Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Boston Sports

Celtics, Tatum Shoot Past Bucks

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Celtics extended their home winning streak to seven games by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 111-105 on Friday.

Boston used a 10-2 run to take a 105-101 lead with 1:29 left, and Jrue Holiday hit a jump shot that put the Celtics up 107-102 with 25.6 seconds to play. Holiday, who finished the game with 20 points, also made two free throws that handed Boston a 109-105 lead with 14.9 seconds remaining.

YouTube player

Jaylen Brown added 25 points for Boston, which was outrebounded 51-41 and shot 32.1 percent from 3-point range (17 of 53). Derrick White was 0-for-8 from 3-point territory, 1-for-10 overall, and scored six points.

Damian Lillard tossed in a team-high 31 points for Milwaukee, which received 30 points and 11 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bobby Portis finished with nine points and 18 rebounds.

Khris Middleton came off the bench and made his season debut for the Bucks, amassing 11 points, five assists and two steals in 23 minutes. He had been sidelined after undergoing offseason surgery on both ankles.

Milwaukee’s Taurean Prince was scoreless in nine minutes during the first half and did not play in the final two quarters. He had been questionable to play due to an illness. Gary Trent Jr. started for Prince in the second half, and he wound up with 11 points.

Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis (injury management) did not play in the win. Porzingis is averaging 21.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in four games this season.

Boston led 29-27 after one quarter, but Milwaukee had a 57-53 halftime lead. The Bucks trailed throughout the first half until Trent hit a 3-pointer that gave them a 46-45 advantage with 3:33 remaining in the second quarter.

Lillard scored 20 points in the first half. Boston missed each of its 12 3-point attempts in the second quarter.

Milwaukee closed the third quarter on a 5-0 run and had an 82-78 lead with 12 minutes to play.

It was the third and final regular season meeting between the teams. Boston won all three games.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Outplay Pistons

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 28 points and dished out nine assists to lead the Celtics to a 130-120 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

YouTube player

Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis added 26 points and nine rebounds, and Sam Hauser made 5 of 10 3-point attempts while logging 20 points. Payton Pritchard contributed 19 points, Derrick White added 14 points and 11 assists, and Al Horford also had 14 points.

The Celtics extended their home winning streak to six games and won for the ninth time in 10 games overall. Detroit took its third straight defeat.

Cade Cunningham amassed 27 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists for the Pistons, who lost despite making 20 of their 39 3-point attempts (51.3 percent). Tobias Harris also tossed in 27 points for Detroit, and Malik Beasley finished with 23.

Boston played without Jayson Tatum (right knee) and Jrue Holiday (left knee). Tatum is averaging a team-high 28.4 points per game and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game. Holiday is averaging 11.7 points per contest.

Before the game, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum is working through an ailment that is getting better each day.

The Celtics led 39-24 after one quarter and 72-58 at halftime. Before the break, Boston made 11 of 26 3-point attempts (42.3 percent) and shot 56.5 percent from the field.

Brown scored 23 of his 28 points in the first 24 minutes.

The Pistons were within 10 points after a Harris 3-pointer made it 90-80 with 5:19 remaining in the third quarter, but Boston stoked the advantage to 103-88 entering the fourth.

The Celtics led by 20 early in the final quarter before Detroit went on a 12-0 run to make it 109-101, capped by a Beasley 3-pointer. A Cunningham jumper cut the deficit to six with 6:48 to play, but the Pistons failed to get closer than five the rest of the way.

The contest was the second between the Celtics and the Pistons this season. Boston won 124-118 at Detroit on Oct. 26. The teams meet again in Boston on Dec. 12 and in Detroit on Feb. 26.

–Field Level Media

Bruins, Marchand Defeat Blackhawks

by

CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Brad Marchand scored two second-period goals 2:05 apart, Morgan Geekie also scored twice and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves to lift the visiting Bruins to a 4-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

Embed from Getty Images

Boston won for the sixth time in eight games until interim coach Joe Sacco, recovering from an early deficit to stretch its season-best winning streak to three.

