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Celtics Ice Indiana Pacers

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Jaylen Brown tossed in a game-high 31 points and added nine rebounds to help the Boston Celtics overcome a 20-point deficit and defeat the visiting Indiana Pacers 103-95 Monday night. Indiana, which led by 20 early in the third quarter, was held to 34 points in the second half and 13 points in the fourth quarter.

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The Celtics received 19 points from Derrick White and a game-high 11 rebounds from rookie Hugo Gonzalez. Pascal Siakam tallied 25 points for Indiana and Andrew Nembhard contributed 20. Bennedict Mathurin added 16 points and nine rebounds for Indiana, which has lost five in a row.

Boston forward Jordan Walsh did not play because of an illness that also prevented him from playing in the second half of Saturday’s 112-96 victory over Toronto. Walsh is averaging 7.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game this season.

Indiana led 30-18 after an Ethan Thompson 3-pointer with 4:25 left in the opening quarter. It was the last of eight straight 3-point shots the Pacers made in the quarter. Boston scored the next eight points, but Indiana led 35-26 after 12 minutes. The Pacers held a 61-41 lead — their largest lead of the first half — with 1:22 remaining in the second quarter. Indiana made 12 of 30 3-point attempts in the first half and led 61-43 entering the third.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters early in the third, and Boston whittled Indiana’s lead to six points, 74-68, on an Anfernee Simons 3-pointer with 3:15 left in the third. The Pacers led 82-74 after three quarters, but misfired on 11 of their 12 3-point attempts in the stanza. The Celtics took their first lead in the second half on a Brown reverse layup that put Boston in front 85-84 with 7:19 to play.

With the score tied at 91, the hosts outscored their guests, 10-0, capped by a White driving layup with 41.7 seconds remaining.

The Pacers missed 19 of their 20 3-point attempts in the second half. Boston outscored Indiana 52-28 in the paint.

The two squads will meet again Friday in Indiana.

–Field Level Media

Adam Silver: State of the NBA

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LAS VEGAS – (Wire Service Report) – A decision on possible NBA expansion is due next year, and Las Vegas and Seattle are at the head of the line should the league open the door to new franchises, commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged on Tuesday at a media gathering prior to the NBA Cup final.

“It’s not a secret we’re looking at this market in Las Vegas,” Silver said. “We are looking at Seattle. We’ve looked at other markets, as well. I’d say I want to be sensitive there about this notion that we’re somehow teasing these markets, because I know we’ve been talking about it for a while.

“We’re in the process of working with our (existing) teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them. And then sometime in 2026, we’ll make a determination.”

The NBA last expanded in 2004 with the arrival of the Charlotte Bobcats as the 30th team. Charlotte previously had a team, the Hornets, that relocated to New Orleans. Seattle hopes to follow a similar pattern, as it lost the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008.

Las Vegas has never been home to an NBA franchise, but it has close ties to the league as the site of a summer league and as the host of the NBA Cup semifinals and final the past few years.

“I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities,” Silver said. “Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success. We have a WNBA team here in Las Vegas in the Aces. We’ve been playing the summer league here for 20 years. We’re playing our Cup games here, so we’re very familiar with this market.”

“I don’t have any doubt that Las Vegas, despite all of the other major league teams that are here now, the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team.”

Silver addressed other league topics:

–The NBA commissioner said he is closely monitoring the collective-bargaining talks between the WNBA and its players union.

“As I’ve said before, we, the NBA, WNBA collective, acknowledged that our players deserve to be paid significantly more than they have so far based on the increased success of the league, and it’s just a question now of finding a meeting of the minds in terms of what is a fair deal,” he said. “It’s going to require compromise on both sides. I remain optimistic we’ll get something done.”

–The Miami Heat might be granted salary-cap relief related to the absence of Terry Rozier. The guard is on leave after he was charged with alerting gamblers he would leave a game early, allowing them to cash in on prop bets regarding his statistics. Rozier pleaded not guilty in federal court last week.

“We’re going to try to work something through, work this out with them, but there’s no obvious solution here,” Silver said. “I would just say that there’s no doubt at the moment they have a player that can’t perform services for them. … Obviously, he hasn’t been convicted of anything yet either — but this is an unfortunate circumstance. Sometimes there’s these unique events and maybe sometimes they require a unique solution.”

–Silver disputed assertions that the NBA Cup is overloading the players.

“All I can deal with is the data itself, and the data we have so far this season is we have the lowest number of injuries in the last three years,” Silver said.

–Field Level Media

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TL’s Sunday Notes | December 14

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

PROVIDENCE – The date was October 12, 1989 and the assignment was to be a one-man, one day advance team for the NBA as the Orlando Magic were to play their first game ever the following day. NBA Commissioner David Stern was in route to attend the game and, as always, Stern was willing and very able to do as many interviews as possible, TV one-on-ones, small group gatherings with the local assembled print media in the pressroom – you name it, he’d do it.

David was “an ace in the hole” for his “crack” PR staff and I was ready to run him through the gauntlet at Orlando’s brand-spanking new O-Rena. It was great.

With a bit of local intel from the Magic’s terrific PR staff (Alex Martins), a schedule was drawn up to catch as many of the local TV broadcasts as time would allow. The stations worked together – a bit – to slide live drop-ins and share in the wealth.

I don’t think Stuart Scott knew all of that as he was working at WRAL-TV in Raleigh at the time. But, he was soon to be on our radar.

