Celtics blow out Nets, Bruins top Leafs
BOSTON >> Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and had nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 139-96 win over the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Jaylen Brown added 26 points as both of Boston’s stars knocked down seven 3-pointers in a game the Celtics never trailed and led by as many as 49 points. Boston dominated on both ends of the floor, shooting 60% through three quarters on the way to its largest victory of the season.
Robert Williams finished with 16 points and nine rebounds in his return from a sprained ankle. Derrick White added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Eastern Conferenceleading Celtics have won all three meetings with the Nets this season.
Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Cam Thomas added 19 for Brooklyn, which struggled throughout while shooting 41%, including 9 of 39 beyond the arc. The Nets dropped to 4-7 since Kevin Durant sprained his right knee on Jan. 8.
Brooklyn had managed to keep pace with Boston in the standings without Durant and through recent injuries to Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) and T.J. Warren (left shin contusion), who both sat for the third straight game.
The Celtics had their entire rotation available except for Marcus Smart, sidelined for the fifth straight game as he recovers from his sprained right ankle. Boston took advantage, racing to a 33-7 advantage as the Nets started the game just 2 of 14 from the field.
Irving missed four of his first five shots as Boston’s crowd booed whenever he touched the basketball, mirroring the treatment he received during his most recent visits to TD Garden.
Tatum finished the quarter with 18 points, singlehandedly outscoring the
sure sounded like this was it, saying he was retiring for good.
While he didn’t go out in a blaze of glory, getting to the playoffs with an 8-9 record — his first-ever losing mark — and getting beaten badly in the Wild Card round to the Dallas Cowboys, in the long run, not having a fairy tale ending really doesn’t matter.
His legacy is well intact. He had seven Super Bowl wins, including six with the Patriots. He’s thrown for the most passing yards in NFL history and holds just about every conceivable record for a quarterback.
Whether it’s most Super Bowl wins (7), most playoff starts (48), most playoff wins (35), most playoff touchdown passes
(86), and most completions overall, you name it, Brady’s name is attached.
The fact that he led the NFL with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns at age 44 last season is mind-blowing. It won’t
Nets as Boston took a 46-16 edge into the second quarter. The 30-point,first-quarter lead marked the first time in franchise history Boston outscored its opponent by 30 in the opening period.
The Celtics led 79-45 at halftime.
Tip-ins
Nets: Shot 6 of 21 (29%) in the first quarter. … Neither Simmons nor Warren made the trip, but coach Jacque Vaughn said both are progressing and hope to return as soon as Saturday.
Celtics: It was Tatum’s 29th game this season with
happen again. He also won a Super Bowl with a second team at age 43.
Robert Kraft’s response to Brady’s second retirement announcement was heartfelt and warm. The Patriots owner put out a threeminute video on the team’s site expressing what Brady meant to him and the organization.
“There’s 50,000 or 100,000 players who played the game, and we have had the No. 1 player in the history of the game play for the New England Patriots,” said Kraft. “We were really lucky to have him.”
Earlier in the day, Kraft offered a quicker summation, getting right to the point, saying there was no one like him, and that’s not about to change.
“I don’t believe in the 100-year-old history of the NFL, there’s been a quarterback of Tom’s ilk,” Kraft initially told ESPN’S Mike Reiss. “I would have trouble ever believing there would be another one.”
prevailed. Scoring in double digits for Ayer Shirley (10-2) were Maddie Davis (11 points), Theresa Arakelian (11 points) and Grace Cormier (10 points).
Boys basketball
at least 30 points. … Boston outscored the Nets 22-1 in fastbreak points in the first half. … Shot 18 of 29 (62%) in the first quarter, including 8 of 11 from 3-point range. … Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman sat courtside.
NHL
With a 10-day vacation on their horizon, the Bruins decided to start it with smiles on their faces.
After losing three straight games the B’s looked like their old selves on Wednesday in Toronto, using a strong third period
He’s right.
While the current rage is to say Patrick Mahomes will unseat Brady as the greatest ever, the Chiefs star still has a long, long, way to go before getting into the GOAT’S neighborhood.
Mahomes is certainly great, and the best quarterback in the game right now. And he’s headed for more greatness.
But Brady won four championships in his first five seasons. Mahomes has won one, and might have two after six. Brady is among the greatest winners of all time in any sport. Right now, Mahomes is just scratching the surface. Let’s see where he’s at in five to 10 more years, if he lasts that long.
At this point, Brady remains the reference standard. He leaves as the greatest to ever play the sport.
Fans in New England had him for an unforgettable two decade run, providing an unprecedented
Risa Montoya collected her 16th career shutout by making 15 saves and blanking Billerica/chelmsford at the Hallenborg Pavillion in Billerica.
2 >> BG was led by Jill Scanlon’s three goals and two assists, Jasmine Shattuck’s two goals and an assist, Tessa Wilkie’s one goal and three assists, and Gracie Menicci’s three assists. Haley Gagne, Jenna Lynch, Natalie Gaffey and Aine Kelly each had goals.
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to leave the Maple Leafs in their dust in a 5-2 victory.
The B’s got two goals from defensemen, a fourth line goal and two huge third period tallies from Pavel Zacha to take their second straight from the Leafs.
After the B’s took a 3-1 lead early in the third period, the Leafs poured n the pressure and pulled back to within. one at 8:38. A puck deflected off Connor Clifton in the slot and bounced right to Calle Jarnkrok and he scored on a quick putback behind Linus Ullmark.
haul of success and indelible memories during a half-dozen championship seasons and beyond.
After un-retiring a mere 40 days after his initial retirement a year ago, people weren’t surprised by his return, and were still in awe of his accomplishments.
“He just maintains that legacy more and more even though he doesn’t have to,” former teammate Ty Law told the Herald a year ago. “There’s not very many people in the world who can do what he’s doing especially at his age, and playing at such a high level for so long. It’s unheard of. You probably won’t see that again in our lifetime.”
Given that short-lived first retirement, some may have their doubts about Brady staying the course this time around. But this seems like the end, and the close of a magical ride like no other.
There won’t ever be another Brady. That much is for certain.
Dunbar (Saint Anselm) and Caitlyn Walsh (Saint Anselm). Women’s soccer: Elianna Perriera (Umass Lowell). Softball: Makaya Alto (Southern New Hampshire). Women’s swimming: Lindsay Downer (Assumption).