Marchand sparked the Bruins with his second multi-goal effort of the season (Nov. 27), while Geekie had his first multi-goal game of the campaign.

Justin Brazeau, Mason Lohrei, Jordan Oesterle and David Pastrnak contributed two assists each.

Marchand’s first goal of the night came at 2:58 of the second period. Left unmarked as he darted from the slot to the right circle, he converted a backdoor feed from Pastrnak.

Marchand struck again soon after for what stood up as the game-winner, picking up a rebound of a Pastrnak shot and backhanding a second-chance opportunity past Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead just 1:23 into the game, as Alex Vlasic tallied his first goal of the season on a wrist shot from the right circle off a pass from Nick Foligno.

Sustaining momentum wasn’t to be, however, a familiar refrain as the Blackhawks lost their fourth straight to match a season-worst skid.

Boston got the equalizer at 12:17 of the first period. Geekie followed his own shot from the slot and stuffed it home when Mrazek was unable to control the rebound.

The Blackhawks drew to within 3-2 late in the second period as Jason Dickinson wristed a shot from the left circle past Swayman. Connor Murphy notched his second assist of the night on the play.

A Chicago flurry that produced two shots on goal, a blocked shot and a missed shot over a 19-second span early in the third period nearly tied the game. Boston restored the two-goal advantage at 5:02 of the third on a Geekie breakaway off a long pass from Brazeau.

Chicago was whistled for too many men with 1:55 to play after putting an extra attacker on the ice too quickly.

Mrazek stopped 23 shots for Chicago.

–Field Level Media

BC Handles Pitt, Awaits Bowl Game

by

CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – BC QB Grayson James threw for a pair of second-half touchdowns and six passes of at least 25 yards as Boston College defeated Pitt 34-23 in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference action in Massachusetts.

Embed from Getty Images

James finished 20-of-28 for 253 yards, helping the Eagles (7-5, 4-4 ACC) to their second straight and third win in four games. He connected with Reed Harris (three receptions, 85 yards) and Kamari Morales for scores, with the former scoring for the second week in a row.

Jordan McDonald and Kye Robichaux rushed into the end zone to help the Eagles open up a 13-0 lead that they would never relinquish, reaching the seven-win mark in the regular season for the first time since 2018.

Despite Nate Yarnell throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns in place of injured starter Eli Holstein, Pitt (7-5, 3-5) suffered its fifth consecutive loss since a 7-0 start.

Gavin Bartholomew caught Yarnell’s first two touchdowns before Konata Mumpfield finished a 144-yard day on eight receptions with one of his own.

Boston College sacked Yarnell six times. Standout defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku had 10 total tackles (4 1/2 for loss) and 3 1/2 sacks.

After Pitt closed within 20-17, James hit Jeremiah Franklin on a third-and-10 scramble to continue a key eight-play, 83-yard scoring drive that Harris finalized on a 28-yard jump-ball in the front corner of the end zone with 2:33 left in the third quarter.

Pitt’s fumbled snap on 4th-and-2 turned the ball back to James, whose 15-yard dot to Morales with 6:12 remaining added insurance. A Lewis Bond conversion on fourth-and-4 set the table.

Mumpfield made a 15-yard touchdown reception with 3:59 left.

A play after James completed his third 25-yarder of the first quarter over the middle to Franklin, Jordan McDonald broke out for a 36-yard touchdown run to give Boston College a 6-0 lead with 1:53 left. The PAT attempt was unsuccessful following a bad snap.

James’ 53-yard strike to Harris set up the Eagles to extend their lead to 13-0 on Robichaux’s 2-yard run with 6:35 left before halftime.

Pitt used a 75-yard drive to score in the ensuing eight plays. Facing third-and-11, Yarnell found a wide-open Bartholomew for an 11-yard score, cutting the Panther deficit to 13-7.