Stern did his duty and the Orlando Magic won the game. A terrific start for the NBA expansion team – one of four that came into the league – alphabetically – in 1988 and 1989. Charlotte and Miami in 1988 and Minnesota and Orlando in 1989. We made the rounds for all four cities, a two-man NBA traveling band over many of the years as the NBA began to stretch its legs in terms of media coverage and worldwide popularity.

Just a few years later, it was Earvin “Magic” Johnson on center stage as the 1992 NBA All-Star Weekend was scheduled to be played in Orlando and for the second year, I was named to run point for our growing PR department by NBA PR guru Brian McIntyre, the guy with Bunn Award Hall of Fame skills. In an attempt to set a huge stage for Magic and the Magic organization, we all combined with the NBA events and attractions group to stage an incredible weekend.

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There were countless planning trips down to Orlando – all with flights packed with kids, sometimes tots, all anxious and excited to visit Disney World. For those flights, the Bose (noise-cancelling) headphones and plenty of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were packed to counter the crying and carrying on for little ones with altitude adjustment issues and painful ears. I felt for them, but there’s no child who can out-scream “Kashmir” or “When the Levee Breaks.”

The more trips, the more I noticed a WESH-TV 2’s sports reporter. Yes, Stuart Scott had moved to Orlando for a better gig on the WESH-TV news team, and he was good. He stood out amongst the relatively small media mass of Orlando, one where a guy named Christopher Russo had yet to go canine.

Leading up to the All-Star Weekend, I asked Stuart if he needed anything “special,” and more or less opened the door for any request. Earvin could only do the main podium interviews, and he was his usual amazing self, but I had the keys to Commissioner Stern’s busy schedule, and, aside from the obvious NBC Sports requests, in my eyes after observing Stuart over months of reports, the young reporter out of North Carolina had earned a little extra – call it, ‘treat him like family,’ love and an audience with Stern. That was a considerable “get” for a local broadcaster.

There’s no great punchline to this intro. Stuart Scott had earned the respect of all of the Magic players and their opponents, and his talent was noticeable to anyone who watched him work. He had yet to coin the phrase, “Cool as the other side of the pillow,” but that’s what he was – every single night. He was just a pleasure to work with and he generally appreciated the give-and-take. And, that’s the way we rolled for quite a long time. We worked at many an NBA game, and even in London where the Magic played the Atlanta Hawks at the very first NBA London Games (1993). Stuart and Shaquille O’Neal – the NBA Rookie of the Year in ‘92-93 – had developed quite a nice relationship. Shaq seemed to enjoy his time with Stuart, rather than think of it as work.

Stuart eventually became, “Stu,” to most of us, and he advanced his career by accepting a job with ESPN where he was among the opening night newscasters on ESPN2, the mothership’s attempt to be “cool.” It quickly became obvious, with Keith Olbermann on-set and on-air in a goofy leather jacket, and at that point in time, “Stu” was the only thing “cool” about ESPN2.

Scott was eventually promoted to the “A” team at ESPN and there he was hosting the main newscast at the NBA Finals. He had developed a rapport with so many of the rank and file NBA players, it was never difficult to coordinate an interview as the players liked him and enjoyed his rock solid style of conducting business. It was a joy to be a small part of as Stuart truly commanded the NBA airwaves. It seemed like Stuart Scott was growing up with the NBA, with pro basketball in Central Florida and, then, with a national following of sports fans.

To take a rather corny line from Forrest Gump, Stu and the NBA were like peas and carrots. Then – just like Forrest’s Jenny – the roof caved in and we heard the news of Stu’s battle vs. cancer.

It was a body-check in the gut, and it knocked the air right out of our bodies, minds and spirits. It wasn’t fair.

It never is.

Time moved along, just as it did for our other NBA Family insider – TNT’s Craig Sager – and both Stu and Sager courageously battled cancer and are now etched in our psyche with their mind-blowing, tremendous, courageous speeches at the ESPYs.

That brings us to the “Boo-yah,” A Portrait of Stuart Scott – a must watch documentary available on the ESPN app. In addition to extensive interviews with Stuart’s surviving family and his pillars – his daughters – there is quite a bit of entertaining original footage coming in the “never seen before” fashion.

Film producer Andre Gaines told The Hollywood Reporter he had “easily” 400 to 500 hours of footage to use for his ESPN 30 for 30 installment, much of which Scott shot himself … of himself.

That includes what became Gaines’ poetic documentary ending scene, first dug out of the archives by the documentary’s producer Ryan Lohuis. I will not spoil its impact.

Boston Bruins’ Winter Classic team sweater (Courtesy Boston Bruins)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Who needs another retro/alternate team uniform? Raise your hands. Anyone?

“Through multiple Winter Classics and of course our club’s 100th anniversary, we’ve done a lot of retro and vintage style jerseys, but Stadium Series presented an opportunity to do something really unique,” said Boston Bruins President Cam Neely. “We’re introducing a new team uniform that combines Bruins toughness and snarl with some really dialed up components and coloring. These sweaters are going to look great under the Sunday night lights.”

The Bruins’ Winter Classic jerseys feature a variety of new brand marks and design elements:

Sunshine Motif: In addition to the primary gold color, the jersey features debossed sun rays on the sleeves and on the hem loop label, which also features “BOS” – Boston’s airport code – a nod to the road warriors. (Who knew #1)?

Football-Inspired: The main “Boston” wordmark on the front of the jersey is akin to the New England Patriots styling, an intentional nod to the game being hosted in an NFL football stadium, and features a lock-up treatment with the Bruins’ crawling bear logo. The crawling bear – traditionally a secondary brand asset – is bigger and more prominent for the Stadium Series. (Who knew #2)?

