After the Celtics’ Game 7 loss to Miami in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, Jaylen Brown blamed himself.
Early in that game, Jayson Tatum suffered an ankle injury. Boston needed Brown to take on a larger role, but he struggled in the 103-84 loss. He shot 8-for-23 (1-for-9 from 3-point range) and turned the ball over eight times.
“We failed,” Brown said after the game. “I failed. We let the whole city down.”
A year later, Brown thrived in the postseason as Boston rolled to an NBA Championship and he won the Bill Russell Award for the most valuable player in the finals.
But the situation the Celtics are in now after Jayson Tatum’s season-ending Achilles injury, more closely resembles that game in Miami and thus offers a true chance for redemption.
Brown has had more time to prepare for it as he’ll try to lead Boston out of a three-games-to-one hole. On Wednesday, he was terrific with 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds and was most proud of his defense in Boston’s Game 5 win.
“Just continue to be aggressive, continue to trust in my game and my development. Tonight, I was able to find like a flow, a rhythm in the game,” he said. “We played with a different pace, but defensively, we got stops. But just mindset, mentality, next play. Faith, consistency and hard work pays off.”
He’s much more comfortable this time.
“Just be who I am, and I think that’s it. Just be myself, come out, be aggressive, and get it done in multiple ways,” he said. “It’s a team, we’ve always been a team. I’ve always preached team. I’ve done whatever to kind of push this team forward. So whatever is needed on me. I’m excited to be able to facilitate in whatever role, so it could change each game, each night, defensively, offensively, but the goal is to just lead, just be myself.”
A reminder
Pete Rose was a bad guy and he damaged baseball. Either one should be enough to keep him from being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
He gambled on the Reds as the manager of the Reds. You can’t do that. That is insider trading. It doesn’t matter that gambling is legal now and that baseball is sponsored by sports books. The same transgression would, or at least should, get someone banned today.
And he should garner no sympathy, even posthumously.
In 2017, a woman alleged under oath in federal court that she had a sexual relationship with Rose that began when she was below the age of consent (16)
Asked about it by the Philadelphia Inquirer at a baseball event, Rose didn’t deny anything and addressed the inquiring female reporter as “babe.”
The Baseball Hall of Fame is a museum and Rose IS in it. His accomplishments are all over the place in Coopertown. That’s enough. Enshrinement is an honor, one he doesn’t deserve.
Hopefully, the members of the eras committee, who will decide his enshrinement fate, have more character than Rob Manfred.
Real Jeopardy! Clue
Sports clues from actual editions of America’s favorite quiz show. As always, mind the date
CATEGORY: SPORTS MASCOT HISTORY – $400
From 1979 to 1981 the Yankees fittingly had a mascot named this, also a word for a well-dressed man
— Answer below
Nice work if you can get it
Derek Carr, who retired this week after a shoulder injury, leaves the NFL at No. 16 on the league’s all-time money earned via salary rankings.
Obviously quarterbacks get paid a lot and the salaries go up all the time, but Carr earned $195 million over his time in Oakland and New Orleans.
Carr never won a Super Bowl or even a playoff game and still he made $195 million over his career.
Aaron Rodgers is No. 1 all time at $380 million. We like to think of Tom Brady as sacrificing money for the good of the team, that money was all deferred. He’s still third at just under $333 million
LeBron James is the all-time leader in salary earned in American sports with $528.7 million.
The Top 5
Top 5 Most Anticipated Patriots Games:
5 – Week 7 at Nashville — Mike Vrabel returns to face his old team.
4 – Week 3 at Pittsburgh – Patriots vs. Steelers is never boring. Neither is Patriot vs. Aaron Rodgers.
3 – Week 18 vs. Miami — The Patriots have a weak schedule and should be better in several key places. Could this impact whether they make the playoffs?
2 – TCU at North Carolina — Yes. This counts and you’re curious too.
1 – Week 1 vs. Vegas – How much better are they with better coaching, a better defense and a slightly older Drake Maye? Let’s find out.
Today in Boston Sports History
May 16
1955 — Brockton’s Rocky Marciano TKO’s Don Cockell in the 9th round to retain his world heavyweight boxing title
Lightning round
Olympic flag football is an incredibly stupid idea.Knicks fans are either expecting to lose to the Celtics or reach the NBA Finals. The Pacers aren’t drawing as much as a thought.The Celtics are down three games to two with a +31 point differential so far.Predicting the Connecticut Sun will be playing in Boston by 2030.The Knicks’ winning percentage is 0 when Mitchell Robinson’s free throw percentage is 100.The Panthers are one win away from turning the pick they traded for Brad Marchand into a first-rounder.Journalism is going to place but not win in the Preakness.Rick Tocchet isn’t worth what the Flyers are going to pay him.R.I.P. Joe Don Baker. I loved him in Fletch. You remember him as The Whammer in the Natural.Counting Crows are still making outstanding new music.
Real Jeopardy! Question:
Who is Dandy?
Editors note: He looked a little like Rich Gossage
Headline Crystal Ball:
Saturday:
Predicting another game at TD Garden on Monday.Fake Headline Inc
Last week: I had Celtics tying the series in New York. I’m trying again.
Finally…
If you need me, I’ll be at Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.
