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Celtics, Cassell Agree to Coaching Deal

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BOSTON – Former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Sam Cassell who once played for the Celtics after a journeyman career as an NBA guard has agreed to join the Boston Celtics’ coaching staff under Joe Mazzulla, according to multiple media reports Sunday night.

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Cassell spent the last three seasons with the 76ers after also serving as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers (2014-15 to 2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2009-10 to 2013-14).

Following the Celtics’ loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last Monday, the Boston Globe reported that three assistant coaches on Boston’s staff were expected to head to Houston to work under disgraced coach Ime Udoka.

Udoka served as the Celtics’ head coach for the 2021-22 season and led Boston to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. He was then suspended by the team during the offseason for “multiple violations of team policies” that centered around an inappropriate relationship with a woman within the organization.

Ben Sullivan, Mike Moser and Garrett Jackson are reportedly the three assistants that plan to join the Rockets, according to USA Today Sports. That report also indicated that Houston, along with a handful of other teams, is also interested in Aaron Miles, another Celtics assistant coach.

Cassell, 53, will be making his return to Boston, where he won a title in his lone season with the Celtics (2007-08). He averaged 7.6 points and 2.1 assists in 17 games (one start) for Boston after appearing in 38 games (33 starts) for the Los Angeles Clippers earlier that season.

Cassell was also a member of the 1994 NBA champion Houston Rockets.

In 15 NBA seasons, Cassell posted career averages of 15.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 993 games (690 starts) with eight teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks (1998-99 to 2002-03). He was an All-Star in 2003-04.

–Field Level Media

Errors Lead to Sox Weekend Woes

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After dropping the opener of a Saturday doubleheader to begin a four-game series in Boston, the Tampa Bay Rays asserted their American League East dominance by following with a pair of wins over the Red Sox.

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The major-league-leading Rays will go for their third consecutive win to claim the series when they face host Boston in a rescheduled game on Monday afternoon. The game was originally set as Friday’s series opener before being postponed due to persistent rain and thunderstorms.

Tampa Bay was a 6-2 winner on Sunday while playing through several injuries. Wander Franco (hamstring), Jose Siri (shoulder) and Brandon Lowe (back) were all out of the lineup, leading Rays manager Kevin Cash to pencil down several possible lineup combinations prior to the game.

“There was a lot of stuff right there at the end that came down,” Cash said. “It was a little hectic.”

Without Siri available, Manuel Margot had to jump back into the outfield after a scary collision at the Green Monster during Saturday’s twin bill.

The series of injuries led to changes in planned days off, but it did not faze the unselfish Rays.

“We’re kind of a group of grinders,” Tampa Bay outfielder Luke Raley said. “We play for one another. Sometimes people are dinged up and you know you’ve got to go out there with no bench and you’ve got to play through it. So it is what it is.”

The Rays’ Shane McClanahan (8-1, 2.07 ERA) looks to bounce back from his first loss of the season, when he allowed two runs on six hits across 5 2/3 innings last Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. The southpaw had allowed just one run over back-to-back seven-inning outings prior to the setback.

McClanahan pitched an April 11 gem against the Red Sox, striking out nine over five innings of one-run ball. It was his fourth win in six career starts against Boston.

The Red Sox will turn to right-hander Brayan Bello (3-3, 3.89) in the series finale. Bello has taken back-to-back losses despite allowing just three combined runs against the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds in his last two starts.

Bello is 0-1 and has a 10.13 ERA in two career starts against the Rays, both of which were last season. He surrendered nine runs in eight innings between those games.

While the Red Sox have scored no more than three runs in eight of their last 13 games, it is the defense that has ached Boston manager Alex Cora as of late.

“I’m the manager of this club and we’ve been sloppy,” Cora said. “It’s not about pointing fingers, right? The roster is the roster and we have to play better baseball.”

The Red Sox have committed seven errors in their last six games, including two costly ones on Sunday.

“We just gotta clean it up in all facets,” Boston outfielder Alex Verdugo said. “We’re all professionals, we’re all in the big leagues, we all know how to play.”

Verdugo, who hits in the leadoff spot, has done his part at the plate, recording three hits in two of his last three games. All three of his hits on Sunday were for extra bases, as he ripped two doubles and a triple.