Bear Claw Slash: One side shoulder features a new secondary mark, an iconic varsity B with a bear claw slash to signifying the grit and toughness that have been synonymous with Bruins hockey for more than 100 years. The slash graphic element appears throughout the uniform, including on the jersey, helmet, and pants. (Who knew #3)?

Love For New England: The inside neck collar features the abbreviations of the six New England states as a reminder that the Bruins are proud to represent their region no matter where they play. (Who Knew #4)?

That’s four “Who Knews,” a new Winter Classic record.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The FIFA World Cup draw took place a couple of weeks ago and, as the ping-pong balls fell, it brought New England one of the highly anticipated matches with Norway vs. France. Norway’s team is an up and coming world competitor with striker Erling Haaland leading the Norwegian football team. Haaland is considered one of the top players in the world. He plays for Manchester City in the English Premier League and is celebrated for his exceptional goal-scoring ability to allow Norway to make their first major tournament appearance since 2000.

They’ll face France, considered to be one of the favorites to lift the coveted World Cup trophy, especially after their strong performance in the preceding tournaments. They exhibit a powerful blend of experienced players and exciting young talent, making them a formidable contender.

France won in 2018 and finished as a 2022 finalist. Les Bleus will be a serious contender yet again with its treasure trove of talent. Superstar forward Kylian Mbappe is entering his prime and Ousmane Dembele just won the Ballon d’Or. Other star options in attack are Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki.

Now, the bad news: An early inquiry into purchasing tickets for the big FRA vs NOR game resulted in some astronomical prices. A single ticket was listed at $2,158 (by tournament sponsor VISA) in a promotion which included a few bells and whistles (VIP stuff). A pair for the FRA vs NOR game? $6,700 bucks, and I’m not sure that includes parking fees at “Boston Stadium,” as they scrubbed Gillette right off the marquee.

Somehow, the tickets will sell. But, who can afford them?

THIS JEST IN: You might celebrate Christmas. Then there’s Festivus – the George Costanza/Seinfeld publicized “Festivus for the Rest of Us.” And, now for the Rock ‘n Rollers. there’s “Goosemas.”

Goose the Band (Google it, if you haven’t heard of them) plays back-to-back concerts on an annual basis and has tagged them as “Goosemas.” It’s a bit of a goof for a band that prides itself on not taking themselves too seriously but over the past for or five years has established themselves at the No. 1 Jam Band on the circuit.

While Jam Band sort of catches all aspects of the music, Goose is very hard to categorize. They were originally tagged as Indie Rock and they self-describe the band as “Indie Groove,” they’ve evolved into pure musical and theatrical mastery. The band hails from Wilton, Connecticut, and they formed in 2014. Theyve had some line-up changes over the years but solidified under the three original members in guitarist and vocalist superb, Rick Mitarotonda, while keyboardist and vocalist Peter Anspach keeps up the rapport with the growing fan base (sometimes referred to as “Creatures.” Bass player Trevor Weekz (often spelled Weeks and he went with a WEEKS New York Rangers jersey when at The Garden) holds down the sound nearly as well as The Who’s late bass man John Entwistle who is sometimes considered the all-time best. Like Entwisle, Weekz plants himself on stage and barely moves any part of his lower body while working magic with his hands and bass guitar, usually a Elrick Gold Series bolt-on 5-string or his Modulus Quantum 5-string; Godin A5 fretless 5-string; ’70s Fender Jazz Bass; or maybe an Elrick Master Series 35”- scale, single cutaway 5-string; or the patented and go-to Fender Tony Franklin Fretless Precision Bass after graduating from his first bass guitar – a used, Japanese-made Fender Jazz Bass with EMG pickups. Drummer Cotter Ellis plays a non-stop back beat making everyone wonder how he doesn’t simply tire out. Mitarotonda and Anspach handle most of the song-writing.

Goosemas 2025 at Providence (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

While Goose has now played sellout shows at Radio City Music Hall, Red Rocks in Colorado and Madison Square Garden in New York amongst all the other great venues, this veteran Goose fan (tipped off years ago by my Phish-loving neighbor) sees a band constantly evolving, constantly creating, constantly improving and finding a new niche that attracts fans of all genres and all ages.

Mitarotonda’s guitar playing has mesmerized all of his fans, while his voice remains so rock solid. It’s hard not to go too far with comparisons, so I won’t, but Mitarotonda has the whole package of guitar chops, the solid voice and exquisite song writing skills. He stands center stage and commands his audience in a smooth, natural way – simply being his cool self – nothing more, nothing less. Mitarotonda is the superstar of this band and he was born to be a musical legend.

Goosemas 2025 (night one) was incredible, almost indescribable, but I’ll try. Tagged as “Barnaby Glimpse’s Show Upon Time: A Phantom Menagerie” which was fictionally staged in the year 1734, the theatrics conjured up the craziest nights of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras mixed with a real menagerie of dancing creatures, hundreds of balloons and inflatable objects, all bouncing around a Providence venue (Amica Mutual Pavillion … the AMP) that must have a new high for an electric/power bill today. All the theatrics were backed by incredible guitar, bass and drum-driven “grooves” that made the buildings’ floor look like it was a giant waterbed moving up and down with two or three thousand fans packed together for one giant dance-off in one giant dance hall. Goose was fabulous.

During the early stages of Friday night’s show, Goose debuted Pink Floyd’s “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” as a first-time cover, featuring Ellis on lead vocals and adding Stuart Bogie on woodwinds during their first set. Bogie’s sax playing was a wonderful addition to the band.

