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Physical Golden State Handles Celtics

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Servic e Report) – Warriors guard Stephen Curry amassed 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help visiting Golden State stretch its winning streak to five games with a victory over Boston.

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The Warriors trailed by seven in the middle of the fourth quarter but used an 16-4 run to take a 104-99 lead with 2:30 to play on a Curry layup. Boston pulled within 115-112 when Payton Prichard made three free throws with 16 seconds remaining, but the Warriors closed out the win by making 3 of 4 at the foul line the rest of the way.

Golden State, which improved to 5-0 on the road, made 12 of its 13 free-throw attempts in the final quarter. Buddy Hield and Andrew Wiggins each added 16 points for Golden State. Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 32 points for the Celtics, whose three-game winning streak ended. Derrick White made seven 3-pointers and added 26 points.

Rory Thinks Trump Can Solve Anything

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ABU DHABI  – (Wire Service Report) – Rory McIlroy said President elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House “clears the way” for a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

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Trump recently said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast that he could negotiate a deal between the two sides in about “15 minutes.”

Of course, the “15 Minutes” has passed by ten times over.

“He might be able to,” McIlroy said Wednesday when asked about Trump’s remarks. “He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.”

McIlroy spoke at a press conference for the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

“Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is. But obviously, Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He’s got a great relationship with golf. He’s a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?

“But I think as the President of the United States again, he’s probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.”

McIlroy was also asked about a report in the London-based tabloid The Sun that claimed he and Tiger Woods had helped to negotiate a $1.3 billion deal between the rival golf leagues.

“It’s the first that I’ve heard of it,” the Northern Irishman said. “I know (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay (Monahan) was in Saudi Arabia last week … and was having some meetings. But no, I think I would have heard if there was.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Nov 3

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Breeders’ Cup 2024

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Oh, how I wish this dateline was originating from sunny Del Mar, California, a stones throw from San Diego and a shorter throw to Torrey Pines Golf Course, which is a driver and nine iron from La Jolla, one of the most beautiful towns in all the 50 States.

If there’s one race course in the entire United States of America that is perfect for the annual Breeders’ Cup championships, it is Del Mar, situated adjacent Pacific Ocean and the beautiful sights of Southern California. While other horse tracks have enjoyed great days for the Breeders’ – namely Belmont in New York, Churchill Downs in Kentucky, or Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, hosted by our neighbors to the north – Del Mar is something extra special. Paradise for the horse player and the equivalent of Monte Carlo for the rich and famous of the industry known as The Sport of Kings.

Any sports fan has to call The Breeders’ Cup the most underrated event in the sports industry. It’s seven World Series games in one day. The very best of the best all competing at one track over two days.

The event began Friday afternoon with “Future Stars Friday,” where the sport’s stars of tomorrow compete in five Juvenile (two-year-old) races as the warm-up. Keep an eye on Immersive, the Juvenile Fillies winner for trainer Brad Cox. It was Cox’s seventh straight Breeders’ with a win.

In 48 hours, the Breeders’ crown 14 World Champions across different surfaces and divisions, including the season-defining $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, won by Sierra Leone, the No. 2 finisher in May’s Kentucky Derby.

EDITOR’S NOTE: There were two sudden thoroughbred deaths from cardiac events as they raced or trained this week. On Tuesday (Oct 29) at Santa Anita, Practical Move, a horse training for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, died of a cardiac event after a morning gallop. … On Saturday, 3-year old French colt, Jayarebe, finished seventh in the field of 13 for the 1 ½-mile, $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf race, which was won by Rebel’s Romance. Trained by Irish native Brian Meehan, Jayarebe was making his sixth start of the year and eighth of his career. He had won four times. “He was immediately attended to by a team of veterinary experts led by Dr. Brent Cassady, but unfortunately passed away,” said Dr. Al Ruggles, the on-call veterinarian for American Equine Racing Practitioners.