–Field Level Media

Split City

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Harold Ramirez hit a two-run double in the top of the ninth inning to finish a 3-for-5 performance and lift the Tampa Bay Rays past the host Boston Red Sox, 4-2, on Saturday in the nightcap of a doubleheader.

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Francisco Mejia added two hits and a run to help the Rays split the twin bill and the first half of the four-game series.

With Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (1-3) on for the second straight game, Mejia and Yandy Diaz opened the ninth with back-to-back singles before advancing into scoring position on Brandon Lowe’s deep flyout into the right field corner.

Ramirez’s line-drive double to right plated both runners, giving Tampa a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

In the bottom half of the ninth, Jose Siri made a game-ending diving catch in center field to rob a potential extra-base hit from Jarren Duran. Boston had two on when Siri made the grab.

Calvin Faucher (1-1) and Jason Adam each pitched a scoreless inning for the win and save, respectively.

Triston Casas had a double and a triple for two of Boston’s five hits.

Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford set down six of the first seven batters he faced, but Manuel Margot’s leadoff double to left in the third inning helped the Rays push across the go-ahead run.

Mejia and Diaz followed Margot’s two-bagger with groundouts, with the latter putting Tampa ahead 1-0.

The visitors were held to one run in the inning as Crawford recorded the final out, and then reliever Justin Garza retired the side in order an inning later.

Masataka Yoshida helped get the Red Sox get going in the last of the fourth, driving a leadoff double to left and scoring when Casas ripped a two-out triple to deep center.

After Boston reliever Ryan Sherriff worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fifth, the Rays bounced back to jump ahead in the sixth, as Siri ripped a pinch-hit RBI double past diving third baseman Rafael Devers.

Siri’s hit kept the Rays in front 2-1 until Connor Wong scored in the seventh on a Devers popup that second baseman Brandon Lowe dropped.

Tyler Glasnow worked 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball as the Rays starter. He struck out six.

–Field Level Media

Sox vs Rays: Rain Forces Strange Schedule; Two Today & 4pm Monday

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – An untraditional four-game series between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Ray is due to begin in an untraditional way on Saturday afternoon.

After the scheduled Friday night game was postponed due to persistent rain and thunderstorms, the American League East foes will begin their four-game series with a previously scheduled day-night doubleheader today.

“A lot of baseball getting played,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said entering the series.

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The set is now slated to conclude with a rescheduled Monday afternoon game, taking away what had originally been a travel day for both teams.

Both teams’ pitching plans for the doubleheader were not finalized entering what was set to be series opener, and Boston’s plans were potentially complicated after losing left-hander Chris Sale to the 15-day injured list on Friday due to left shoulder inflammation.

“You cannot predict what happens before the doubleheader, but at the moment (we made the decision to schedule one) we felt really good,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “I’m not saying it feels worse now, but obviously the circumstances have changed. That’s the beauty of 162 (games).”

After being set to start Friday, Garrett Whitlock (2-2, 5.14 ERA) will throw in the series opener today for the Red Sox, who have lost seven of their past 10 games.

It will be Whitlock’s second start since being reinstated from the 15-day disabled list after recovering from right elbow ulnar neuritis. He allowed just one run on three hits in a five-inning victory at Arizona on May 27.

Whitlock started against the Rays on April 11, and he allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings in a 7-2 road loss. In seven career appearances (two starts) vs. Tampa Bay, he is 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA.

Boston’s starting pitchers have allowed four or fewer earned runs in 12 of the past 14 games.

Cora had been excited about the rotation’s makeup before Sale went down.

“He’s really good, and this is where we’re at,” Cora said after Whitlock’s latest start. “The three kids (Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Brayan Bello) and the two veterans (Sale and James Paxton) … and there’s two kids in the bullpen that are really good, too. Structure-wise, this feels good.”

The Red Sox’s starting pitcher for the second game was to be determined.

Tampa Bay is slated to go with Trevor Kelley (0-1, 4.91 ERA) as the Game 1 opener, while Taylor Glasnow (0-0, 6.23) is lined up for a start in the nightcap.

Glasnow pitched 4 1/3 innings of three-run ball against the Dodgers on May 27, which marked his return from a left oblique strain that sidelined him since February.

