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Jaylen Brown Carries Celtics, 142-105

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BOSTON – Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown poured in a season-high 44 points to help Boston end a two-game losing streak by beating the visiting Indiana Pacers 142-105 Friday. Brown was 16 of 24 from the field, including 6 of 11 from 3-point territory, and made each of his six free-throw attempts. He also had five rebounds, three assists and four steals.

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Boston’s twin tandem All NBA star, Jayson Tatum, added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who were 23 of 57 from 3-point range. Payton Pritchard provided 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds off the Boston bench.

Tyrese Haliburton had a team-high 19 points and nine assists for the Pacers, who never led in the game. Indiana received 18 points from Bennedict Mathurin and 14 from Pascal Siakam. Off the bench, Jarace Walker had 15 points and five assists and Thomas Bryant added 12 points and seven rebounds.

The 142 points are the most Boston has scored in a game this season.

It was 11-11 midway through the first quarter before Boston pulled away for a 39-22 lead after one. Brown made each of his six field goal attempts for 15 points in the opening 12 minutes.

The Celtics led 57-37 after a Tatum 3-pointer with 3:38 remaining in the second quarter. Al Horford capped a 13-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers that extended Boston’s lead to 65-37, and the Celtics were up 67-45 at halftime.

Brown was up to 23 points and Tatum collected 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.

Another Tatum 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 95-63 advantage with 4:10 left in the third quarter. It was 103-78 entering the fourth, and Boston’s lead peaked at 38 in the final quarter.

Each team was missing some key pieces. The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain), and the Pacers didn’t have Obi Toppin (left ankle sprain) or Andrew Nembhard (left knee injury management).

The teams will meet again Sunday in Boston.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Bow to Blue Jackets

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COLUMBUS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to stay hot and complete a three-game season-series sweep when they visit Boston to contest the second half of a home-and-home pair against the Bruins on Saturday.

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The Blue Jackets earned a 6-2 home-ice victory over the Bruins on Friday, giving them back-to-back wins and a four-game point streak (3-0-1). They have dominated the Bruins by an 11-3 combined score over the first two meetings.

“I think we were excited to get back to play after the break,” Columbus forward Sean Monahan said, referring to the team’s three-day Christmas hiatus. “Guys were moving the puck well, and we were finding the back of the net. We’ve got to keep that up and be consistent with that.”

That consistency starts with putting together another strong effort in the rematch after four Blue Jackets had multiple points and a four-goal second period marked the difference on Friday.

With a one-goal, two-assist performance, Kirill Marchenko upped his point streak to seven games (four goals, nine assists). The 24-year-old has been strong on a line with Dmitri Voronkov and Monahan, who both scored twice.

“They’re the line that drives our team,” defenseman Zach Werenski said after dishing out four assists.

The Blue Jackets already have tasted success in Boston with a 5-1 win back on Nov. 18. The next morning, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery was fired and replaced with interim coach Joe Sacco, who has gone 11-5-1 behind the bench.

Columbus is just 4-11-3 on the road as compared to 11-4-3 at home.

“We have to be better on the road if we’re going to get to where we want to go,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “(Friday’s) game has to roll into (Saturday).”

Boston is on a five-game home winning streak.

The Bruins’ best run of play this season — a five-game point streak (4-0-1) following blowout losses in Winnipeg and Seattle earlier this month — was snapped with the Friday loss.

On the plus side for Boston, Charlie Coyle scored for the third straight game and captain Brad Marchand recorded an assist to move his point streak to 11 games (seven goals, seven assists).

Despite success on the whole under Sacco, the Bruins are again showing their up-and-down tendencies.

The loss immediately followed a complete effort in 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Monday, when Boston allowed only 11 shots on goal.

“I thought Columbus … deserved what they got (on Friday). They were the better team,” Sacco said. “So, the three-day break didn’t have as much toll on them as it did on us. We just have to be better, all of us.”

The Bruins have struggled mightily on the penalty kill of late, going just 14-for-24 (58.3 percent) across the past nine games. Boston killed off 71.4 percent of opponents’ power plays this season before the current slump.

