Home to the Red Sox, the Celtics and the Bruins, Boston is booming with sporting talent – making it a must-see place for avid sports fans.
With that in mind, here are six top tips to help you maximize your time when you visit.
Create an itinerary
To get the best out of Boston, create a travel itinerary highlighting your coveted spots.
You don’t have to plan your trip to a T, but with a rough guide, you can start saving time before you’ve even left home.
So work out where the places you’ll be going are and the best order to see them in.
Choose a central location
Make sure you consider location when choosing your accommodation. For instance, if you’re planning to watch a baseball match or two, try and find somewhere near Fenway Park – the last thing you want is to be rushing around to get there before a big game.
Research the transport
Boston has an excellent public transit network to smoothly navigate you across the city. So do some research and work out the most efficient transport type for your travel activities in advance.
This way, you’ll be able to spend more time doing what floats your boat and less time traveling – check out the MBTA website for more information on public transport in the city.
Read up on the restaurants
You’d be surprised how much time you can waste deliberating over where and what to eat – so be proactive.
Find out what delicious delights are on offer near your accommodation and the places you plan to visit – this’ll save valuable time.
And be sure to try some of the city’s specialties such as Boston Cream pie, Boston baked beans and New England clam chowder.
Book your travel early
Be organised and book your travel as early as possible – it’ll be a weight off your shoulders and leave you with more time to focus on planning your Boston based activities.
If you’re flying to Boston, download a flight comparison app such as Skyscanner, which will find you the cheapest fares for flights to BOS from across the airlines.
Pre-book airport parking
If you’re flying, avoid the stress of public transport and drive to the airport and if you pre-book with an airport parking site like looking4.com, there’ll be no wasted looking for a suitable spot, plus you’ll be able to take advantage early-bird deals for hubs such as LAX and JFK.
Travel overnight
Traveling during the night is a great way to maximize time because it allows you to travel and sleep at the same time, so when you arrive in Boston you’ll be feeling refreshed and ready to shoot some hoops, watch a game or two and explore this awesome sporting city.
Follow these tips and you’ll have plenty of time to play on your Boston sports adventure.
That’s our list! Share you time saving travel tips in the comments section.
Even the most casual horse racing fan has heard of the Kentucky Derby and Ascot. But how about the Takamatsunomiya Kinen? Or the Champ de Mars Racecourse? We’re going to take you on a (virtual) trip through horse races around the world, from big-ticket events to those that carry a slightly lower profile (but are perhaps just as impressive!).
United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States
The UK, Australia, and the United States offer some of the most historic, celebrated, and lucrative horse races on the planet. So it’s no surprise we start our tour with the so-called Big Three.
The festive hats. The delicious mint juleps. Celebrities everywhere you look. That’s right, it’s time for My Old Kentucky Home. In the United States, the Kentucky Derby is synonymous with horse racing. And that’s not a surprise, considering it’s one of the most famous races anywhere. In fact, many would argue that it’s the number 1 racing event on the planet. Its popularity ensures that fans can stream the yearly edition online quite easily.
But no matter which celebrity the Kentucky Derby attracts, you can’t beat the Queen. And at Ascot in the UK, the Royal Family is a mainstay of the race that just oozes tradition. The dress code is thoroughly royal, with everyone in attendance expected to don the proper attire (think your best suit, rather than shorts and a t-shirt!).
And let’s not forget Down Under. In Australia, racing is so popular that Melbourne Cup day is a national holiday. It offers over $6 million in prize money, and is without a doubt the most popular race in the country. It’s so big that its tagline is “the race that stops the nation”.
Asia
We’ve covered the “Big Three”: the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. But claiming horse racing is limited to these three countries alone would be doing a huge disservice to Asia, home to some of the most popular races on the planet.
Japan, for example, boasts an incredible 21,000 horse races per year. While the first race in European format wasn’t held until 1862, racing has been popular for centuries. The Japan Cup is a worldwide event, with people tuning in from all over.
And how about Hong Kong? The Hong Kong Jockey Club was founded way back in 1884, which means horse racing is deeply embedded in the local culture. Originally confined to the elite, it’s now a mainstream sport that generates millions in revenue. Happy Valley and Sha Tin are both world-class tracks in their own right, with the atmosphere in each akin to a football World Cup match (locals take the sport very seriously!).