Mookie Betts (holding trophy) – (Getty Images)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Just in case you didn’t notice, former Red Sox All-Star Mookie Betts had the World Series winning RBI when his new team, the LA Dodgers, disposed of the New York Yankees Wednesday night in New York. The Series ended in LA’s favor a night after a moron, otherwise identified as a Branford, Connecticut man, ripped a ball out of Betts’ mitt but was later tossed out of Yankee Stadium to the streets of the Bronx for the act. The umps properly ruled the play as an out and the so-called fan was banned for Game 5.

THE NBA in MEXICO CITY: The NBA staged another Mexico City Game on Saturday night (9:30pm ET), featuring the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards in concert with a lengthy roster of marketing sponsors. The sponsor line-up included presenting partner Michelob Ultra, and associate partners 2K, AT&T, Azteca, Banco, Betcris, Elektra, Emirates, Hennessy, Hisense, Mercado Libre, Nike, PlayStation, Pepsi, Tissot, TotalPlay, Visit Washington and Wilson. … It was the 33rd time the NBA played a game (preseason or regular season) in Mexico with most games in Mexico City and a few in Monterey.

GET JACKED: The Boston Bruins and their broadcast partner NESN (co-owned by the Red Sox and Bruins) will celebrate former play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards’ career at the mic on Sunday, November 3. The honors will include in-arena and NESN’s features on the game broadcast as the Bs take on the Seattle Kraken at TD Garden at 5:00pm (ET).

“Jack has been an integral part of the Bruins organization for many years,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “His passion for the game and deep connection with our fans elevated the experience of Bruins hockey.”

“Jack’s career as the voice of the Bruins on NESN has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Matt Volk, COO of NESN. “For nearly two decades, he brought an unmistakable energy and passion to every game, making each moment memorable for fans across New England. We thank Jack for his exceptional contributions and the impact he’s had during his time with us at NESN, and we are thrilled to be able to do so tonight with such a special celebration at TD Garden and on NESN.”

The team will commemorate Edwards’ storied career and lasting impact on the organization with a special pregame presentation. Sunday’s game will also feature special Jack Edwards-themed contests and entertainment in the arena while Jack Edwards t-shirts and commemorative hockey pucks will be on sale in the team store.

BOB COSTAS: After a 44-year stint as one of baseball’s all-time greats, veteran broadcaster Bob Costas announced his retirement from play-by-play broadcasting of games. He will still be involved in various broadcasts, studio shows and general coverage of the game and other sports. Costas will appear on MLB Network’s MLB Tonight Monday at 6:00pm (ET) to discuss his decision. Costas was the recipient of the 2018 Ford C. Frick Award, recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a legend of the game.

NHL VALUATIONS AND CLUB $ INCREASES: It’s been a while since we’ve passed along a few notes on NHL valuations, reported by friends of WWYI from Sportico. The recent numbers are quite impressive, although still at the bottom of the four major North American team sports.

Sportico did the entire league, of course, and highlighted the Top 10 NHL franchises, in terms of value as of 2024. Here’s the Top 5, the usual characters:

  1. Toronto Maple Leafs – $3.6 billion
  2. New York Rangers – $3.25b
  3. Montreal Canadiens – $2.93b
  4. Boston Bruins – $2.67b
  5. Los Angeles Kings – $2.5b

In terms of franchise value increase this past year, there’s a surprising list of clubs rising in the ranks:

  1. Utah Hockey Club – +193%
  2. Florida Panthers – +140%
  3. Carolina Hurricanes – +137%
  4. New Jersey Devils – +127%
  5. Tampa Bay Lightening – +124%

While the average NHL franchise value is now $1.7 billion, Commissioner Gary Bettman estimates an expansion club would fetch more. “Whether it is $2 billion or $2.5 billion or $2.7 billion, I think that is the range I believe the owners would want to be in if we were going to consider expansion,” said Bettman to The Hockey News earlier this year. … Of course, Bettman’s main focus among franchise issues is the settling of the Utah Hockey Club which just relocated from Arizona and the Ottawa Senators, a franchise struggling in the national capital of Canada.