Prior to a 3-for-3 night on Friday, the Blue Jackets’ power play had not scored more than once in a game all season.

Boston’s second-period downfall was also the result of losing battles.

“You can’t win many games when you’re being outworked like that,” Coyle said. “That’s embarrassing.”

Finding a quick response back on home ice will be key for the Bruins.

“We didn’t play up to our standards (on Friday). I certainly didn’t play up to mine,” Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “The best part of this league is you get to turn a new leaf every single day. So, we’re going to leave this one here and we get a chance to get it right (Saturday).”

Prior to this season, the Bruins had lost just once in their previous nine head-to-head meetings with the Blue Jackets.

–Field Level Media

Greg Gumbel, 78

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report) – The popular sportscaster Greg Gumbel, a veteran of CBS Sports who spent more than 50 years in sports broadcasting, has died of cancer at the age of 78, his family and the network confirmed on Friday.

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“He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer,” his wife, Marcy, and daughter, Michelle, said in a joint statement released by CBS Sports from its New York City offices. “Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace and positivity.

“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.”

Bah, Humbug

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey collected 33 points and 12 assists to lead the visiting 76ers to a 118-114 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday.

The 76ers received 27 points and nine rebounds from Joel Embiid and 23 points from Caleb Martin, who made 7 of 9 3-point attempts.

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The Celtics, who trailed by 15 in the fourth quarter, trimmed their deficit to 116-114 with 4.9 seconds to play, but Embiid made two free throws to put the 76ers up by four with 2.8 seconds left. Philadelphia has won six of its past eight games.

Jayson Tatum led Boston in points (32) and rebounds (15). Jaylen Brown added 23 points and seven rebounds but shot 10 of 23 from the field. Payton Pritchard missed all eight of his 3-point attempts.

Boston, which was coming off a 108-104 setback against the Orlando Magic on Monday, lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Jrue Holiday didn’t play for Boston because of a right shoulder impingement. The Celtics also played most of the game without Kristaps Porzingis, who sustained a left ankle injury and didn’t play in the second half.

Philadelphia was without Andre Drummond, who missed his first game since Dec. 4 because of a sprained left toe. Drummond leads the 76ers in rebounding (8.0 boards per game).

The 76ers had a 30-25 advantage after one quarter and stretched the lead to 52-36 after a Paul George dunk capped a 17-2 run with 5:22 remaining in the first half. Philadelphia had a 66-58 halftime lead even though the Celtics made 13 of their 28 3-point attempts in the first two quarters.

Boston tied the contest, 74-74, on a Brown 3-pointer and took a 78-76 lead on a Tatum jumper with 4:03 left in the third quarter. The Celtics led by as many as four points in the frame, but it was 82-82 entering the fourth.

Philadelphia began the final quarter with a 12-2 spurt and led 94-84 after a Maxey jump shot with 8:50 to play. The 76ers extended their lead to 103-88 on a Martin 3-pointer with 6:37 left.

–Field Level Media

NBA Christmas Day Round-Up

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SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LA’s Austin Reaves drove for a go-ahead layup with one second left to cap a triple-double, LeBron James added to his Christmas Day lore with 31 points and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame an injury to center Anthony Davis to outlast the Golden State Warriors 115-113 on Wednesday night in the Bay Area.

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Despite losing Davis for good to a twisted left ankle in the eighth minute of the game, the Lakers held the upper hand for almost the entire final three quarters, leading to a fourth win in five games.

The Lakers led 109-100 with 1:30 to go before Stephen Curry nearly stole the show. The Warriors star scored eight points in a 13-4 run, burying a pair of improbable 3-pointers in the final 12.2 seconds, including a game-tying 31-footer with 7.6 seconds left.

Reaves wound up with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and James had 10 assists, too. Curry logged a game-high 38 points, a majority of which came on eight 3-pointers, tying the NBA record for a Christmas game.

Timberwolves 105, Mavericks 99

DALLAS – Anthony Edwards scored 26 points and visiting Minnesota beat the Mavericks, playing the second half without star Luka Doncic after he sustained a left calf strain late in the second quarter.