“I was glad to be back out there,” Glasnow said. “Just to feel the emotions and, like, the adrenaline again was nice and kind of just got me back into that in-season routine.”

As the 27th man added for the doubleheader, Cooper Criswell likely will work the bulk of the first game after Kelley.

The Rays went 17-12 in May and have seen 19 of their past 27 games decided by two runs or fewer. Jose Siri’s two-run, eighth-inning homer was the difference on Wednesday in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs, as Tampa Bay avoided being swept for the first time all season.

Red Sox: Sale Back to IL

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox placed oft-injured left-handed pitcher Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation on Friday.

Sale left his start Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds after 3 2/3 innings due to soreness in his pitching shoulder. He had allowed one run on five hits while walking one and striking out six.

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Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sale had an MRI Friday morning and the results were not back yet.

Since making at least 25 starts in each of his first three seasons with Boston, Sale’s career has been riddled with injuries. Thursday marked just his 22nd start since the beginning of the 2021 season, after he missed the entirety of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Last season was also a disaster, as Sale began 2022 on the 60-day injured list due to a rib stress fracture. He returned in July, only to fully get through one start. In his second outing, Sale took a come-backer on the mound and fractured the pinkie finger on his pitching hand.

The Red Sox then announced in August that Sale had surgery on his right wrist after a biking accident.

“It sucks,” Sale told reporters in Boston Friday. “I was actually kind of getting used to sitting in front of you guys talking about good stuff. It’s been a rocky road. I felt like I was over the hump. I really did. I felt like I was back to being myself. And for something like this to happen, it’s obviously deflating.”

Sale is 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA in 11 starts this season. He’s thrown 71 strikeouts to just 15 walks in 59 innings.

In a corresponding move, Boston reinstated right-handed starter Corey Kluber from the paternity list.

–Field Level Media

Can Sale Break Losing Streak

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BOSTON – In the first week when the Boston Red Sox have the local sports scene to themselves, after the NBA’s Boston Celtics took a disappointing exit in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the Sox dropped two games to the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

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That’s not what Boston sports fans had in mind as their baseball team returned from a lengthy road trip.

However, the Sox like what they’ve been getting from SP Chris Sale lately. The left-hander now gets an opportunity to end the team’s three-game losing streak when he starts against the visiting Cincinnati Reds tonight.

Sale, an All-Star every year from 2012 to 2018, has battled injuries during the last three seasons that limited him to 48 1/3 innings on the mound during that stretch, but he has looked like his former self during his past five starts. He went 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA in those five outings, striking out 35 and walking four in 32 1/3 innings.

“I feel like I’m trending in a good direction,” Sale said following his latest start, when he pitched five innings of one-run ball during a 7-2 triumph against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. “I’ve been around here too long to feel like I’m on top of a mountain and all, and I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA) had an 11.25 ERA after his first three starts of the season, and he had allowed 25 baserunners in 12 innings. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the turning point came after Sale tweaked his delivery before he faced the Baltimore Orioles in his fifth start of the season on April 24.

Tonight will mark Sale’s first career appearance against Cincinnati.

“I’m going out there and having fun again — and not throwing every pitch with three years of hate behind it,” Sale told USA Today. “I’m going out there with the attitude that today is a new day. Take it for what it is. Appreciate it, because I sure know it can be taken away.”

Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18 ERA) will take the mound for the Reds, who have won the first two games of the three-game series and are riding a five-game winning streak.

The 23-year-old right-hander was stellar in his latest outing, when he didn’t allow a hit in six innings to help the Reds defeat the Chicago Cubs 9-0 on Friday. He struck out 11 and walked two.

Greene has made one career start against the Red Sox — one year ago to the day. He took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings as Boston won 7-1. Greene struck out seven and didn’t allow a run in the first three innings of that game, but the Red Sox chased him by scoring four times in the fourth.

The Reds hung on to beat the Red Sox 9-8 on Tuesday, then rallied from a 3-1 deficit to prevail 5-4 on Wednesday.

Cincinnati manager David Bell called the Wednesday win a team effort, but he singled out reliever Buck Farmer, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to collect his first save of the year.

“Everybody (got) in the game that was available, and Buck Farmer stepping up,” Bell said. “(Closer) Alexis Diaz needed a day off. He’s been pitching a lot. Buck stepped right in and showed what kind of pitcher he was. That was how it ended, but great at-bats throughout the night, good defensive plays (and) Luke Weaver with a nice start.”