TIDBITS: There are some serious NFL coaches ready for induction at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the years to come. This year, the Pro Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee narrowed a list of 14 candidates to these semifinalists: Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy. All but Arnsparger, Knox and Seifert reached the semifinalist stage in 2023.

RETIRING, BUT NOT TODAY: The 2024 NWSL regular season is coming to a close this weekend. “Betcha” didn’t know Christine Sinclair will be the biggest storyline, as the 41-year-old veteran will retire after her final game – whenever it comes. Sinclair has spent her whole NWSL career with the Portland Thorns and is one of the all-time greats of the women’s game, maybe the very best. With 190 goals for Team Canada, she is the most prolific international goal scorer in history, female or male. For Portland, she’s netted 66 goals in 199 regular-season appearances and is one of just three active players to have spent her entire NWSL career with the same club. On Friday night, she scored in the first half of Portland’s 3-0 victory over Angel City FC as the win allowed the Thorns to qualify for the NWSL playoffs. Sinclair received a standing ovation as she was subbed out in the 83rd minute, replaced by Meghan Klingenberg.

RATINGS GAME: The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their eighth World Series title by defeating the New York Yankees in Game 5 this week and the TV numbers capped an amazing postseason for MLB. Game 5 attracted 18.6 million viewers across multiple FOX platforms. It marked the most-watched Game 5 in seven years and the most-viewed World Series game since 2019. Overall, the series averaged 15.8 million viewers, a 74% increase year-over-year from 2023.

SPORTS BIZ: Moonshot, one of the fastest growing companies in the national security industry, and CTH Advisors, an investment banking and advisory firm specializing in sports, media and entertainment, have announced a strategic partnership to combat the rising digital threats in the sports industry. … Moonshot secured over $20 million in government contracts to protect schools, national infrastructure, and public figures from terrorism. This initiative will leverage that technology to deliver best-in-class national security solutions to elite athletes, officials, and sports organizations. … Moonshot’s technology is already being used by major sports institutions, including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Moonshot is responsible for protecting all Team USA athletes from online threats on behalf of USOPC. … As digital threats become more sophisticated, from AI-generated deepfakes to coordinated doxxing (the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization, usually via the Internet and without their consent), the sports industry is increasingly vulnerable to both physical harm and threats to an athlete’s reputation. One in five players at major international sporting events, such as the Women’s World Cup, experiences significant online abuse​. Female athletes face disproportionate volumes of online threats, much like the national security space where Moonshot has found that 92% of women in public life experience bullying and abuse online.

Note: To receive the Notes column on Saturday nights at 10:00pm ET, please see: While We’re Young (Ideas)

Boston College Bests The Citadel

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Sophomore guard Donald Hand Jr. tossed in a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Monday night to lead host Boston College past The Citadel 69-60 in the season opener for both teams in Massachusetts.

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Hand was 3 of 8 from 3-point range and 11 of 11 from the free-throw line. He scored 17 points in the second half.

Chad Venning added 15 points in the game for the Eagles, who received 11 from Elijah Strong.

Brody Fox led The Citadel with 18 points. Fox’s layup with 24 seconds to play sliced BC’s lead to seven points, which was the closest the Bulldogs got in the second half.

Cam Glover and Keynan Davis each scored 10 points for the Bulldogs. Davis also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

It was a rough shooting night for The Citadel, which made 20 of its 52 shots from the floor (38.5 percent). The Bulldogs were 3 of 24 from 3-point territory.

BC led 27-25 with 1:44 remaining in the first half, then the Eagles used a 10-0 run to take a 37-25 lead with 7 seconds left in the half. Venning scored six points in the 10-0 run. BC had a 37-28 halftime lead.

The Citadel was 2 of 13 from 3-point territory in the opening 20 minutes, when BC had a 15-6 edge in points off turnovers.