Africa
Perhaps surprising to the casual fan, but not to the true connoisseur: horse racing is incredibly popular in Africa, and hosts some of the most popular racing events around.
Mauritius, for example, is home to the Mauritius Turf Club, the oldest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere (and only the second-oldest overall!). Champ de Mars Racecourse, host to a thoroughbred race in Port Louis, harks back to 1812. Crowd numbers easily reach 20,000 for your average event day. For Mauritians, it’s not football, but racing that takes the crown as the most popular sport.
Coverage of horse racing in Africa wouldn’t be complete with a mention of South Africa. The country has enjoyed official races since 1797, and hasn’t looked back since. The Durban July Handicap is the country’s most celebrated event, with the first race harking back to 1897. While the purse, sitting at almost $300,000 USD, can’t match some of the others mentioned so far, it’s nevertheless one of the world’s most historic thoroughbred horse races.
We’ve given you just a small taste of what’s out there for horse racing fans. There’s so much more than what we’ve mentioned here. The Dubai World Cup. The Cheltenham Festival. The Palio Di Siena. We know, we know. We’ve missed out some good ones. But it just goes to show just how big horse racing is, and just how much people enjoy it. So either go out there and visit one in person (our preferred method), or do the next best thing: grab a cold beverage, your favorite snack, relax, and enjoy one in front of your screens!
Here we are again. Game 7 in Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The familiar noises and heart-attack inducing feelings are back again at home as the Boston Bruins face the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second straight season. It’s been the match-up that was foreseen as the regular season came to a close with both teams evenly matched.
SETTING THE STAGE
In an all too familiar scenario that saw the Bruins back up against
the wall in a pivotal Game 6, the B’s came out fighting for their season and
forced a Game 7. Toronto scored first, but soon thereafter the Bruins tied up
the game and eventually took a 3-1 lead over the Leafs. Toronto’s star Auston
Matthews netted a goal making it 3-2. With
Toronto threatening to even out the score, Boston defense came up huge and managed
to keep the Leafs at bay. In the final minutes
of the third period and with an empty Maple Leafs net, Bruins own Brad Marchand
netted his second goal of the game, making the final score 4-2.
“…When the season’s on the line, you want to play hard, you want to leave it all out there…We’re playing for our season again next game. You don’t know how it’s gonna play out, but we’ll have fun doing it.”
Bruins Brad Marchand
(Photo by Michael Tureski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
FINAL MOMENTS
As both Toronto and Boston Bruins fans gear up for the final showdown this season, the end result will come down to simply which team wants it more. With the momentum coming out from the huge win in Toronto, Boston will need to continue to get their hustle, hitting and better puck control. While the Bruins teams have won its last two Game 7 against Toronto, the past is just that: the past. Toronto is a different team as are the B’s. The Bruins team currently has players that have experience in a do-or-die situation.
“Experience matters. I think it was just the compete level. Our guys, they knew what was at stake (Game 6) if we didn’t perform. I think it showed that they were ready to play. I think we responded well after every loss in the series. That’s a testament to the guys. Going forward, experience matters…It helps me because I haven’t been around that long. Some of the players have been through it more than I have. Our veteran guys have been through it a few times. I assume they’ll draw on different experiences.”
Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy
STAYING ON TOP
Fans will remember that Boston Bruins took a 3-1 series lead last season when they faced Toronto. The Maple Leafs however came back and tied the series-forcing a Game 7 in Boston. Toronto had the lead in the third period when Boston scored four unanswered goals. Once again, Boston will face a hungry Maple Leafs team and judging from Sundays game, the Bruins are playing back to their identity.
(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“To me, that’s the recipe that has been successful for us most of the year, even in this playoff series. They’re a good team that doesn’t give you much. The space is very tight on the ice and when we simplify our game and bring it into their zone, that’s where you want to play obviously. I think it about doing a lot of what we did in Game 6, for sure.”
Bruins Patrice Bergeron
As of this morning, Coach Bruce Cassidy announced that there
will be no changes to the line-up for tonight’s game. As the hours count down to puck drop at 7:00pm
tonight at the Garden, no matter the outcome, both Boston and Toronto will be
do whatever it takes to win.
May the best team win.
