🏆 Respect the Celtics!

Good Morning, Boston.

🤬 Alex Cora lost his cool on Sunday. The Red Sox manager was ejected five minutes into the series finale against the Twins for this tirade against the umpires over an interference call. Add this one to the greatest manager meltdown compilations immediately.

What’s on tap today:

• BC’s dramatic comeback

• What’s hotter: Sun or Fever?

• Triston’s three-mendous game

Let’s get into it…

LEADING OFF

Put respect on the Celtics’ name!

Why does everyone still hate the Celtics? The C’s haven't raised Banner 18 yet, but people are already trying to drag it down. Pundits like Shaquille O’Neal are calling their championship road the “easier run ever.” Jayson Tatum still has people questioning whether he has the “sizzle” to be the face of the NBA. CBS Sports ranked Joe Mazzulla outside the top 10 coaches in the league. Seriously, what gives?

The Celtics didn’t fit the narratives people needed … You’d think the Celtics held enough intrigue for people: overcoming painful playoff losses the last two seasons before finally getting over the hump – with a second-year coach to boot. But it seemingly wasn’t enough because:

• Boston benefitted from injuries to marquee players like Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton in the playoffs.

• People think Tatum is boring and lacks “aura.” (To be fair, getting a tattoo of yourself holding the championship trophy is a little corny.)

… And their critics love a good story over substance. For years, people debated whether the Tatum and Jaylen Brown-led Celtics had the “it” factor needed to win it all. They wanted to see the C’s get tested and lose to the upstart Pacers or get their comeuppance again from the Heat. Then, talking heads wanted to see Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving humble Tatum and Brown. Now that the Celtics have broken that narrative, people will pivot to “I bet they can’t do it again!” and will discredit this year’s ring if they don’t. Because why let facts get in the way of clicks? 

You can’t deny the Celtics’ greatness. Here’s the thing, though: the Celtics proved themselves at every point. They had the best record in the NBA by seven games and only lost three times in the postseason. By now, it should be clear: no one was beating the Celtics in a seven-game series. Calling their path “easy” undersells how dominant they were. 

Celtics hate might create a monster. It’s difficult to repeat as champions in the NBA. Injuries, fatigue, and complacency have a way of crippling dynasties before they begin. Plus, other teams improve, just like the 76ers did by pairing All-Star Paul George with Joel Embiid. But the league is giving the Celtics all the bulletin-board material they need to go off. Mazzula said a few weeks ago on the “Locked On Celtics” podcast that the C’s aren’t defending their title. They’re attacking their second. If that’s how they’re playing this … look out, NBA.

POLL

🤔 Do you think the doubters will make the Celtics stronger?

BOSTON SPORTS

Quick hits & headlines

🦅 BC is officially for real. After a narrow loss to No. 11 Missouri, BC stole the Red Bandanna Game from Michigan State, 23-19, thanks to a late TD pass from Thomas Castellanos to Lewis Bond. They now sit just behind Louisville atop the ACC standings with a 3-1 record. Bill O’Brien is making the most of his dream job, and it’s making college football in Boston fun again.

☀️ The Connecticut Sun face the Fever. You know what that means: Caitlin Clark is in town, which makes Mohegan Sun Arena the center of the basketball universe for the next few days. The Sun defeated Clark’s Fever in three out of four regular-season meetings this year, with one of those matchups drawing 2.1 million TV viewers on ESPN2. Plus, Dijonai Carrington all but declared war on Fever fans a few weeks ago, calling them the “nastiest” in the league. The Sun took Game 1 Sunday and can knock Indiana out on Wednesday.

🩼 Rafael Devers’ painful season ends. The Red Sox have seen enough, putting Devers on the injured list and ending his season after months battling shoulder problems. Though Devers fought to stay on the field, his bat speed dipped as the season went on and the pain progressed. He hit just .244 with five home runs in the second half. You can’t question his heart, but there’s no point in fighting through this with the Sox’s postseason hopes all but dead. On to 2025.

BEYOND BOSTON

Out-of-town report

Baker Mayfield shouldn’t have chirped Tom Brady. Two days after Mayfield accused Brady of creating a “high-strung” culture in Tampa before he got there, he and the Bucs were throttled by the bottom-feeding Broncos, 26-7. Check yourself next time, Baker. 

Shohei Ohtani’s video-game run continues. The day after making MLB history by establishing the 50/50 club, he detonated another homer and stole another base. Then on Sunday, he smashed a game-tying homer in the ninth inning — his 53rd long ball of the year. Where can the Sox find one of those? 

A’ja Wilson is your WNBA MVP … And she joined Cynthia Cooper-Dyke as the second player in history to win the award unanimously. If the Sun can make it to the Finals, they might have a date with Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. That would be must-see TV.

LAST CALL

It’s almost Maye Time

Robert Kraft made a smart succession plan for Bill Belichick. Before Thursday’s game vs. the Jets, Kraft revealed that he tabbed Jerod Mayo as Belichick’s successor five years ago. It’s a move after Belichick’s heart: getting a replacement plan ready years in advance (like drafting Jimmy Garoppolo to supplant Tom Brady).  Though Mike Vrabel unexpectedly hit the market, Kraft stuck with the man whom the players trusted. Not everyone will agree, but that’s a prudent call when heading into uncharted territory. Now it’s on Mayo to validate that belief. 

THE BEST THING I SAW IN SPORTS

Thrice is nice!

💥 Triston Casas slugs three homers. The young first baseman bashed a trio of round-trippers in the first game of the Red Sox’s doubleheader with the Twins on Sunday, and he did it all before the fifth inning was over. Cora must’ve been laughing maniacally from the clubhouse.

🗞 That’s a wrap. I’ll be on the phone with NASA to see if that last Casas dinger is still in orbit.

📲 Keep up with us @BSideSports on IG, TikTok, and X. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].