The Citadel didn’t score in the second half until Glover made two free throws that cut BC’s lead to 43-30 with 15:02 to play. The Eagles owned their largest advantage in the game after Hand made two free throws to stretch the lead to 48-32 with 13:42 left.

The Bulldogs were within nine points, 63-54, after a Davis 3-pointer with 5:01 to play. Hand made two free throws that gave the Eagles a 67-54 advantage with 2:06 remaining.

BC had a 43-32 edge in rebounds. Each team committed 14 turnovers.

–Field Level Media

Nick Folk’s Revenge

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NASHVILLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Place kicker Nick Folk converted a 25-yard field goal with 2:32 left in overtime Sunday and the Tennessee Titans snapped a three-game losing streak with a 20-17 win over Folk’s former team, the New England Patriots.

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Folk’s second field goal of the game capped a drive that ate the first 7:28 of overtime. New England’s ensuing possession ended when Amani Hooker intercepted a deep pass over the middle from rookie quarterback Drake Maye with 2:17 remaining.

The Patriots (2-7) forced overtime when Maye threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson on the final play of regulation. Maye eluded multiple defenders and flipped the ball to the end zone while being hauled down to the turf by two Titans.

Maye was 29 of 41 for 206 yards with the touchdown and two interceptions, both by Hooker. He also ran for 95 yards on eight carries.

Mason Rudolph completed 20 of 33 passes for 240 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Tennessee (2-6). Rudolph snapped a 10-10 tie with a 6-yard strike to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine at the 4:27 mark of the fourth quarter.

Tony Pollard rushed for 128 yards on 28 carries for the Titans, bagging 36 yards on seven attempts during their scoring drive in overtime. Tennessee earned a 400-295 advantage in total offense and possessed the ball for nearly 39 minutes.

Tennessee initiated scoring with its first first-drive touchdown since Sept. 22, going 75 yards in eight plays. Rudolph finished it by finding Nick Vannett for a 9-yard strike, the 100th catch of Vannett’s career.

The Titans reached the 3 early in the second quarter but wasted that chance when Rudolph tossed an interception to Jahlani Tavai in the end zone. New England cashed that in with a drive of just 5:32 that Joey Slye capped with a 52-yard field goal at the 7:13 mark.

Tennessee missed on a second chance to add points just before the half when it took holding and delay of game penalties after reaching the Patriots’ 35. It settled for a 7-3 lead at the break.

Stevenson gave New England the lead with a 1-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the second half. Folk’s 21-yard field goal tied the game at 10 before the third-quarter intermission.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Blank Kraken

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves and two first-period goals were all his Bruins needed as they pitched their second shutout in as many days, defeating the visiting Seattle Kraken 2-0 on Sunday.

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Justin Brazeau and Charlie Coyle tallied in the first half of the opening period for Boston, which has won back-to-back games and three of five since a three-game losing streak.

Swayman made 13 of his saves in the final frame, seeing by far his heaviest workload against a late Seattle push. After Boston had a combined 30-10 advantage in shots on goal over the first two periods, the visitors responded with a 13-3 finish.

Making a Massachusetts homecoming, Seattle netminder Joey Daccord stopped 31 shots.

The Kraken have lost three straight and were shut out for the second night in a row.

Boston had a dominant territorial advantage in the first, building its 2-0 lead while holding the visitors without a shot over the first 15:30 and finishing the period with a 15-3 advantage in that department. Three power plays boosted the Bruins’ total.

Brazeau needed only 3:23 to net the opening goal, deflecting Nikita Zadorov’s shot from the left point while stationed amidst traffic right in front of Daccord’s net.

The 26-year-old Brazeau has been one of Boston’s hottest players of late, scoring four goals in his last six games.

A highlight-reel power-play goal by Coyle increased the Bruins’ lead to 2-0 at the 9:57 mark. After accepting Brad Marchand’s pass from the right end of the goal line to the left, Coyle deked Daccord by moving to his backhand and quickly to his forehand to tuck the puck inside the post.