(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WHEN TO WATCH:
Tonight, with puck drop at 7:00pm, TD Garden
What to expect from the Patriots in this year’s NFL Draft
Always expect the unexpected when it comes to the Patriots and the NFL Draft which begins on Thursday. Everyone thought the Patriots were going to select Lamar Jackson in the first round last year and that didn’t happen. They didn’t select a quarterback until the seventh round in Danny Etling, who ended up on the practice squad. Realistically they probably won’t select a quarterback in the first two rounds with Brady around for another three years. Rumors suggest it’s a stronger quarterback draft next year so that might be the year they select one. Belichick always pulls something people weren’t expecting, so expect that this year.
Don’t expect them to select a quarterback in the early rounds
Via Notre Dame Insider
The Patriots need help on defense and they also need a Tight End. However, I don’t see them selecting a Tight End in the first round. Instead I see them selecting Jerry Tillery, a defensive lineman out of Notre Dame, at pick number 32. In 2017 Tillery started 13 games and collected nine tackles for losses and 4.5 sacks. He was also named AP second-team All American last season as a senior. The Patriots second pick, number 56, I’m going with Tight End Irv Smith out of Alabama. He finished last season with 44 receptions for 710 yards and seven touchdowns.
At the wide receiver position, they don’t usually select a Wide Receiver early in the draft. They do need one though, as Brady’s only consistent target on the depth chart right now is Julian Edelman. Demaryius Thomas is coming off an injury, and I want to see how he does in a game before making any assumptions as to what type of impact he’ll bring. Also, Josh Gordon is unreliable, and they have a bunch of guys that nobody’s heard of. Parris Campbell out of Ohio State could be a perfect match for the Patriots. Campbell was pretty reliable for Ohio State and appeared in 14 games last season. He recorded 90 receptions for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns. He could add value to the Patriots receiving core, as Brady is 42 in August and will need reliable guys at the position.
If the Patriots do select a quarterback it won’t be until late in the draft in my opinion. They have Danny Etling, who may or may not have improved from a year ago. We won’t know until the start of training camp and the preseason. In order to find the next Jimmy Garoppolo, they may have to wait until next year. Overall, though, whatever Belichick does seems to be right. And they make the Super Bowl year after year.
New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
Admit it. Down 2-0 at halftime against both the London Spitfire and Vancouver Titans, you thought Boston could come back and reverse sweep. You thought there was some magic left down in the well. That the spark that lit the fire against Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto was still burning. It’s ok, I did too.
We know how that worked out.
For the second time in team history, Boston’s weekend comes up empty as they get swept off the stage in both matches. It was ugly. While there were flashes of brilliance, it’s hard to draw something positive out of a double-zero on map wins in the span of two matches. Let’s break it all down.
The Good
There’s a good argument to be made that in a weekend where Boston doesn’t win a single map this space should be blank. But we look on the bright side around here on Boston Sports Extra – let’s go!
Fusions
What’s it say about you when the other team considers you prime target number one? Against London, the Uprising’s main tank was the clear go-to for focus fire. Conversely, the Brit didn’t get as much help from supports. Against London, where rCk played a good amount of DVa, his sustain seemed to be the team’s focus. That combination seemed fatal. Looks like Fusion’s notoriety from Stage 1 has made him many team’s go-to focus fire target.
He had his moments all weekend. Slaying Vancouver’s Lucio and Brigitte on Paris’s Point B on offense as Rein. His Rein was very good in both matches. It’s clearly still his strong suit. I also thought his Winston was much better. He still had a few times where he’d charge with no backup and get focus killed quick, but he also used his Primal Rages alot better.
Gotta stay away from @Fusions or he will knock you DOWN!
I’m not as convinced his play on Wrecking Ball is as legit. Too many times we saw him get picked first and early on the hamster. That may just be because the character’s kit isn’t meant to be played as the Uprising deploy him. But to my eyes, Fusions isn’t S-tier on him. Also – I thought his play on Orissa on both Paris and Gibralta, against Vancouver, was admirable. Those shields were right where they needed to be and his firing was well done.
DPS Comps – Against Vancouver?
In my weekend preview, I said that Boston should ditch GOATs and go DPS heavy. They didn’t do that against London, but they certainly did against Vancouver. Opening on Leijing Tower with Pharah-Hammond-Sombra-Widow-Ana-Mercy, Boston consistently played DPS comps. Bunker comps on Paris defense. A pirate ship on Gibraltar that got the third highest time on attack. They looked great! While they couldn’t get a win against Vancouver, they were clearly much better running DPS against Vancouver than when they did GOATs a few weeks ago.