The show closed as Ellis subtly exited the stage, soon to be followed by Weekz which allowed Mitarotonda and Anspach a finely lit stage to deliver their debut cover version of Neil Young’s “Sugar Mountain.”

Anspach exited, leaving only a lone vocalist and guitarist in Mitarotonda who upon hitting the last note, slowly walked over to the Ghostlight on stage and turned it off.

What a finish.

Stunning.

EDITOR’S NOTE: At approximately 4:13pm on Saturday, there was a mass shooting on the campus of Brown University in Providence, where this column originated from on Friday. Police and authorities are reporting two fatalities and multiple people (at least eight) injured and in critical condition.

In hindsight, and looking back about 24 hours, the joy of life during a peaceful weekend and attending an entertaining rock show turns to helpless feelings of sympathy for the families of the victims, some possibly not even notified as of this writing from nearby Boston on Saturday evening.

Brown is such a wonderful school and the City of Providence a gem amongst East Coast small towns. May God Bless the victims of this senseless crime with hope police, FBI and first responders quickly apprehend the perpetrator of this crime.

Spurs Beat OKC in NBA Cup

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and wire Service Report  – San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama delivered 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter in his return from a calf injury and the Spurs earned a spot in the NBA Cup West final with a 111-109 upset of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. The Spurs will play the New York Knicks in Tuesday night’s NBA Cup final. The Knicks beat the Orlando Magic 132-120 earlier Saturday in the other semifinal.

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Devin Vassell scored 23 points and De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle added 22 apiece as San Antonio handed the Thunder just their second loss in 26 games this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points for the Thunder, who had their franchise-record 16-game winning streak halted. Oklahoma City had not lost since Nov. 5 at Portland.

Wembanyama returned after a 12-game absence and was limited to 20 minutes. He collected nine rebounds and San Antonio outscored the Thunder by 21 when Wembanyama was on the floor. Jalen Williams had 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals and Chet Holmgren added 17 points for Oklahoma City. Alex Caruso had 11 points, eight rebounds and three steals off the bench and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Thunder pulled within 106-105 on a dunk by Gilgeous-Alexander with 14.9 seconds left. Castle made two free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining to give San Antonio a three-point lead. After the Thunder again pulled within one, Vassell made two free throws with 3.3 seconds left to give the Spurs a 111-108 lead.

Williams was fouled and made the first free throw with 1.5 seconds left. He missed the second on purpose but Caruso’s follow sailed behind the basket.

The Spurs made 41.1% of their field-goal attempts, including 13 of 42 from behind the arc, while winning for the 18th time in 25 games this season. Oklahoma City shot 41.3% from the field and was just 9 of 37 from 3-point range.

The Spurs took their first lead at 57-56 on a basket by Fox with 8:45 left in the third quarter. That was part of a 10-0 run that ended with Vassell’s trey to put San Antonio up six with 7:58 remaining. Fox made two free throws with 0.1 seconds to go as San Antonio took a 78-77 lead into the final stanza.

The Spurs were up five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder used a 11-3 push to take a 93-90 edge on Caruso’s basket with 6:47 remaining. At the outset, Oklahoma City jumped out to a 14-4 lead and ended up with a 31-20 advantage after the opening period.

–Field Level Media

Knicks Beat Magic for Trip to NBA Cup Final

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LAS VEGAS – (Wire Service Report) – Jalen Brunson scored 25 of his season-high 40 points in the first half, Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points and the New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Cup final with a 132-120 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night. OG Anunoby scored 24 points and Mikal Bridges added 16 as the Knicks won their fifth consecutive game to match a season high. New York shot 60.7% from the floor while improving to 9-1 since Nov. 24.

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The Knicks will face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday here in Las Vegas.

Jalen Suggs scored 26 points and Paolo Banchero added 25 as the Magic lost for the first time in six NBA Cup games while getting eliminated. Desmond Bane scored 18 points and Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 as Orlando lost for the third time in five games overall. Suggs also scored 25 points in the first half while helping to pick up the offensive slack for the Magic without Franz Wagner, who has missed consecutive games with a sprained left ankle. Suggs took just one shot in the second half.

The Knicks have defeated the Magic twice in the past seven days after Orlando won the first two matchups of the season series in November.

The Knicks went on an 8-0 run to close the third quarter while turning a 92-92 tie into a 100-92 lead. The Magic failed to score over the final 2:30 of the third quarter and nearly two minutes into the fourth as New York went on an extended 10-0 run for a 102-92 advantage.

Suggs departed with 7:35 remaining while favoring his left hip and went directly to the locker room as the Knicks held a 108-98 advantage.

Brunson gave the Knicks a 121-110 lead with 2:47 remaining on a step-back jumper to reach 40 points. New York’s Josh Hart (12 points) sealed the victory on a driving layup with 1:20 left for a 125-116 lead.

–Field Level Media

Reeling Raptors Host Celtics

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TORONTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Toronto Raptors are showing the effects of a grueling stretch in the schedule and there is no letup this afternoon when they host the Boston Celtics. The Raptors have dropped four of five after losing 111-86 to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

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The five games have come in a seven-day stretch starting Nov. 29 when they lost 118-111 in overtime at Charlotte to end their nine-game winning streak.

The Raptors are 1-2 to start a five-game homestand with the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday snapping an eight-game home winning streak.

