime.

The extra period went back and forth, with the Spurs taking the lead at 137-136 on a jumper by Lonnie Walker IV with 31.7 seconds left. Jaylen Brown canned a 3-pointer to put Boston on top with 16.7 seconds to play, and Marcus Smart stole San Antonio’s ensuing inbounds pass, setting the stage for Tatum’s free throws that capped the comeback win for the Celtics.

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Brown added 17 points for the Celtics (34-30), though he hit just 5 of 24 shots from the floor. Aaron Nesmith had 16 points, and Smart and Robert Williams III scored 10 for Boston. Tristan Thompson grabbed 15 rebounds and Smart had 12 assists.

DeRozan scored 30 points and distributed 14 assists, tied for his career high, for the Spurs (31-31) in the loss. Dejounte Murray and Walker added 24 points apiece, Rudy Gay had 16 and Jakob Poeltl racked up 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Spurs were up by as many as 25 points on the way to a 39-16 lead after 12 minutes of play. The Celtics’ first 12 points in the period were scored by Tatum, who finished with 14 in the first quarter.