Which makes you wonder why they didn’t play these comps against London. Why wouldn’t they use that as a formal practice for the Vancouver game? Heck, they could have won against an inferior GOATs team like the Spitfire! Why they felt restricted to the GOATs meta in that game is beyond me.
Blase
DPS trained, American born, Blase has been in the Brig all season. While he’s a good Birgitte player, you know he’s pining to get back on DPS where he’s comfortable. Didn’t happen against London, but he was let loose on Vancouver. And we were better for it! On Pharah, he was pog champ. For example, his ult on stage 1 of Leijing saved the team in OT against Vancouver. His Roadhog on Gibraltar against the Titans was even more pog champ. He even whipped out Doomfist. You have to wonder what it’d be like to see him play DPS full time.
Aimgod
I should put the flex support first. Far and away the most consistent player all weekend, Aimgod faired well against both teams. Playing primarily Ana and Zen in both matches, and had some great moments. His snipe on King’s Row Point A on London’s Bdosin single-handedly got London to flee the point both on offense (1st lap) and defense (2nd lap). While he didn’t have to dodge any EMPs like the Spitfire and Titans had to, he certainly held his own. Also camping the Titans after the rest of the team got wiped took balls. Especially with an emote.
The Bad
(This is an abridged version. A full itinerary of all the bad things that happened this weekend will be submitted for publication in the case we don’t make Stage 2 playoffs).
Ultimate Economy
All weekend it seemed like Boston couldn’t maximize the value of their ultimates. Now, that’s hard to separate from the myriad of other issues that were going on in the debacle of a weekend they had. But, time and again we saw London and Vancouver either make due with less, save ults intelligently, or counter what Boston threw at them.
We saw this on Busan against London. Up 77%-28%, London having control, and Boston with all 6 ults, the Uprising’s win condition was clear. Draw out any of the Spitfire’s 4 ults in one or two fights using as little of their own as possible. Swoop the point and win. How’d it play out? To start, rallies on both sides. Gesture Shatters and Fury’s Self-Destruct picks a demeched rCk whose own SD does nothing. Colourhex wakes up from the Shatter and shoots his Grav, but rCk’s SD isn’t in position or timed well enough to do anything. Profit hits his Grav which forces Kellex to drop his Sound Barrier to save the team. Now it’s 77%-48% and both teams are wiped of Ults. Would anyone say that was the best use of ults?
Boston also gambled playing strats that required post-point switches. We saw all weekend that London and Vancouver stuck with 3-3 all match while Boston switched. This gives the other team ult advantage from the start. Boston would play from behind, needing two team fights just to farm enough ult to compete. It’s a hard decision – go all in with a comp you know you’re going to switch off of, but do so knowing it gives you the best chance. It’s a bit of an all or nothing stat. Something for the coaches to chew on.
rCk
I do think every player had good moments and great plays at some point this weekend. But on the sum, if I’m putting one player in the bad category, it goes to the freshmen team member. While the Finn played a mix of Sombra/DVa against London, we saw him play almost exclusively the hacker against Vancouver. And the hacker didn’t do what we needed.
For example, on King’s Row against London, the payload is just about to hit the end when he tosses the Translocator. Then, he immediately EMPs – but he doesn’t hit Bdosin’s Zenyata. The Transcendence hits and he immediately gets picked and the team gets wiped. That should have rolled the Spitfire for a map win. Then again, in overtime, he clearly learned and stalked the back line to pick off Bdosin and Nus’ Lucio without dropping an EMP. But after holding onto it, he jumped at Bdosin and dropped the EMP. Except, there was a wall between them. Transcendence dropped. Boston wiped. Overtime over. Map – London.
This happened with Vancouver, too. You could tell what a difference the enemy team’s comp had on him. On King’s Row, his Sombra ruthlessly shredded Vancouver when they played the Ana. Fight after fight, he had no trouble dropping an EMP and having his team roll. Once the Titans switched to the Zen, he had trouble connecting to the omnic healer. At the final hour, he was unable to hit Twilight who immediately used his Transcendence. Boston’s attack was stimmied and Vancouver won the map.
As Uber said, you can hack the entire team but if you don’t get the Zen whose got a Transcendence ready to launch, what’s the point? If rCk is going to be as great as we know he can be, he has to focus his ult much more effectively in the matches to come.
