Boston upbeat with Irving, Hayward
Yankees, Twins relive AL rivalry
NEW YORK – Twins star Joe Mauer remembers well all those October losses to the Yankees. So too, surely, do Minnesota’s fans.
Around the rest of the Twins clubhouse, though, it may as well be ancient history.
Back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years, Mauer and upstart Minnesota will face New York in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night hoping to turn around what has been a one-sided postseason rivalry.
New York eliminated the small-market Twins in the Division Series four times from 2003-10, repeatedly dashing the World Series aspirations of a largely homegrown lineup.
“Somebody asked me earlier, ‘Does it feel like seven years?’” Mauer said. “I said, ‘Yes, and all of that.’”
Mauer is the only holdover from that era. Minnesota now has a new batch of budding young stars, and it’s a group that’s already wrecked some history. Powered by Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, these Twins became the first team ever to go from 100 losses one year to the playoffs the next.
BOSTON – Boston fans have been patiently waiting to get their first glimpse of the new era of Celtics basketball.
They finally got it, and it revealed a team with a lot of upside.
Offseason trade acquisition Kyrie Irving had nine points, four rebounds and three assists, and free agent pickup Gordon Hayward added five points and five rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets, 94-82, Monday night in the preseason opener for both teams.
Rookie Jayson Tatum, the third overall pick in June’s draft, finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists. Aron Baynes added 10 points and five rebounds and three assists for Boston. The Celtics also shot 11 of 31 from the 3-point line.
‘’We’re building a foundation,’’ Irving said. ‘’We understand that a few other teams that we’re playing against, they’re starting from the bottom as well...For us, we gotta take advantage of games like this.’’
Dwight Howard, who was traded by Atlanta to Charlotte this summer, finished with seven points, 10 rebounds and six turnovers in his Hornets debut. Jeremy Lamb had 17 points.
Irving and Hayward, the jewel pieces of an offseason reconstruction that has left only Celtics intact from last year’s roster, sat out the second half.
In other games, the Washington Wizards beat the Guangzhou Long-Lions, 126-96, in one of two exhibition games between NBA and international teams on Monday. In addition, the Utah Jazz routed the National Basketball League’s Sydney Kings, 108-83. It is the first time an NBL team faced an NBA team on American soil.
Mario Chalmers had 19 points in 20 minutes, Jarell Martin added 16 points and the Grizzlies defeated the Magic, 92-84, in both teams preseason opener.