Doncic suffered the non-contact injury with 2:31 left in the second quarter and went straight to the locker room. The guard had 14 points in 16 minutes for the Mavericks, who were trailing 51-38 at the time of his injury.

Dallas fell behind by as many as 28 in the third quarter before mounting a comeback in the final period. The Mavericks cut the deficit to 101-99 on Klay Thompson’s 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining. Kyrie Irving scored 15 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter but missed a 3-pointer that would have given Dallas the lead with 37 seconds left, and Edwards scored on the next possession to give the Wolves a four-point lead.

76ers 118, Celtics 114

Tyrese Maxey collected 33 points and 12 assists to lead Philadelphia to a victory at Boston. The 76ers received 27 points and nine rebounds from Joel Embiid and 23 points from Caleb Martin, who made 7 of 9 3-point attempts.

The Celtics, who trailed by 15 in the fourth quarter, trimmed their deficit to 116-114 with 4.9 seconds to play, but Embiid made two free throws to put the 76ers up by four with 2.8 seconds left. Philadelphia has won six of its past eight games.

Jayson Tatum led Boston in points (32) and rebounds (15). Jaylen Brown added 23 points and seven rebounds, but the Celtics lost a second game in a row for the first time this season.

Knicks 117, Spurs 114

Mikal Bridges outdueled Victor Wembanyama by scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead host New York to a comeback win over San Antonio.

Bridges and Wembanyama combined to score 26 points in a fast-paced fourth quarter in which the teams combined for 60 points while shooting a collective 54.8 percent (23-for-42). Bridges finished with a season-high 41 points — the second-most by a Knicks player on Christmas Day behind Bernard King’s 60-point effort in 1984. Wembanyama had 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in his Christmas Day debut.

Miles McBride hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:43 left to give the Knicks the lead for good as the hosts won their season-high fifth in a row and improved to 15-4 since Nov. 15. Jeremy Sochan had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs.

Suns 110, Nuggets 100

Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal scored 27 points apiece and the Phoenix Suns avenged a one-sided loss at Denver earlier this week with a solid 110-100 victory over the visiting Nuggets on Wednesday night.

Tyus Jones added 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Monte Morris scored 11 off the bench for the Suns, who halted a three-game losing streak. Jusuf Nurkic collected 13 rebounds to go with eight points and six assists, Durant added six assists and Beal had four steals for Phoenix in the Christmas night affair.

–Field Level Media

Ravens Look Sharp with Jackson

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson set an NFL record, RB Derrick Henry achieved a single-season franchise mark and the visiting Ravens moved into first place in the AFC North with a 31-2 rout of the Houston Texans on Wednesday.

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Jackson rushed for 87 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, to give him 6,110 rushing yards for his career. That’s one more than Michael Vick, making Jackson the all-time leader in career rushing yards by a quarterback. Henry rushed for 147 yards and a score on 27 carries, giving him 16 touchdowns for the year, the most for a single season in team history.

His performance helped Baltimore (11-5) take a one-game lead on Pittsburgh with one week left in the season. The Ravens can clinch the AFC North title next week with a home win over Cleveland.

Jackson completed 10 of 15 passes for 168 yards with two touchdowns and another 87 yards on the ground with the score as Baltimore earned a 432-211 advantage in total yardage. The Ravens collected five sacks and came up with a goal-line stand in the second quarter with the game still up for grabs.

C.J. Stroud hit 17 of 31 attempts for 185 yards with an interception for Houston (9-7), which lost its second straight game and is now locked into the No. 4 spot for the AFC playoffs.

Henry initiated the scoring at the 10:08 mark of the first quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run, capping a 75-yard drive. Baltimore made it 10-0 the next time it touched the ball as Justin Tucker drilled a 52-yard field goal with 2:47 to go in the first.

The Texans got their only points with 10:09 left in the first half when Kamari Lassiter tackled Henry in the end zone for a 4-yard loss and a safety. Houston had a chance to score a touchdown on the ensuing possession but Joe Mixon was stopped at the 1 on a fourth-and-goal pass.

Baltimore sailed 99 yards down the field on its next possession, with Jackson throwing a 9-yard strike to Isaiah Likely with 1:51 remaining for a 17-2 halftime lead.