Paris defense – Vancouver
Is the last minute choke defending Point A on Paris against Vancouver the worst ever? I’m not saying it is, but I’m not not saying that, either. Because with Overtime looming, the bunker defense running in high gear, the Titans took an unorthodox attack. Switching to a Sombra and Wrecking Ball, Vancouver got a last minute miracle capture. They snowballed it into an easy win. I think Boston will be watching tape of that whole exchange for a long time to come.
Colourhex
It was a mixed back for the kiwi on Zarya this weekend. His Graviton getting fed to Fury on Busan and King’s Row in critical moments didn’t help. I don’t think his Zarya is bad, but the lack of consistent team cohesion and synergy puts him at a disadvantage.
Of course, when he played against Vancouver and got to switch to a Bastion or Widowmaker, he proved himself again. He had some great kills on nearly all the maps as a DPS. Makes you excited for when the meta shifts more into his wheelhouse.
The Uprising
Valskyia Industries may be Boston’s official home base, King’s Row is their ninth circle of hell. The boys are now 0-5 this year on the hybrid map.
Vancouver opening their Paris offense with a pretty Symmetra teleport onto the point play was delicious. Seeing them run it was fun – especially when Colourhex shredded them all into oblivion.
That time on King’s Row against Vancouver rCk saw the Zen use Transcendence. You knew he was thinking, THIS IS MY MOMENT – LETS EMP AND ROLL THESE JERKS. He hits the EMP… but there is Lucio with a Sound Barrier. Vancouver gets the sustain, team wipe, point capture. Every Uprising fan had to be thinking – what is it going to take?
It may have been short lived, but I loved the Symmetra, Bastion, Baptiste, Orissa, Mercy comp to open Junkertown against London. Seeing them teleport the bunker comp around the map was neat. Except when they switched to 3-3 it was too late. The Junkertown curse continues.
Kellex got quite a few kills on Bumper. We see you Uprising OG.
Hexagrams called Boston a “resilient cockroach of a team” which he meant in “the nicest way possible.” Hmmmmm.
Love the tbag by Aimgod on Bumper – just down the street where Bumper did the same last time these two played. These two are getting quite salty against each other.
Hearing the overtime music refereed to as Hans Zimmer (from Inception) blew my mind.
What was with Junkertown starting with Blase on Sombra and Aimgod on Moira? Did they quit on the last map?
I really hate Bumper. This didn’t help.
For more Boston Uprising content and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp
When Michael Chavis stepped up to the plate Saturday in his major league debut against Jose Alvarado, an excitement came over Red Sox nation.
Rafael Devers was the last big Red Sox prospect to make his debut, and that came almost two years ago. Even before then, it had been a few years since the debuts of Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. Then even further back in Clay Buchholz and Will Middlebrooks. The point being, we don’t usually get to see too many prospects come through the system and actually make the big leagues in Boston.
When you play in a win-now market like Boston, it doesn’t matter how highly the team regards you as a prospect. If you can be traded to make the team better now, you almost certainly will be. This is why this excitement is felt by Sox fans. We’re finally getting to see the fruits of our labor, after years of building towards it.
Sure Chavis has had his ups and down in the minor leagues since he was drafted in 2014. From injuries to suspensions, he’s seen all the peaks and valleys of being a pro baseball player. All these things are just elements that Michael has used to make himself stronger. He’s worked on becoming a more disciplined hitter at the plate. His Walk Percentage has gone up every single year since 2015, while his Strikeout Percentage has gone down early on in 2019.
It’s exciting to finally have a prospect we can hold onto. Usually these kids are just the next name involved in a blockbuster trade. Yet Chavis seems like he’s here to stay.
His Path to the Big Leagues
Not only is here to stay, but he may have found himself a starting gig. Before, the issue was the roadblock of Rafael Devers at third base. However, Chavis has moved his way over to second base. His defense has been above average thus far, and he looks like he could have a future at the position.
With Dustin Pedroia‘s knee flaring up again, he can’t be counted on for consistent at-bats at this point in his career. Eduardo Nunez also recently hit the IL. Even before that, he was struggling to the tune of a .159 batting average with just one walk. Brock Holt is an average defender and can hit the ball, but he doesn’t bring anything to the table as far as elevating the lineup goes.