Yarnell then drove the Panthers into opposing territory in four plays, but Neto Okpala’s pressure and tipped pass landed in the hands of defensive tackle Ty Clemons for a 55-yard interception return with 33 seconds left before halftime.

Pitt’s Ben Sauls snuck in a 57-yard field goal as the first-half clock expired.

After a fourth-and-2 hold inside their own territory, Bartholomew caught Yarnell’s last two passes of an eight-play, 65-yard drive, including a five-yarder with 7:50 left in the third to make it 20-17.

–Field Level Media

NBA Cup: Celtics Eliminate Bulls

by

CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum had 35 points and 14 rebounds and Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score 29 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 138-129 Friday in the fourth NBA Cup game for each team.

YouTube player

A Tatum free throw handed Boston a 125-115 lead with 4:11 to play. Chicago sliced its deficit to three points on a Zach LaVine 3-pointer with 3:03 left but failed to get any closer after that.

Pritchard made 7 of 11 3-point attempts, and he tossed in 19 of his points in the fourth quarter. Boston received 21 points from both Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown.

Chicago was eliminated from the NBA Cup with the loss with a 2-2 record. The Bulls would have advanced as the East Group C champion with a victory.

Any chance Boston had of winning the group disappeared when Atlanta beat Cleveland 117-101 on Friday, since the Hawks beat the Celtics 117-116 in an NBA Cup game on Nov. 12. Atlanta is the East Group C champion with a 3-1 mark. The Celtics, also 3-1, have a slim chance to move on in the tournament as a wild card.

Nikola Vucevic scored 32 points and had 11 rebounds for Chicago in the loss. LaVine added 29 points, hitting four 3-pointers. With his third 3-pointer, he passed Kirk Hinrich for most made treys in franchise history, and he ended the game with 1,051 3-pointers in his Bulls career.

Boston grabbed its first double-digit lead on a Porzingis dunk that put the Celtics in front 23-12 with 5:38 left in the opening quarter. The Celtics extended its lead to 33-20 on a Tatum 3-pointer and led 39-30 after 12 minutes. Boston made 9 of 16 3-point attempts in the opening quarter.

The Bulls used a 16-3 spurt to tie the game 42-42, and an 11-0 run later in the second quarter gave Chicago a 55-46 advantage. Boston answered with a 14-0 run capped by a Derrick White 3-pointer that gave the Celtics a 60-55 edge. It was 67-67 at halftime.

A 13-2 run gave Chicago an 80-72 lead with 8:07 left in the third quarter, but the score was tied 97-96 entering the fourth.

White left the game with a foot injury in the second half and did not return. He finished with 16 points in 24 minutes.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Surging Since Coaching Change

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Bruins, winners of three of four games under interim head coach Joe Sacco, will look to keep the run going when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins today.

Embed from Getty Images

A struggling offense had been a common theme between the end of the Jim Montgomery era last week and Sacco’s start behind the bench, as the Bruins endured a stretch of six consecutive games without scoring more than two goals prior to a 6-3 road win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

Could the latest game be a sign of things to come? Captain Brad Marchand hopes that, at least, his team’s three-goal third period to break a 3-3 tie will be.

“I just love the way that we played in the third,” Marchand said. “It’s always about a 60-minute effort. You can start well and tail off throughout the game, but we did a good job continuing our pace and executing.”

Marchand scored twice in the first 6:31 of the game, and Pavel Zacha led the Bruins’ finishing kick with two goals in less than a three-minute span after assisting on a previous Morgan Geekie tally.

David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm each dished out three assists, helping Boston match its season-high goal total. The only other time the Bruins notched six goals was on Oct. 10 against the Montreal Canadiens — the team’s home opener and second overall game of the season.

“It’s good for the confidence of the group (to have nine players record points),” Sacco said. “I think it helps everybody. When you’re chipping in, you feel a little bit better about yourself, but being able to help the team is the most important thing.”