At 10:56, Pavel Zacha had a potential third Boston goal taken off the board due to an offsides call following a successful Seattle challenge.

Neither side found a goal in the second, with both teams’ best chances coming during a last-minute Boston power play. After Swayman denied Yanni Gourde on a short-handed 2-on-1, the Bruins rushed up ice but were unable to pot a loose puck past Daccord as time expired.

Seattle’s strong finish included both Chandler Stephenson and Oliver Bjorkstrand hitting posts in the final nine minutes.

Swayman also made multiple point-blank stops in succession just after two minutes following the first pipe. Another came on a Brandon Montour drive in the final minute of regulation.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Complete Weekend Sweep

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CHARLOTTE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum pumped in 29 points and his teammate Payton Pritchard hit six 3-pointers on the way to 22 points off the bench as the Celtics defeated the host Charlotte Hornets 113-103 Saturday. It marked Boston’s second win over Charlotte in less than 24 hours.

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Luke Kornet’s 19 points and Derrick White’s 18 helped the Celtics to their sixth win in seven games to open the season, and Jrue Holiday’s triple with 3:44 to go polished off his 13-point evening.

LaMelo Ball racked up 36 points for the Hornets, who went 1-3 during a four-game homestand.

Brandon Miller, who hadn’t played since the Hornets’ season opener on Oct. 23 because of a glute injury, logged 31 minutes as a starter and provided 16 points. Josh Green added 12 points, Cody Martin supplied 11 and Tre Mann had 10.

The Celtics carved through Charlotte’s defense in the first half on the way to a 68-50 lead at the break.

But Boston couldn’t shake the Hornets until late in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was within 93-87 after Green canned a trey with 6:49 left in the game.

However, Holiday’s late 3-pointer later sparked a 7-0 run that pushed the Celtics’ lead to 108-93 with just 2:05 remaining.

For the second night in a row, the Celtics had a big advantage in free-throw scoring while the Hornets relied heavily on long-range shooting. Boston was 25-for-28 at the line compared to Charlotte’s 6-for-9 mark.

Still, the Celtics managed to finish with 16 triples to the Hornets’ 17 for the game, with Boston hitting four in the first seven-plus minutes of the contest to race out to a 26-12 lead with 4:42 left in the first quarter.

Boston attempted 52 shots from 3-point land on the night. Tatum was just 1-for-9 on threes, but he went 14-for-17 from the charity stripe.

Charlotte center Grant Williams, who was ejected from the game on Friday after committing a flagrant foul against Tatum, was in the Hornets’ starting lineup on Saturday, but he managed only five points in 34 minutes.

–Field Level Media

Maye’s Day in Tennessee

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NASHVILLE – New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye cleared concussion protocol and is in line to start today’s game against the host Tennessee Titans.

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Maye was a limited participant in practice for the third straight day on Friday. He does not carry an injury designation into the game with the Titans (1-6).

Maye, 22, was placed in the protocol last Sunday after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in New England’s 25-22 win over the New York Jets. The Patriots (2-6) snapped a six-game losing skid with the victory.

He has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 564 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in four games (three starts) this season. He was selected by New England with the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of North Carolina.

–Field Level Media

Embiid Shoves Philly Reporter

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid got into a verbal altercation with a local reporter that turned physical after the team’s 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

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The incident happened in the Sixers’ locker room, where Embiid confronted Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes about an article that made reference to Embiid’s son and late brother. The piece also criticized the seven-time All-Star’s ability to stay healthy and act professionally.

“The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I’m going to do to you and I’m going to have to … live with the consequences,” Embiid told Hayes as reporters filtered into the locker room.

Embiid continued with some profane language before rejecting an attempted apology from Hayes. After Embiid said that he didn’t care what reporters had to say, Hayes said, “But you do,” prompting Embiid to raise his voice and push Hayes on the shoulder.