Chavis does. This kid has the potential to hit 20-30 bombs a year in this league. His swing is so pure. He is so smart at the plate, which could also lead to him hitting close to .300 or higher. The ceiling for Chavis is sky high, and the opportunity has presented itself at the perfect time for both parties.
The Red Sox need some to fill in at second base, be it temporarily or long term. Chavis felt he was ready to take the next step, and the hole at second opened up. He’s swung the bat well so far in the big leagues. He’s had a couple of great swings and another good plate appearance that led to a walk.
#RedSox No. 1 prospect Michael Chavis absolutely torched this ball to straightaway center for his first #MLB hit.
If he continues to succeed at this level, it doesn’t matter when Pedroia, Nunez or Holt comes back. Chavis will have earned this job for now, and for the future.
The Celtics won ugly in their first playoff game against the Pacers, but it’s preferable to losing ugly. Just ask Indiana. Boston proved they can get up off the mat after being knocked down and play physical if that’s what needed. Well, a little muscle never hurt any team and that’s what the doctor ordered when they defeated Indiana 84-74, in what could only be described as a game between two offenses that were nothing short of offensive.
If you were to peruse the best online sportsbooks over at Sportsbook Review, you would find that one of the very best among them, Intertops , was dealing the C’s as 7 ½ point favorites in Game 1 with a total of about 210, depending on what time you went shopping for numbers. Imagine that, the oddsmakers believed these teams would combine for somewhere in the vicinity of 210 points when in fact, they managed only 158 between them. If you’re combing the internet for early numbers on Wednesday’s Game 2 then look no further than SBR Odds, where Intertops is once again installing the Celtics as 7 ½ point home chalk, however, the total has dropped markedly to 203 in that game.
If you’re a glass-half-full kind of guy then you can take solace in the fact that the Green deserved their victory, despite their offense’s horrendous shooting, because the defense suffocated the Pacers in the second half, limiting Indiana to just 29 points. However, for those of us who are far more skeptical, the Celtics shot a dismal 36 percent and had a whopping 20 turnovers. And in addition, the Pacers had themselves to blame as much as any defensive wizardry from Boston, as they continually missed open shots without a Celtics’ defender to be found. That’s not to say the C’s didn’t play very good defense, but the narrative has been hyperbolic because the Pacers shot a dreadful 33 percent yet committed seven fewer turnovers than Boston.
Okay, so we know the boys in green can rock with a physical team like the Pacers, but can they roll through this first-round and contend against a far more talented opponent? If you’re not sure, then join the club. It’s tough to tell what this team is really all about. We know Kyrie is a superstar because he routinely plays like one but what about the other max contract guy, Gordon Hayward? Yes, we’ve seen glimpses of greatness, but it’s been about as often as a full moon and impossible to predict. What we can give Hayward credit for is accepting his reduced role on the bench without responding like a diva whose name has been removed from the marquee.
But the real problem this season has been Jaylen Brown and it was evident again on Sunday afternoon. Head coach Brad Stevens started Brown in place of the injured Marcus Smart, but he was quickly supplanted by Marcus Morris and Gordon Hayward. Morris went on to bucket 20 points while Hayward ended the night with 10 but Brown was a dismal 1-of-5 from the field for two points in 28 minutes of action. Talk about ugly.
Brad Stevens had this to say about the Game 1 victory, “Those guys guarded their butts off. That game looked like a 1980s playoff game in a lot of ways with the score. But it’s tough. Those guys are physical. …We have a lot to get better at.”
Indeed, the Celtics do need to get better and if they expect to win when scoring under a hundred points then they should think again. Prior to Sunday’s victory, the C’s had not won a game this season when scoring less than triple digits. We know the Celtics can beat a struggling team without its leading scorer (Victor Oladipo) but had they met any other Eastern Conference playoff opponent on Sunday, besides perhaps the Detroit Pistons, Boston would be down a game, and not up one. Hopefully, the offense wakes up in Game 2 and we’re talking about a series sweep but until then, it’s anybody’s guess with this team.