“Mentally, physically, we’ve got to get away, we’ve got to recharge very quickly for Sunday and a 3:30 p.m. game,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “A quick turnaround over here, the schedule is what it is. We’re going to bounce back and find our energy levels and compete.”

The Celtics, meanwhile, romped to a 126-105 victory over the undermanned Lakers on Friday and have won four straight and nine of 11.

They also were playing their fifth game in seven days on Friday.

“I thought we did a good job — tremendous job — of figuring out how to pull out wins,” said Payton Pritchard, who scored 15 points on Friday. “And then in these past two games, we kind of just put our foot on the gas and took care of business. I feel like our team is growing, and we’ve just got to keep growing and keep getting better.”

The Celtics defeated the host Washington Wizards 146-101 on Thursday without Jaylen Brown, who scored 30 against the Lakers.

This will be the first meeting between Boston and Toronto this season. The Celtics won three of four from the Raptors last season with the teams splitting two in Toronto.

The Celtics have made an impressive adjustment to the prolonged absence of Jayson Tatum.

Jordan Walsh is one reason for the Celtics’ surge. He shot 6-for-7 from the field on Friday and is shooting 18-for-19 over the past three games.

He had four 3-pointers and scored 17 points against the Lakers, adding two blocked shots and one steal in 26:17. He posted a team-high box plus/minus of +28.

“He’s been great,” Brown said. “I don’t want to boost his head up too much. I don’t want him to start getting cute. He’s got to still take care of the details. But he’s been doing a good job.”

The Raptors did not get much help from their supporting cast on Friday. Immanuel Quickley scored a season-best 31 points, and Scottie Barnes had 13. No one else had more than Jamal Shead’s nine points. Brandon Ingram, who has been among Toronto’s most consistent scorers, was held to seven points on 3-for-13 shooting. He grabbed nine rebounds.

“Physically, we were worn down,” Rajakovic said. “I’m really proud of our guys tonight. I really thought that we tried. We tried. But when you’re trying and you’re missing layups, and you’re missing wide open shots, it’s hard to keep it up. What I think that we did an outstanding job at was we did not quit. We continued fighting and fighting and fighting.”

Jakob Poeltl, who rested his back injury on Thursday, returned on Friday and had five points and seven rebounds.

RJ Barrett (sprained knee) remained out against Charlotte. Jamison Battle suffered a sprained left ankle early in the fourth quarter on Friday. X-rays were negative.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Cruise Past Lakers

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jaylen Brown had 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help the Boston Celtics stretch their winning streak to four games by beating the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 126-105 Friday night.

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Brown was one of six Boston players who scored in double figures. The Celtics received 19 points from Derrick White, 17 from Jordan Walsh and 15 from Payton Pritchard. Sam Hauser added 12 points and Neemias Queta finished with 10.

Walsh has made 18 of his 19 shots from the floor over the last three games.

The Lakers played without Luka Doncic (personal reasons), LeBron James (right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis) and Marcus Smart (muscle strain). Doncic is the NBA’s leading scorer (35.3 points per game).

Boston made 24 of its 45 3-point attempts (53.3%). White connected on 5 of 10 3-pointers.

Austin Reaves had a 36-point performance for Los Angeles. Gabe Vincent tossed in 18, and Deandre Ayton had six points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Los Angeles lost despite making 25 of 29 shots from the free throw line. Boston made 10 of its 12 free throw attempts.

Boston started off hot and had a 39-17 lead after one quarter. The Celtics had their largest lead of the first half after Pritchard made a stepback jumper that put Boston up 56-27 with 7:08 remaining in the second quarter.

The Celtics shot 52% from 3-point territory through the first two quarters (13 of 25) and had a 69-46 halftime lead. The Lakers were 13-of-40 (32.5%) from the floor in the first half.

A 9-0 run trimmed Boston’s lead to 17 points, 85-68, with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter. A Reaves jumper with 8.6 seconds left in the third capped an 8-0 Lakers run that made it 97-82 entering the final 12 minutes, but Boston regained the momentum by scoring the first nine points in the fourth.

Boston has won 9 of its last 11 games.

–Field Level Media

Nets Beat Celtics in NBA Cup

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. scored 33 points and Nic Claxton recorded his first career triple-double, fueling the visiting Nets to a 113-105 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday to salvage a split of their home-and-home series. Porter sank 13 of 21 shots from the floor — including 4 of 6 from 3-point range — to extend his career-best run of games with at least 20 points to eight in a row. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter.

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Brooklyn, which avenged its 113-99 home court setback on Tuesday, improved to 1-2 in NBA Cup Group B play. The Celtics, in turn, fell to 1-2.

Noah Clowney scored 19 points and Claxton had 18 to go along with 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Rookie Egor Demin added 12 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Nets, who have recorded all three of their wins this season on the road.

Jaylen Brown collected 26 points and eight rebounds while dealing with foul trouble for the Celtics, and Anfernee Simons added 23 points off the bench.

Boston trimmed a 15-point deficit down to four at 96-94 following a 17-4 run to start the fourth quarter before Demin drained a crowd-silencing 3-pointer with 5:04 remaining. Porter sandwiched shots from the interior along with a 3-pointer to push Brooklyn’s lead to 106-97 with 2:50 to play. Neemias Queta made a tip-in to bring the Celtics within three points at 71-68 midway into the third quarter before the Nets ignited a 19-4 run. Ziaire Williams threw down a dunk in transition to cap the sequence.