The Ravens made it a rout in the third quarter on Jackson’s long scoring run and his 1-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews at the 5:50 mark.

–Field Level Media

Chiefs Lock AFC No. 1 Seed

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Chiefs clinched home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 29-10 victory over the host Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.

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KC’s Travis Kelce became the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions and also took over the franchise lead with his 77th career touchdown catch. Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson also caught scoring passes and Kareem Hunt rushed for a touchdown for the Chiefs (15-1) during the Christmas Day affair.

Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson completed 23 of 37 passes for 205 yards and one interception as Pittsburgh (10-6) failed to clinch the AFC North for the second straight game. The Steelers have lost three consecutive games.

Mahomes was 29-of-38 passing while helping the Chiefs win their sixth straight game. Kansas City also set a franchise record with its 15th victory.

Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards to raise his career receptions total to 1,004. Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (1,325) and Jason Witten (1,228) are the only two tight ends with more catches.

Ironically, it was Gonzalez’s franchise record for receiving scores that Kelce broke. He celebrated by doing Gonzalez’s signature dunking of the football through the uprights. Gonzalez was a college basketball player in addition to being a star football player.

The Chiefs racked up five sacks and thrived defensively without star tackle Chris Jones (calf).

Kansas City led by six at halftime and increased the lead to 16-7 on Harrison Butker’s 32-yard field goal with 12:21 left in the third quarter.

The Steelers responded with Chris Boswell’s 36-yard field goal to move back within six with 5:45 left in the quarter.

Kelce’s 1,000th grab was a 19-yard gain late in the third quarter and helped set up Hunt’s 2-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion pass failed and the Chiefs settled for a 22-10 advantage.

On the next possession, Kelce caught a 12-yard scoring pass with 12:38 remaining in the game to increase the margin to 19.

Mahomes threw two first-half touchdown passes as Kansas City held a 13-7 halftime lead.

On the first one, Worthy lined up in the backfield and flared into the left flat to catch a 7-yard scoring pass. His celebration drew a 15-yard penalty, and Butker’s ensuing 48-yard extra point was wide right.

Later, Mahomes tossed a 11-yard touchdown pass to Watson with four minutes left in the opening quarter. Mahomes also teamed up with Watson on a 49-yard play earlier in the drive.

The Steelers got on the board with 10:28 left in the half when Wilson scored from the 1 by barely getting the ball across the goal line at the left pylon.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Christmas ’24

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

Merry Christmas ‘24 to all who celebrate the day. To others, this columnist wishes you sincere best wishes and joy for 2025 with peace during the holiday(s) you celebrate.

A sincere wish for Peace on Earth for all of us while we live our lives conveying Goodwill Towards Men (and women)!

As in years past, this Christmas-themed column carries the torch of the legendary writings of the late, great Shelby Strother. Later in the column, we’ll take a look back at 2024 with a week-by-week listing of what was covered by While We’re Young (Ideas).

I hope you enjoy this tradition.

Let’s get to it.

Each Christmas Day Contains the Past, Present and Future

By SHELBY STROTHER

It did not matter that the wind-chill was life threatening. It was Christmas morning, and a bright sun stabbed the frozen land. And children were playing.

The decision over which to play with – the official World Cup soccer ball or the Turbo Football – never materialized. With all the snow, a soccer match was out of the question. So spirals of pink and black performed in the most sincere imitations of Rodney Peete and Joe Montana floated back and forth in the yard.

What a nice sight.

The Annual Second Chance is near – it’s called New Year’s Eve. It is the window of opportunity where the hopes and fears of all the year (not to mention the mistakes) can be erased.

But Christmas Day is a time of reinforcement and the essence of tomorrow. And children playing with toys are the finest examples of what that tomorrow looks like.

I look out the window. I’ve been in that yard. All young boys have. Sports become such a part of childhood. Santa is aware of all of this, naturally.

This particular day is exquisite, I think to myself. I take personal inventory, not only of blessings and personal satisfaction, but of the presents of Christmas past. Still the kid, I suppose.