If Game 1 against Indiana was any indication, the Boston Celtics are going to be relying on their defense in the 2019 playoffs. Boston’s 84-74 win left fans understandably concerned about certain aspects of Boston’s offense, but the effort at the other end was undeniable, especially in the second half when they held the Pacers to a season-low 29 points. While the final margin was just ten points, Boston was in total control for most of the second stanza, stretching a nine-point lead at the end of the third quarter (63-54) into a 22-point lead (84-62) with just over three minutes left in the game. The Celtics were sizable -400 favorites to win the series before Game 1, and are now -850 chalk after shutting down Indiana for a solid 24 minutes. According to the analysts at SBD, though, their odds to win the East remain basically unchanged at +350. That’s because of a looming second-round matchup with the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who looked as good in Game 1 against Detroit as they did in their historic 60-win regular season. Soon-to-be league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and company put a 35-point beatdown on the Blake Griffin-less Pistons (121-86) and it will be a massive surprise if that series goes to five games. While the Celtics should be able to close out Indiana relatively quickly, it’s undeniable that Boston/Indiana is going to be a much more physical, fatiguing series than Milwaukee/Boston. Brad Stevens said to the Associated Press that Game 1 “looked like a 1980s playoff game … [The Pacers] are physical”. Adding to the doubts about Boston’s long-term playoff success, the Celtics will be playing shorthanded for the foreseeable future, down Marcus Smart until at least the Eastern Conference finals. Only eight Celtics played more than five minutes in Game 1. Compare that to the Bucks, who had 11 players log at least 12 minutes in Game 1 against Detroit. When/if they do meet in the second round, Milwaukee is likely to be the fresher, healthier team from the outset, an advantage that will only become more pronounced as the series progresses. The injury to Smart is not just a manpower concern, either. As arguably the Celtics’ best on-ball defender, his absence will be felt a lot more in a series with Milwaukee, which finished fourth in Adjusted Offensive Rating, than against Indiana, which finished 18th (even with half a season of Oladipo). The optimists will point to last year’s seven-game win over Milwaukee in the first round and note that Boston didn’t have Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward in that series. Subtracting Smart for Irving and Hayward is still a net gain, surely? But that argument ignores the progress Milwaukee has made under Mike Budenholzer. The Bucks jumped from 9th to 4th in Adjusted Offensive Rating and from 21st to 2nd on defense. They now attempt and make the second-most threes in the entire league. Last year, they were 25th in attempts and a brutal 27th in makes. Even at full strength, this year’s iteration of the Bucks would be a handful for this year’s iteration of the Celtics. Milwaukee won the regular-season series 2-1, despite Boston getting two home games. If Boston is going to match their playoff performance from last year and get back to the East finals, they will likely need to be every bit as good on defense as they were on Saturday while improving on the offensive end, where they shot just 36.4% from the field. Yes, the Indiana defense is very good. Milwaukee’s is better.
Right now the Red Sox are poor Ned Umber. Nailed to a wall of poor performances, turned by the Night King of a 6-13 record, and set on fire by Red Sox Nation.
This is not a melodramatic assessment. Check out what David Price, the only starter who has thrown 7 shutout innings this year, has to say:
David Price has been on talented teams that recovered from awful starts, as well as some that didn’t. What if the Sox don’t recover? Price: ‘We don’t play better, Mookie will be traded, JD will be traded… We need to play better. It needs to happen now.’ https://t.co/XgZBDZt7le
.1835 This is the career batting average of current Rays regulars against Rodriguez (.184) and Price (.183). This is just another reminder of what the Red Sox starters are capable of if they can get their heads screwed on straight.
The Red Sox have very few at bats against Stanek, but have hit .381 against him. They have a little more history against Charlie Morton, who they’ve hit to a .333 clip.
What To Watch For
Xander Bogaerts will have a lot to do with any success the Sox have this weekend. He’s hitting .500 against Morton in 12 at bats, including a home run, and .381 against Stanek with a triple.
This is a big weekend for the Red Sox, but even more so for Rick Porcello. He’s completely out of sorts, and the Rays have a lot of success against him. He could either spin off into oblivion, or turn his season around.
Sunday’s game could be a great pitching duel. Glasnow comes in with a 4-0 record, 1.13 ERA, and .88 WHIP. Price went 7 innings and allowed no runs his last time out against Baltimore.
Expectations
Another series, another ‘Who can say?‘ History says this is a series win for the Sox. But the reality is the Sox are 6-13, while the Rays are 14-5.
The Red Sox have to snap out of it at some point. Right now they have a 10 game stretch where they play the Rays six times. That’s a real opportunity to change the narrative. It’s also a massive risk where the Night King takes over and the whole team gets traded.
We’ve gone from watching glory, to a Shakespearean tragedy. At least it’s interesting.