Brooklyn capped a 40-point second quarter with an 11-2 run. Demin scored four points during that sequence and recorded a crucial steal and set up a Clowney for a layup with 2.8 seconds remaining to give the Nets a 62-53 lead at halftime. Porter drained a 3-pointer to stake Brooklyn to a 19-12 lead with 5:14 remaining in the first before Boston began a 16-3 run to end the quarter. Payton Pritchard converted three times from beyond the arc and Luka Garza added a 3-pointer during that sequence and the Celtics took a 28-22 lead after 12 minutes.

Brooklyn converted 43 of 82 shots from the floor (52.4%), while Boston attempted eight more shots, but sank one less field goal (42 of 90, 46.7%).

–Field Level Media

From the Vault:

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A Memory of an Old Friend

Note: Reprinted from a Digital Sports Desk column of November 18, 2019

By TERRY LYON(S)

There’s a very special bond shared with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bill Lyon that only the letter “s” could separate. He had a highly demanding job as lead sports columnist in a sports-loving city where the games frequently ended just as his deadline approached. In Philadelphia, no sportsman wore glass slippers, so … somehow, through sheer talent … Bill Lyon endured and excelled, an hour and a half before the clock struck midnight. Just as many a writer with a west coast, pacific time zone deadline would be sitting down to craft a game story or sidebar, Lyon would be packing up for the night, computer tucked away in his bag slung over his shoulder with his work already placed in a column, flush-left, adorning the front page of the sports section or maybe A-1 of the newspaper, if the game just concluded was as worthy as his prose.

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Bill Lyon was a gentleman and a professional. He covered sports in Philadelphia and his job placed him in press boxes and locker rooms all across America. He wrote about the Phillies and baseball, the Eagles in football, the Flyers in ice hockey, but the bond shared revolved around the Philadelphia 76ers and NBA basketball. Bill rode shotgun alongside the Inquirer’s beat writers for 76ers basketball. From Hall of Famer Bill Livingston to the eccentric style of the late George Shirk to the solid reporting of Frank Lawlor or Joe Juliano, and nowadays Keith Pompey. Bill marched side-by-side at the broad sheet Inquirer with the great Bob Ford, as Lyon cranked out columns, on tight deadlines, with an upbeat approach and depth that few could even imagine, nevermind dream up and publish in 20 or 25 minutes.

During his tenure, he covered Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Moses Malone of the Sixers, although Lyon’s personality was undoubtedly more Maurice Cheeks than Darryl Dawkins. As the seasons changed, he covered Steve Carlton or Mike Schmidt of the Phillies, Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb of the Eagles, Rick Tocchet and Eric Lindros of the Flyers, prize fights, golf tournaments and maybe an Olympics or ten, but it was adjacent to NBA hardwood where we met and spoke quite often.

You see, long before the days of electronic mail, voicemail or iPhone 11s, Motorola Razors, Blackberries or any other type of mobile, voice-mail enabled devices, Bill Lyon was the recipient of hundreds upon hundreds of my hotel messages. Back in the day, they say with a degree of reminiscence and disdain at the same time, hotel phone operators took a pen and a pad of pink, pre-printed message slips and wrote down the name and phone number of a caller who used a telephone with a hard line and dialed the main number seeking out a guest. In our case, we frequently stayed at the same NBA media headquarters hotel and Lyon would appear on the operator’s screen before Lyons, and thus the problem.

Bill and I formed a bond in 1981 or so, and we made a pact, written in stone and not on a pink message slip. That pact was to diligently and without judgement, frustration or fatigue, with neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor first flights out, nor late nights at the hospitality room stay our bond to swiftly deliver the message or voice mail to one another during our appointed round. The ratio of Lyons to Lyon messages was probably, oh, roughly 100-3. Bill would either call, or sometimes it was easier to just walk them over. From the Los Angeles Airport Marriott to Boston’s Copley Place, the Lyon-to-Lyons message center was more reliable than a Maytag, more efficient than a GM factory and stronger than U.S. Steel. We traveled the land, undaunted by incompetent hotel operators and mixed up messages.

He marveled at the number of media credential requests, or later, of the sheer volume of international media seeking NBA information.

Likewise, his editors or occasionally his wife, Ethel, might cross telephone lines into the land of Lyons rather than Lyon. The mishaps were usually met with good-natured laughs and a promise to pass a message along or even better. As the Lyon-Lyons tandem learned over the years, we’d compare notes before a “Game 1” and then be able to say, oh no, he’s in Room 404, let me see if I can transfer your call.

It was a special bond.

Yesterday, Jim Nantz of CBS Sports informed me and the rest of the world of Bill Lyon’s passing and, at the same time, he reminded me a fantastic and wonderful bond had officially and irreversibly ended.

That made me quite sad.

Rest In Peace, old pal. You’ve got a smooth operator now.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Oct 26

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Credibility. It’s such a powerful word yet it comes with such a fragile state of being. One’s credibility can be built-up over a lifetime but lost in a minute or two. Even if you’re not involved with a situation whatsoever, if you don’t voice a strong opinion on that newsworthy issue, you can lose credibility just by not saying a single word.

It is with that in mind, I think I’m almost obligated to write today on the NBA’s season opening (alleged) gambling bombshell that exploded on the third day of the 2025-26 season, not even 12 hours after 7-5 San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama put up 40 points and 15 rebounds in a 125-92 Spurs’ thrashing of the Dallas Mavericks on October 22.

Yet, the morning of October 23, the word began to circulate in NBA and mainstream news circles that “NBA Players” were involved in a gambling scandal. Social media carried the ball, a palm, spin and travel that would’ve made Earl “The Pearl” Monroe quite proud. Word circulated quickly that Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was involved and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested the morning after a DNP-coaches decision in Orlando where the Magic slipped past the Heat, 125-121 in their exciting season opener.