I got my first basketball when I was six. I made my first basket a year later. There was a tetherball set; I must have been eight. And a football helmet when I was ten. A Carl Furillo model baseball mitt at eleven. There were tennis rackets and fishing poles and boxing gloves and shrimp nets and a Mickey Mantle 32-inch Little League bat and one time, even a badminton set.

Every Christmas, I’d play out my dreams and my mind would fly over the rainbow, imagining my propulsion. Of course, I would become a major-leaguer, an All-Star, an all-time great, a Hall of Famer. We all would. My vision extended well beyond the day.

My athletic ability, alas, never kept stride. It was not the worst realization I would ever make.

But I have noticed a direct correlation between Christmas gifts and sporting dreams. The dreams are for the young. So are the gifts. Usually, the two disappear in unison. The rare few who project into greatness discover they do not need imagination to make those lofty flights of fantasy. Hope is not the co-pilot. Expectation is.

It must be a wonderful view.

I was thinking about all of this when another memory nudged me. My 17th Christmas I got a typewriter.

It was about the same time that I’d maneuvered my fantasy a few extra miles. I’d received a baseball scholarship to pitch at a small school in Florida. There were other opportunities, other colleges available. But none that would allow my athletic vision to continue.

I had expected a Christmas of more games in the yard. More dreams to celebrate. I got a typewriter instead.

“What am I going to do with a typewriter?” I asked.

My mother said I’d need it for college. But she also said, “Sometimes you get too old to play games. But you never get too old that you can’t use your imagination.”

Sometimes Christmas is taken for granted. Almost always, in fact. I think Christmas music, and I hear bells. I turn on the radio and I hear someone named Elmo and Patsy lamenting their grandmother’s head-on collision with a reindeer. I think of the meaning of Christmas, and I think of the most special birthday in the history of the world. But I turn on the TV and there are all these Claymation raisins doing Doo-Wop homages to the joys of buying machines wherein a microchip can seize command of entire generations.

Christmas (will soon) be gone, 364 days to go. But children still play. They chase the wonderful image of themselves as they would like to be seen. Christmas is their favorite arena. But they settle for lesser stadia.

But remember this – the present is sometimes confused with the package it comes wrapped in. Sometimes the gift is simply the freedom to imagine. There may be no greater one.

It was a great typewriter. I still play with it.

– A column by Shelby Strother

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Let’s take a look back at 2024 with Part One to follow starting today, and Part Two to come in next week’s missive. Here’s January to June 2024:

Part One – January 2024

Jan. 7th:

The PWHL Begins; The politics of Pro golf; PGA Tour Top 20 Players; NCAA TV Deal

Jan. 13th:

Bill Belichick saga; Jerod Mayo named Patriots head coach

Jan. 21st:

Celtics (20-1) at home; RIP Bud Harrelson; Sports Illustrated ^ sold (again)

Jan. 28th:

AFC/NFC Champ Sunday; BC vs. BU (ice hockey); Red Sox Truck Departs Fenway

February 2024

Feb. 4th

BIG EAST Update; 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend; Connor McDavid

Feb. 11th

Super Sunday (KC); NFL Honors (MVP Lamar Jackson); Super Menu; Clipped

Feb. 18th

NBA All-Star Weekend and Mac McClung; NBA All-Star ‘92 with Magic Johnson

Feb. 25th

Summer of ‘69 … From the Earth to the Moon; St. John’s Rick Pitino Meltdown

March 2024

March 3rd

March Madness; MIT Sloan Sports Conference; Hockey East; UConn Hoops

March 10th

MLB Spring Training & Seoul Game; The PLAYERS; Hockeyville, USA

March 17th

☘️ St. Patrick’s Day ‘24; BIG EAST at MSG; NYK St. Patrick’s Day tease

March 24th:

BC v. BU in Ice Hockey; National PUPPY Day ‘24; Irish Hurling

March 31st

MLB Regular Season; Predictions; UConn Dominating

April 2024

April 7th

Fenway Park; Basketball Hall of Fame Class; Caitlin Clark

April 14th

Boston Marathon/Patriots’ Day; Macklin Celebrini/Hobey Baker; Masters

April 21st

WNBA; Comparisons Miss the Facts; Scottie Scheffler Making History

April 28th

RIP St. John’s & ESPN’s Howie Schwab | The Who for Howie

May 2024

May 5th

FIBA Hall of Fame; The UFL; NBA’s Best Scorers Exit the Playoffs

May 12th

The NBA Draft Lottery; Thank you Mike Gorman; MLB Prospects

May 19th

Ice Hockey World Championship; ‘24 PGA Championship/Scheffler Arrested

May 25th/Memorial Day

The Sky is Falling at TNT; NLL Finals; 2024 Sports Emmy Awards

June 2024

June 2nd

Rest in Peace – Bill Walton (1952 – 2024) – Grateful Dead Tribute at The Sphere

June 9th

NBA Finals in Boston; Hockey’s Four Nations tournament

June 16th

Memorial tribute to Jerry West (1938 – 2024); Most Impactful in NBA History

June 23rd

The 2024 Travellers Championship; PGA Tour Update; Future CFB Playoffs

June 30th

The Greatest Things of Summer; BC Swimming/Dara Torres Hired to coach

TIDBITS: As the year comes to a close, it’s always fun to look at some sports business facts and figures, complete with a peek at the NBA team valuations provided by dear friends at Sportico. Each year, Sportico does a great job with the valuations of the major North American sports leagues. To see the full listing and the archives of others, you’ll need to subscribe (it’s a great value). Here? We’ll look at the Top 10:

  1. Golden State Warriors … $9.14b
  2. New York Knicks … $8.3b
  3. Los Angeles Lakers … $8.07b
  4. Brooklyn Nets … $5.7b
  5. Los Angeles Clippers … $5.68b
  6. Boston Celtics … $5.66b (team is for sale)
  7. Chicago Bulls … $5.56b
  8. Miami Heat … $5b
  9. Houston Rockets … $4.77b
  10. Toronto Raptors … $4.66b (US)

You’ll note, the Golden State Warriors took over the No. 1 slot previously held by the New York Knicks.

Also of note, the valuations were issued the week before the Dallas Mavericks hired longtime NBA Executive and Hall of Famer Rick Welts as its CEO. With that in mind, Digital Sports Desk estimates the Mavericks valuation improved mightily.

  • Dallas Mavericks (as of December 10, 2024) … $4.46b
  • Dallas Mavericks (as of this Thursday, December 19, 2024) … $5.46b

BOSTON PLAYER SALARIES: Here’s a look at the TOP 10 list of pro players cashing the loot during the 2024 season here in the Boston area:

  1. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics … $49,205,800
  2. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics … $34,845,340
  3. Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics … $30,000,000
  4. Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics … $29,268,293
  5. Mike Onwenu, New England Patriots … $26,000,000
  6. Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox … $25,000,000
  7. Drake Maye, New England Patriots … $24,262,100
  8. Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox … $22,500,000
  9. Kyle Dugger, New England Patriots … $21,000,000
  10. Derrick White, Boston Celtics … $18,821,429

THIS JEST IN: Harvard announced its first foray into the land of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). The press announcement read, “We are excited to announce the launch of Harvard’s One Crimson NIL Exchange platform, designed to connect businesses with our talented student-athletes for Name, Image and Likeness opportunities.

“This platform, powered by INFLCR, offers a streamlined process for businesses to engage directly with Harvard student athletes, facilitating collaborations that can enhance your brand’s visibility while providing our athletes with valuable partnerships.”

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: The FBI arrested and charged Atlanta-based Eugene Toriko travel agency’s CEO Maurice Eugene Smith in connection to the failed George Mason men’s basketball trip to the Bahamas this year. Again, credit to Sportico along with the D-1 Ticker, both reporting that $159,756 designated for accomodations and flights for George Mason’s team were allegedly utilized for private trips to Mexico and Panama. There is a possible 20-year sentence awaiting if convicted of wire fraud.

The complaint was filed this week in U.S. District Court in Virginia. Apparently, none of the money was returned to the school or its athletic department.