Despite being Boston’s leading scorer with 22 points, Pastrnak had not previously recorded a three-point game through the first 23 games. He had 14 such efforts last season, including a pair of hat tricks.

On the flip side, Pittsburgh had endured longer-lasting struggles.

A stretch of eight losses in 10 games (2-5-3) preceded the Penguins producing a four-goal first period on Wednesday en route to a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks, who had posted a 2-0 shutout a night earlier in Boston.

“We should feel good about it because we really worked hard,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought we played on our toes. When you’re going through a skid like we’ve gone through, as you guys can imagine, it’s human nature (that) we’re scarred, and it’s because they care.”

Similar to the Bruins’ win over the Islanders, the effort against Vancouver allowed many Penguins to enter the holiday with a good feeling about their game. It was a night when they needed to kill off just a single penalty after allowing three power-play goals to the Utah Hockey Club in a 6-1 loss on Saturday.

Bryan Rust led the way for Pittsburgh on Wednesday. He scored twice and registered an assist in his 25th career multi-goal game, but only his second multi-point game of the season.

Defenseman Erik Karlsson logged three assists and captain Sidney Crosby had two.

“We play a game for a living,” Rust said. “I think sometimes everybody forgets that. It’s supposed to be fun. Yes, it’s our job. Yes, it’s hard. We obviously take it very seriously. But it’s a game. We’re supposed to have fun. That breeds confidence, and everybody is on their toes when that happens.”

The Penguins snapped the NHL’s longest active road winning streak at eight with their Wednesday victory over Vancouver. Now they will now look to stunt a Bruins team that has not scored a third-period goal in Boston since its home opener.

–Field Level Media

NHL: Canucks Blank Listless Bruins

by

BOSTON – (Staff and wire Service Report) – Vancouver’s Kevin Lankinen recorded a 33-save shutout and made former Bruins’ forward Jake DeBrusk’s second-period goal stand up as their Canucks edged past the host Boston Bruins 2-0 on Tuesday.

Embed from Getty Images

Lankinen made 13 saves in the middle frame and another 11 in the third en route to his second shutout of the season. The 29-year-old goaltender was supported by a defense which blocked 26 shots.

DeBrusk’s game-winning goal against his former team marked his third tally in two games for Vancouver, which has now banked consecutive wins and won each of its last eight on the road.

Conor Garland added an empty-net tally with 12.5 seconds left to finish with a goal and an assist.

Jeremy Swayman stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced for Boston, which was unable to stretch its win streak to three games for the first time this season and lost for the first time under interim coach Joe Sacco.

The Bruins had a 32-15 edge in shots on goal, but finished 0-for-3 on the power play compared to the Canucks’ 1-for-2.

DeBrusk gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal at 5:53 of the second. Quinn Hughes had his shot from the high slot deflected off Conor Garland in front and right to DeBrusk at the right crease, where he corralled it and slid home the rebound on the backhand.

Lankinen held strong during the final frame, diving back to cover up a loose puck as Marc McLaughlin set up Trent Frederic for a redirect on the doorstep with 14:09 left remaining. He later stopped Zacha point-blank during the first of two Boston man advantages in the period.

David Pastrnak recorded the first shot on goal for either team at the 7:00 mark of a scoreless first, helping the Bruins open a 9-3 advantage in that department by the intermission.

Lankinen was tested coming out of the first break as well, including making a stop on Pastrnak’s semi-breakaway that Zacha set up with a stretch pass only 1:08 into the second.

–Field Level Media

Clips Fall to Streaking Celtics

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s All-Star tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led a 51-point second quarter as the Celtics stretched their winning streak to six games by defeating the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 126-94 Monday.

YouTube player

Brown scored 13 points and Tatum added 12 as Boston tied an NBA record by connecting on 12 three-pointers in the second quarter. The Celtics made 22 of 51 3-point attempts in the game (43.1 percent).

Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut for the Celtics, who own the NBA’s longest winning streak. Porzingis missed Boston’s first 17 games while recovering from offseason foot surgery.

Porzingis made 6 of 12 field goal attempts and scored 16 points in 23 minutes. He also had six rebounds and two blocked shots.

Tatum led the Celtics with 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Payton Pritchard came off the bench to add 20 points, 18 of which came on 3-pointers.

It was the second stop on a four-game road trip for the Clippers, who allowed an opponent to score more than 100 points for the first time in their last five games.

 

Fenway to Host ’25 Secretaries’ Cup

by

BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Report) – Fenway Park Events announced that Fenway Park will host the 2025 Secretaries’ Cup, a longstanding annual football matchup featuring the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) on Saturday, November 15, 2025. The matchup is a cherished college athletic tradition featuring the only two federal service academies that compete in NCAA Division III sports. The game will kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET and be broadcast live on ESPN+.

“The U.S. Coast Guard is excited to bring the Secretaries’ Cup rivalry to a whole new level by hosting the game at historic Fenway Park in 2025,” said Dan Rose, Director of Athletics, U.S. Coast Guard Academy. “We are looking forward to seeing the entire Coast Guard community in blue and orange in Boston next fall to support our service’s team at this iconic venue.”

Embed from Getty Images

“We are honored to be part of the Secretaries’ Cup at Fenway Park, a venue that epitomizes history, tradition, and excellence,” said Kristofer Schnatz, Director of Athletics at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. “This matchup is more than a football game—it’s a celebration of service, camaraderie, and the unwavering commitment of our Midshipmen and Cadets. We can’t wait to see the USMMA community in full force in Boston, cheering on the Mariners at this iconic landmark.”

“We are thrilled to bring the Secretaries’ Cup to Fenway Park,” said Brett Miller, Director of Business Development, Fenway Park Events. “This game is rooted in tradition and serves as a powerful showcase of service, camaraderie, and competition. We look forward to hosting the athletes, their families, and fans at Fenway Park for what will be a truly unforgettable experience.”

Since its inception in 1981, the Secretaries’ Cup has symbolized the dedication, sportsmanship, and commitment to teamwork and service of student-athletes from both academies. The matchup marks the final game of the regular season for NCAA Division III football. In 2017, USMMA joined the NEWMAC conference as a charter member for football, making it a conference game.

Celtics’ Tatum Wins It in OT

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum made a 3-pointer as time expired in overtime to give the Celtics a 126-123 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

YouTube player

Tatum had 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the win. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 27 points.

Jakob Poeltl tossed in a career-high 35 points for Toronto, which fell to 0-8 in road games this season. Poeltl, who was 16 of 19 from the floor, also had 12 rebounds.

RJ Barrett added 25 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists for the Raptors, who have lost seven games in a row and 11 of their last 12. A Barrett layup tied the game with 55.1 seconds left in overtime before Tatum connected on the game-winning shot.

Boston’s Al Horford scored a season-high 18 points. The Celtics also received 18 points from Derrick White.

Toronto lost despite having a 76-42 edge in points in the paint.

The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, who missed the game because of left knee tendinopathy. Before the game Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said he didn’t expect Holiday’s injury to linger. It was the first game Holiday has missed this season.

Boston used a 12-0 spurt to take a 14-4 lead, but the Raptors were within two points, 28-26, after 12 minutes. A Jamison Battle 3-pointer capped a 9-0 run that put Toronto in front 45-44 with 5:37 left in the second quarter, but the Celtics had a 56-54 halftime lead.

A 16-4 run gave the Raptors a 64-58 lead and Toronto led 68-61 after a Poeltl jumper with 8:05 left in the third. The Celtics moved in front 76-74 after an 11-2 run and Boston had an 86-85 lead entering the final quarter.

Toronto was up 114-112 following a Barrett basket with 59 seconds left, but Neemias Queta tied the game on a layup with 42.1 seconds to play. Neither team scored again in regulation.

–Field Level Media