Two hours of online mayhem led to a 10:00am (ET) news conference by the Feds of the Eastern District of New York – complete with beady-eyed FBI Director Kash (Don’t call me Cash) Patel in the center of the dog-and-pony show laying out indictments which included accusations against Billups, Rozier and retired NBA guard Damon Jones. The Rozier and Jones indictment is HERE.

Interestingly, the inclusion of Jones, once a member and teammate of Cleveland Cavaliers (now LA Lakers) superstar LeBron James, allowed media speculators to drag NBA royalty into the mix at no extra charge.

In regard to Billups, the charges were related to a conspiracy to rig illegal poker games. The games took place in New York City, East Hampton, Long Island, and throughout the United States and a total of 31 defendants were arrested in 11 States, including members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese organized crime families. The charges were filed by the US Justice Department at the Brooklyn headquarters of the Eastern District of New York which also has offices in Central Islip, Long Island.

The multiple card games at the alleged locations caused losses to the many victims of at least $7,150,000. It is alleged that Billups’ role was to act as a “Face Card,” or in other words, as a lure to attract unsuspecting victims and to add a sense of professionalism to the atmosphere at the gambling games of chance.

In terms of charges in the card game portion of the bombshell indictments, crimes of fraud, money laundering and extortion have been tacked on to the basic illegal gambling and wire fraud counts.

Now, for some perspective:

No. 1 – I do not know anything about this case other than from watching the press Eastern District of New York press conference and reading the court documents.

No. 2 – It is important in these situations to know that speculation is wrong and there are very few people who know what is at the root of these cases. For that reason, the feds choose not to comment regarding the on-going investigation and league and team legal and security teams must keep their mouths shut, yet cooperate with the investigators.

Remember one of the most important lessons from reading this weekly missive: “Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.”

No. 3 – Social media (and to a great extent, the mainstream media) in an effort to fill the airwaves with opinions, innuendo, erroneous assumptions and, generally, useless information that fans/readers/listeners/viewers consume, often break the golden rule of justice in these United States. That is the fact the accused person is assumed innocent until proven guilty through a court of law, usually by a jury of their peers.

Now, a few things that I learned over years of experience in the sports world:

No. 1 – When the indictments are unsealed, they look awfully convincing and the accused seem so guilty of the charges written on the papers. However, prosecutors must prove the case in court, and we all (anyone who has ever served on Jury Duty) know that there is often some “reasonable doubt” left open by the prosecutors and pointed out by the attorneys of the accused.

No. 2 – In cases involving organized crime, the feds (and sometimes local or state police) will use people accused of lesser crimes to turn and testify against those facing more serious charges – prosecuting the “big fish” by using the “little fish.”

Overall, it is very important not to jump to conclusions.

This week, more than once, I read online – in stories by legitimate reporters and in posts by total dimwit fans – the question of “how could a player who has made millions do such a thing?”

Let’s slice that up?

No. 1 – A statement such as that is already assuming the player is guilty. The assumption is being made without a single ounce of evidence put forth by the prosecution.

No. 2 – In many cases involving organized crime, a player/celebrity – or really anyone – can be used by the “bad guys” just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or – sadly – because a longtime friend or relative (no matter how close) has dug themselves into a hole on the wrong side of the law.

In many cases, the threat of harm or public exposure to the athlete, his immediate family, his friends or a threat to hurt his career can become powerful tools used by organized crime to sink their hooks into a player/celebrity. Often, the “ask” of said player/celeb is something very simple and seemingly legal. As in, “All you have to do is come over to the house at 9:00pm and socialize with our guys, have a drink, relax, watch tv, watch the game and hang out for an hour or two.”

Or else.

The “or else” can be underlined with pictures of the player/celeb’s kids at school or the local playground, maybe a photo or short motion picture on an iPhone of a wife, daughter, girlfriend or – they’ve gone as far as – a mother shopping at the local grocery store to prove, “they know where you, your friends and family live.”

The verbal threat of violence – often never even considered to be carried out by the mobsters – is enough to draw the player/celebrity into the scheme.

So, the “how could a player making tens of millions do such a thing” is understood a little more if the full story is told in the court of law. As it should be and, hopefully, will be if the charges stand.

Remember? Sometimes, a case can not be made and – even though an indictment from a Grand Jury has come down – prosecutors can not “make the case” and must dismiss the charges.

white clouds and blue sky

THE SKY IS FALLING: From a distant memory, maybe call it a totally un-related comparison, I can remember back to 1987 when a fax machine in the NBA office was spewing out a multi-page Maricopa County indictments of 13 people, including Phoenix Suns players, former players and even the team photographer for the club.

As I read the indictments – which seemed so convincing, and were the very first time I was going to be “in the room where it happened,” – I thought that a number of people would be going to jail. I ran the pages of the indictment down to the Commissioner’s office as they came in, maybe two or three pages at a time, so they could be reviewed. When they were all complete, I awaited instructions for what would come next – a statement, Legal instructions on our official comment when answering media calls, maybe arranging a media conference call or drafting an NBA statement.

When it all played out, months later, here’s a synopsis of what resulted:

Player testimony: Suns player Walter Davis, who was cooperating with authorities after entering a rehabilitation program, provided grand jury testimony that led to the indictments. He was not charged but was suspended by the team after suffering a relapse. Suns rookie center William Bedford was also granted immunity in exchange for his testimony.