Rick Welts Named Mavs’ CEO

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DALLAS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Dallas Mavericks organization has named Rick Welts the new Chief Executive Officer of the NBA franchise, effective Jan. 1, 2025, following Cynt Marshall’s nearly seven-year tenure.

In his remarkable 46-year career in sports and entertainment, Welts has previously held roles as President and COO of the Golden State Warriors, President of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, and the NBA’s Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and President of NBA Properties.

“Inspiring leadership has been a staple of the Dallas Mavericks since Cynt Marshall started leading the organization in 2018 as CEO. I’m extremely proud that her legacy of success and our family’s vision for the future of this franchise will soon be in the hands of another great leader,” said Mavericks team Governor Patrick Dumont. “Rick Welts is among the most successful executives in the history of the NBA and a member of the Hall of Fame. To have him join us as we continue to build on the successful history of the Mavericks is a clear signal that this organization is serious about both growing its position as an elite NBA team and further positioning the franchise among the most popular sports teams in the world.”

“The chance to lead this organization in this city at this time is both incredibly exciting and unexpected,” said Welts. “I appreciate Patrick’s confidence in selecting me to build upon the culture and success that Cynt Marshall and Nico Harrison have created. My long-standing friendships with them both give me a lot of confidence in accepting this opportunity. I can’t wait to get started learning all I can about Dallas and how best to serve our fans and this community.”

“It gives me great pleasure to pass the baton to my friend, Rick Welts. From the day I joined the Mavs, I’ve benefited from his knowledge and vast experience in the sports and entertainment industry,” said Marshall. “I love our team so much and I’m happy that they will be in such great hands. There is no doubt that Rick and his family will embrace and enjoy the wonderful fans, employees and communities in Dallas.”

Welts began his NBA career as a ballboy with the SuperSonics in 1969 at the age of 16 and, a decade later, was a part of the franchise’s lone NBA championship in 1979 as its public relations director. During his 17 years with the NBA league office in New York, Welts’ notable accomplishments included the creation of NBA All-Star Weekend in 1984 and the marketing program for USA Basketball’s Olympic “Dream Team” in 1992. Along with (former WNBA President and current BIG East Commissioner) Val Ackerman, he was named “Marketer of the Year” by Brandweek in 1998 for his role in launching the WNBA.

Greek Freak was Out in Vegas

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LAS VEGAS – Milwaukee’s Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and dished 10 assists and to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup title with a 97-81 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

Milwaukee became the second winner of the Cup, following the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship in the inaugural tournament last season.

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Damian Lillard added 23 points for the Bucks.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21 points but shot just 8-for-24 from the field, including 2 of 9 from 3-point range. Jalen Williams added 18 points on 8-of-20 shooting, while Isaiah Hartenstein added 16.

Lillard gave the Bucks an 11-point lead by draining one of his signature long range 3-pointers with 9:08 remaining in the third quarter. The bucket came directly following back-to-back technical fouls on Thunder forward Luguentz Dort and coach Mike Daigneault, leading to two free throws that Lillard sank.

Antetokounmpo scored 14 points in the first half and Lillard chipped in 12 as Milwaukee led 51-50 at the break. Hartenstein paced the Thunder with 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the half, despite earning a technical foul after a dust-up with Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. Neither team was able to extend the lead to more than five points in the second quarter as the Bucks outscored the Thunder 24-22.

The Thunder opened the game on a 16-9 run, forcing the Bucks to call timeout after 4 1/2 minutes. Lillard promptly answered, scoring seven of Milwaukee’s point Bucks as they went on a 13-4 run to take their first lead with 3:26 remaining in the first quarter.

Oklahoma City held a 28-27 advantage going into the second, in part because of a go-ahead 3-pointer by Gilgeous-Alexander with 1:22 left in the quarter.

Milwaukee made 34 of its 81 attempts (42 percent) from the field for the game, shooting 17 of 40 (42.5 percent) from 3-point range. The Bucks outrebounded Oklahoma City 52-43 and led by as many 20 points in the second half.

The Thunder shot 29 of 86 (33.7 percent) from the field, making only 5 of 32 attempts (15.6 percent) from long distance.

–Field Level Media