–Field Level Media

Sox: Paxton Ran Out of Gas

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Spencer Steer hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to help the visiting Cincinnati Reds stretch their winning streak to five games by beating the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Steer’s home run, his eighth of the season, came against losing pitcher Josh Winckowski (2-1) and broke a 3-3 tie. Kevin Newman, who singled earlier in the inning, also scored on the home run.

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Newman, Matt McLain and Nick Senzel each had two hits for the Reds. McLain has hit safely in nine consecutive games. Alex Verdugo collected two hits for Boston.

Masataka Yoshida and Enmanuel Valdez each hit a solo home run for the Red Sox, who have lost three in a row.

Ian Gibaut (5-1) earned the win for pitching one scoreless inning of relief. Buck Farmer retired the Red Sox in order in the ninth to collect his first save.

Boston starting pitcher James Paxton went five innings. He held the Reds to one run on four hits, struck out eight and walked one.

The Reds received 5 2/3 innings from starter Luke Weaver, who allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five with no walks.

After Yoshida’s home run gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the second, Boston doubled its lead when Connor Wong singled and scored on a two-out double by Rafael Devers in the third.

Cincinnati cut its deficit in half in the fifth thanks to a two-out double by Luke Maile that scored Jose Barrero.

Valdez increased Boston’s lead to 3-1 when he hit his fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth, but the Reds pulled within a run again by scoring against reliever Kutter Crawford in the sixth. After walks to Jonathan India and Steer, Senzel singled to drive in India and make it a 3-2 game.

Not Close Enough

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cincinnati’s Jose Barrero came off the bench to hit a grand slam and starting pitcher Ben Lively pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to help the Reds pick up a 9-8 road victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

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Barrero’s home run came against Red Sox reliever Joely Rodriguez and made it 8-0 in the seventh. Barrero wasn’t in Cincinnati’s starting lineup but was inserted in center field when TJ Friedl left the game with hamstring tightness.

Boston made it game with five runs in the ninth. After RBI singles by Raimel Tapia, Rafael Devers and Justin Turner made it 9-6, Masataka Yoshida doubled in a run and Turner scored on a fielder’s choice to pull the Red Sox within a run. But with the would-be tying run on third, Reds closer Alexis Diaz struck out Triston Casas to end the game and collect his 13th save.

Will Benson had three hits and scored three runs for the Reds, who have won five of their last six games.

Before giving up the grand slam to Barrero, Rodriguez walked Stuart Fairchild with the bases loaded in the seventh. That forced home Spencer Steer with Cincinnati’s fourth run.

Boston starting pitcher Brayan Bello (3-3) left the game after throwing 97 pitches in four innings. He gave up a run on five hits, walked two and struck out four.

Cincinnati opened the scoring in the second. Benson scored on Friedl’s fielder’s choice when the Red Sox were unable to turn a double play.

The Reds increased their lead to 2-0 in the fifth when Jonathan India singled and scored on Jake Fraley’s double. A throwing error by shortstop Enrique Hernandez — his second error of the game — allowed Benson to score from second and extended Cincinnati’s lead to 3-0 in the sixth.

After Barrero’s grand slam, Boston pushed across three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Reese McGuire’s RBI double scored Valdez, Tapia’s triple scored McGuire, and a Devers single drove in Tapia to make it 8-3.

Tyler Stephenson tripled and raced home on Steer’s sacrifice fly to make it a 9-3 game in the eighth and give the Reds a critical final insurance run.

–Field Level Media

What Will Brown Do For You?

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jalen Brown was the talk of the town.

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown owned up to his lackluster performance in the team’s season-ending loss against the Miami Heat on Monday in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Brown finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in the second-seeded Celtics’ 103-84 setback to the eighth-seeded Heat in Boston. However, he made just 8 of 23 shots from the floor — including 1 of 9 from 3-point range — to go along with eight turnovers.

“Just a terrible game. When my team needed me most, like (Jayson Tatum) hurt his ankle, first play of the game, and you could see it like swelling up on him,” Brown said. “He couldn’t move out there. It was tough for him. My team turned to me to make plays and I came up short, I failed. It’s tough. I give credit to Miami, but just a terrible job.”