Dismissed charges: The case against most players ultimately fell apart due to lack of evidence, and no one went to trial. Suns veterans James Edwards and Jay Humphries entered a deferred prosecution program, and charges against them were later dismissed.

Probation: Suns reserve Grant Gondrezick and two other individuals pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received probation.

The enormity of the charges as they came across the fax machine seemed insurmountable. The reality? It was a very thin case and little, if any, evidence was produced. The charges were dropped.

At that time, four players had been dismissed from the NBA because of violation of the NBA/NBA Players Association anti-drug program. The situation with the Suns resulted in the NBA initiating a Player Programs Department – the first ever in professional sports – and Celtics legend, Tom “Satch” Sanders was hired to head-up the department and staff-up to be able to properly serve the NBA and its players.

Arguably – not – it was one of the most important decisions the late David Stern ever made and the hiring of Sanders was – possibly – the most impactful in league history.

What to Expect? – The season will not be pretty for the Portland Trail Blazers. The league placed Billups and Rozier (both active in the league) on mandatory suspension and the Blazers asked assistant coach Tiago Splitter to step up as interim coach. The Heat will “hear it” from the opposing fans as they travel through the 82 game schedule for 2025-26.

It will take time for legal proceedings to move forward, in part because of a busy schedule in NY’s Eastern District. The accused are promised a fair and speedy trial with full legal representation to defend the charges. The feds will have to build and present their case. No timetable has been made public.

In Closing: I have to advise to all readers to follow the case closely but to make no judgements. After writing this column, I plan to keep my mouth shut because I have no information and do not plan to seek out information.

It would be wise for others – not in the know – to do the same.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: On the heels of a gambling scandal in the pro ranks, the NCAA approved a rule change on Wednesday that will allow its athletes and athletic department staff members to bet on professional sports. Two weeks after a Division I cabinet approved the change, Division II and III management councils signed off on it, allowing the new rule to go into effect Nov. 1. The ruling doesn’t change the NCAA rule forbidding its athletes from betting on college sports. The NCAA also prohibits sharing information about college competitions with known gamblers. The NCAA also doesn’t accept advertising or sponsorships of NCAA championships by betting or fantasy sports gambling sites. Go figure?

The South Bay Lakers selected 2025 NBA champion Dillon Jones (6-5, 235, Weber State) with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA G League Draft. The Osceola Magic selected Tyler Smith (6-9, 224, NBA G League Ignite) with the second overall pick, while the Greensboro Swarm selected Ace Baldwin (6-1, 190, Penn State) third overall pick. Jones, the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, appeared in 54 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. The Weber State product also averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in four games for the Washington Wizards at NBA Summer League.

Michael Baiamonte, the Miami Heat’s in-arena public address announcer and the second longest tenured PA man in the NBA, will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. Baiamonte has announced more than 1,500 professional basketball games including six NBA Finals.

Lawrence Tanter of the LA Lakers is the longest tenured public address announcer in the NBA, working for the Lakers since 1982-83.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: As it relates to future prosecution in the feds’ gambling cases against some 31 defendants, the National Security Law firm notes, “Federal prosecutors are always looking to build cases that allow them to climb the criminal enterprise ladder. They may cast a wide net, targeting individuals with the hope of flipping them to build a case against higher-level offenders. Defense attorneys can turn this dynamic in their clients’ favor.” … In EPL action, Liverpool matched their worst EVER run at Brentford when they lost, 3-2, to the home but 10th place club on Saturday. It was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive league loss.

Tom Aspinall, the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion, had a disastrous start to his title defense on Saturday, as his bout ended in a no-contest at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. Aspinall (15-3) was unable to continue after title challenger Ciryl Gane (13-2) accidentally poked his right eye during an exchange at 4:35 of the opening round. Aspinall was provided five minutes to recover, but referee Jason Herzog stopped the show once the champ said he couldn’t see. Aspinall was immediately transported to the hospital post-fight.

While the sports industry, media and fans all poo-poo the NBA for its start-of-season gambling scandal, the vast number of media outlets leads their NFL coverage with “Best Bets,” “Sleeper Picks,” “Fantasy Football Props,” and other teases for sports gambling on Sunday’s NFL schedule. … Jimmy the Greek would be proud.

El Clásico – be there. It’s on TV (ESPN2 or ESPN+) Sunday at 11:15am.

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THIS JEST IN: North Carolina still hasn’t won a game against an NCAA Power Four Football opponent under Hall of Fame pro coach Bill Belichick, but Saturday’s 17-16 overtime loss to ACC rival and No. 16, Virginia, showed some improvement. The Tar Heels dominated Virginia at the line of scrimmage, racking up six sacks and largely stopping Virginia’s ground game, but UNC a failed 2-point conversion in overtime which proved to be the difference. Belichick was going for the victory in the final play.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: There’s no TACOS in Texas! According to the Associated Press, Texas Tech is banning the throwing of tortillas by fans on kickoffs after the 14th-ranked Tech Red Raiders were penalized twice and fined for objects being thrown onto the field in their most recent home game. TT Athletic director Kirby Hocutt said the fans entering the stadium would be instructed to discard tortillas, and there would be reminders before kickoff for anyone who took tortillas in to give them to stadium workers in order for them to be thrown away. Anyone caught throwing tortillas would have their ticket privileges revoked from the rest of the academic year across all sports, Hocutt said. The announcement came a little more than a week after the Red Raiders were given two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after kickoffs in a 42-17 win over Kansas.