A public relations official for the 76ers then got in between the two while another staff member tried to get reporters out of the locker room.

Team security asked reporters not to report on the altercation, at which point Embiid delivered another message.

“They can do whatever they want,” he said. “I don’t give a (expletive).”

The league has already said that it is conducting an investigation into the matter.

“We are aware of reports of an incident in the Sixers locker room this evening and are commencing an investigation,” a spokesman for the NBA said in a statement.

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told ESPN that he too is aware of the situation.

“We take the situation very seriously and are investigating, and have already spoken to the NBA,” Morey said in a statement.

Embiid, 30, has yet to play in a game this season because of left knee injury management. He was limited to just 39 games (all starts) in 2023-24.

In those 39 games, Embiid averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.7 blocks.

Embiid is only two seasons removed from being named MVP, earning that title by posting averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks in 66 games (all starts) during the 2022-23 campaign.

Philadelphia is off to a 1-4 start this season.

–Field Level Media

We Want a Rematch

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Despite tense moments between the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets during parts of their Friday night game, lots of love was displayed afterward.

They teams get together for a rematch Saturday night in a game that also will be held in Charlotte.

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Many of the Celtics know Hornets coach Charles Lee well. He was a Boston assistant coach last season when the Celtics captured the NBA title.

“I think he definitely has his work cut for him,” Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said, “but I think he’s handling it with grace. I wish him well, just not in (this series).”

Jayson Tatum tallied 32 points and 11 rebounds as the Celtics won 124-109 on Friday. Lee exchanged hugs with several of the Celtics on the court following the final buzzer.

So now it’s back-to-back nights for the Hornets to try to breakthrough against the Celtics.

Charlotte’s Grant Williams and Miles Bridges were both ejected Friday night, and the Hornets’ LaMelo Ball also was whistled for a flagrant foul. Williams’ foul on Tatum could have led to bigger problems.

“I’m glad that he’s fine,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of Tatum. “What I like most is that he jumped right up, didn’t lay around, didn’t really faze him. … I’m happy that he’s OK. I just like how JT handled it.”

Still, the Celtics were irked by Williams — who played for Boston from 2019-20 to 2022-23.

“It was for-sure intentional,” Brown said. “Y’all see the same play? He hit him like it was a football play, like Ray Lewis coming across the middle.”

Williams told NBC Sports Boston, “Probably not a hard foul, definitely not intentional. Not trying to hurt anybody. We all know that’s one of my closest friends in the league.”

Lee has a tight connection with Mazzulla, so maybe that helped prevent larger-scale problems.

“He is just so open-minded, so creative,” Lee said of Mazzulla. “He just goes with his guts. If it’s something that he believes in, that he believes is going to help the team, he does it with full-on passion. I really admire that about him. It’s something that I try to do myself.”

The Celtics responded from their first loss of the season to win two nights later in Charlotte. They outscored the Hornets 24-10 across the final 7 1/2 minutes, with 15 of those Boston points coming on free throws.

Lee was assessed a fourth-quarter technical foul after he complained about a no-call when Charlotte’s Tre Mann drove into the lane.

Perhaps it was part of the Hornets’ frustration. By game’s end, there were 47 free throws attempted, but of those only 12 taken by the Hornets.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, Mazzulla was assessed a technical foul with the Celtics holding a one-point lead.

The Hornets had to like the performance of Ball, who put up 31 points in 31 minutes, though he fouled out. His four turnovers weren’t overly troublesome, but he had only four assists.

The Hornets will be interested in seeing more from Tidjane Salaun, a 19-year-old rookie who scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench Friday night.

“I loved his energy tonight, I thought he gave us a great boost,” Lee said. “He’s grasping the speed of the game. … I really like him out there because he brings another layer of length and athleticism.”

The Celtics will want to check on their perimeter defense after surrendering 19 3-pointers. Six Charlotte players had two or more treys.

–Field Level Media