All eyes now turn to the summer for Brown, who is eligible to sign a supermax contract extension worth $295 million over five years.

Brown, however, said he was just focused on Game 7 and nothing more.

“I expected to win today and move on,” he said. “That’s what my focus was on and that’s my focus has been on. We failed. I failed. It’s hard to think about anything else right now, to be honest. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

Brown, 26, recorded career-best averages in points (26.6) and rebounds (6.9) to go along with a personal best-tying 3.5 assists per game.

A two-time All-Star and named to the 2023 All-NBA Second Team, Brown averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 470 career games (363 starts). He was selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft out of California.

–Field Level Media

One Fifty One and Zero

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BOSTON (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Miami Heat sustained a gut-wrenching, last-second loss on their third attempt to clinch the Eastern Conference finals, tilting momentum strongly in favor of the Boston Celtics.

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However, the Heat, who had to take the play-in route to even reach the playoffs and then upset the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks to fuel their postseason run, found another gear in their seemingly never-ending fountain of resiliency.

Series MVP Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, Caleb Martin added 26 and the Heat became the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals by posting a convincing 103-84 victory over the host Celtics in Game 7 Monday night.

Miami was wobbling after a 104-103 setback on Saturday that featured Boston’s Derrick White scoring on a putback just as time expired, evening the best-of-seven series.

Yet even the raucous homecourt atmosphere in Boston couldn’t prevent the Heat from reaching the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.

“That could puncture a team’s spirit,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Game 6 loss. “But instead, it drove us to more resolve to try to get the job done.”

Bam Adebayo recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as Miami finished the job. Teams that held a 3-0 series lead improved to 151-0 all-time in the NBA playoffs.

Jaylen Brown had 19 points and eight rebounds and White scored 18 points for second-seeded Boston, which was just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games.

Jayson Tatum had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, but he sprained his left ankle during the game’s first possession and hobbled throughout the contest.

“That was tough because it kind of impacted me the rest of the night,” Tatum said. “It swelled up. It was frustrating that I was a shell of myself. It was tough to move. It was frustrating, especially happening on the first play.”

The Heat will face the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday in Denver.

“Nobody’s satisfied. We haven’t done anything,” said Butler, who averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.6 steals in the series. “We don’t play just to win the Eastern Conference. We play to win the whole thing.”

The New York Knicks (1999 postseason) were the only other No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, the Celtics struggled throughout the do-or-die game.

“I thought we played tight,” Boston guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “When you play that way, it makes you hesitant on both ends of the ball. I thought Miami played the opposite. I thought they played loose.”

The other three teams to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0 were the New York Knicks (lost to the Rochester Royals in the 1951 NBA Finals), Denver Nuggets (fell to the Utah Jazz in the 1994 second round) and Portland Trail Blazers (lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 first round).

Miami shot 48.8 percent from the field, including 14 of 28 from 3-point range. Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent added 10 points apiece. Martin made four treys and collected 10 rebounds and Butler also had seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

The Celtics connected on 39 percent of their shots and were 9 of 42 (21.4 percent) from behind the arc. Boston went 16 of 77 (20.8 percent) from 3-point range over the final two games of the series.

Brown shot just 8-for-23 from the floor, 1-for-9 from long distance and committed eight turnovers on Monday.

“We failed. I failed,” Brown said. “We let the whole city down.”

Boston trailed 52-41 at halftime, and White kept the Celtics in the contest with 13 third-quarter points.

White put up eight straight points as Boston trimmed a 16-point deficit in half with 8:29 remaining in the third. The Celtics were unable to creep closer than seven, and Martin’s short baseline jumper with 1.5 seconds left gave the Heat a 76-66 lead heading into the final quarter.

Miami started the fourth quarter strong with a 3-pointer from Martin and back-to-back baskets by Butler to push the lead to 17. Later, four straight points by Adebayo increased the advantage to 21 with 6:55 remaining. Miami’s advantage topped out at 23 points.

“We talked about going to get a tough one on the road and we did just that,” Butler said. “But we’re not satisfied. We got four more (wins) to get.”

Boston missed its first 12 3-point attempts as Miami controlled the first half, leading by as many as 17 points.

–Field Level Media