Sports
The Boston Celtics etched their name in NBA history during Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic on April 29 at TD Garden. Trailing at halftime, the Celtics roared back to secure a 120-88 victory, becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to win by 30+ points after being down at the break. “The @celtics are the first team in NBA playoff history to trail at halftime but end up winning by 30+ points,” OptaSTATS announced on X, capturing the magnitude of the feat.
Jayson Tatum led the charge, finishing with 35 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists, per NBA.com, showcasing why he’s a cornerstone of Boston’s championship aspirations. The Celtics’ second-half surge was fueled by a stifling defense, holding Orlando to just 40 points after the break while shooting 60% from the field themselves. The 31-point blowout closed out the series 4-1, advancing Boston to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Boston’s dominance wasn’t unexpected-they’d won the series’ earlier games at TD Garden convincingly, including a 104-99 Game 1 victory and a 112-96 Game 2 rout. However, the Magic kept it close at halftime, leading 49-47, before the Celtics flipped the script. “We just locked in and played our game,” Tatum said post-game, emphasizing the team’s focus after a sluggish start.
Tatum’s 35 points power Celtics to first-of-its-kind playoff blowout
The Celtics’ historic comeback adds to their storied playoff legacy. With 18 NBA championships, the most recent in 2024, Boston continues to set benchmarks. Jaylen Brown contributed 23 points, while Derrick White‘s defensive tenacity earned praise on X, with fans noting his “game-changing steals.” Orlando’s Paolo Banchero led his team with 19 points, but the Magic’s 38% shooting couldn’t match Boston’s intensity, per ESPN.
This series win highlighted Boston’s depth, especially with Jrue Holiday sidelined for Game 5 due to a right hamstring strain. The Celtics’ ability to rally from a halftime deficit showcased their championship mettle, a trait that’s defined their 2024-25 season. Fans on X celebrated the milestone, with one user posting, “Celtics making history again!” as the team gears up for a tougher challenge in the next round.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
WNBA Finals score, live updates: Mercury vs. Aces TV channel, highlights, player stats, news and analysis
Cathy Engelbert said "there's a lot of inaccuracy out there" in reporting on Napheesa Collier's comments rather than acknowledging Collier's harsh accusations and details of a private conversation Collier said they had.Engelbert said she and Collier have exchanged text messages. Asked if Collier's account of Engelbert telling her players should feel "lucky" for the media rights deal, Engelbert pointed to inaccurate reporting."It's obviously been a tough week," Engelbert said of personally handling the criticism.Engelbert said she and Collier will "chat" next week."The players have been great overall. I feel confident we can repair any loss of trust," she added.
Early 2026 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at first base shows where Rafael Devers lands at his new position
1 Drafted fourth overall in 2024, Kurtz stormed through the minors in just 33 games and then went on to deliver an all-time great rookie season -- one that included a four-homer game that may rate as the best of its kind. His rise to stardom came so easily that he might seem like the obvious choice to go No. 1 at first base, but a bloated strikeout rate makes for a too-good-to-be-true quality that will give some drafters pause.2 Guerrero just delivered what was pretty clearly the third-best season of his career, and while it made for a great batting average, the home run and RBI production didn't measure up to those of a top draft pick, particularly at this position. It continues the trend of Guerrero never quite living up to our hopes for him, apart from that […]
Early 2026 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at third base shows Isaac Paredes, Max Muncy gaining ground
1 During a year when so many of the standard bearers at third base removed themselves from early-round consideration, Ramirez remained as studly as ever, opening up about as big of a lead as he's ever had at the position. If only he wasn't 33. 2 Caminero's first full season vaulted him into an elite group of sluggers, one of just three to hit 40-plus homers in his age-21 season. His batting average was about 100 points lower on the road than at the minor league ballpark the Rays called home, which raises some uncertainty with the team expected back at Tropicana Field next year. 3 Chisholm stands out all the more at second base, a position with even fewer early round-caliber bats, so if you're looking to target him as a rare power/speed threat at a position long devoid […]
Phillies-Dodgers NLDS: What we’re watching in the series, starting with Cristopher Sánchez
PHILADELPHIA — The man who was supposed to be starting Game 1 of the National League Division Series for the Phillies approached Cristopher Sánchez with a question during Thursday’s optional workout, which was attended by almost the entire roster.“Are you ready?” Zack Wheeler asked Sánchez.“Of course I am,” Sánchez said.AdvertisementTo Sánchez, there is something about this place. Nothing is guaranteed. But, since the beginning of the 2024 season, the Phillies have won 27 of the 33 times he’s started at Citizens Bank Park. There is a photo of Sánchez that lines the hallway from the clubhouse to the dugout, and he touches it before every start. He wants to feel the bones of this ballpark.“Knowing every inch of this stadium, I think those are extra motivations,” Sánchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “Just the support that you get when […]
Aaron Boone fires back at Jays broadcaster who said Yankees ‘are not a good team’
TORONTO — Aaron Boone likely doesn’t watch many Toronto Blue Jays broadcasts. He’s usually busy managing the New York Yankees when they air. But Boone clearly heard what Toronto broadcaster Buck Martinez said about the Yankees last month. Ahead of an American League Division Series against the Blue Jays, Boone fired back.Advertisement“Contrary to some thoughts up here,” Boone said. “We’re a really good team.”The comment was clearly directed at Martinez’s comments on a Sept. 9 Sportsnet broadcast. Amid a Blue Jays contest against the Astros, the former Jays manager and long-time big-league catcher said the Yankees are “not a good team.”“I don’t care what their record is,” Martinez continued. “They have a lot of wild pitches. They make a lot of mistakes in the field.” "The Yankees, they're not a good team. I don't care what their record is. They […]
College football Week 6 betting notes: Expert finds betting value by analyzing spread trends
Throughout the years, I've been often surprised by how many handicappers attack the weekly slate of games looking for all sorts of angles and trends, many of them statistically-based, as they seek clues for the upcoming card. That's fine, but it should probably be accompanied by a simple measurable that can prove most beneficial to handicapping the upcoming slate of games, yet often overlooked. I have long believed that before tackling the weekly slate, a quick review of how teams are performing vs. the spread, specifically an easy-to-use list of current spread streaks, win and lose, should be the first step in scoping the weekly card. Why? Identifying just a handful of streaking point spread teams, win or loss, early in their ascents or descents, can often make the difference between a winning and losing season for the handicapper. There's nothing better […]
Related
WNBA Finals score, live updates: Mercury vs. Aces TV channel, highlights, player stats, news and analysis
Cathy Engelbert said "there's a lot of inaccuracy out there" in reporting on Napheesa Collier's comments rather than acknowledging Collier's harsh accusations and details of a private conversation Collier said they had.Engelbert said she and Collier have exchanged text messages. Asked if Collier's account of Engelbert telling her players should feel "lucky" for the media rights deal, Engelbert pointed to inaccurate reporting."It's obviously been a tough week," Engelbert said of personally handling the criticism.Engelbert said she and Collier will "chat" next week."The players have been great overall. I feel confident we can repair any loss of trust," she added.
Early 2026 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at first base shows where Rafael Devers lands at his new position
1 Drafted fourth overall in 2024, Kurtz stormed through the minors in just 33 games and then went on to deliver an all-time great rookie season -- one that included a four-homer game that may rate as the best of its kind. His rise to stardom came so easily that he might seem like the obvious choice to go No. 1 at first base, but a bloated strikeout rate makes for a too-good-to-be-true quality that will give some drafters pause.2 Guerrero just delivered what was pretty clearly the third-best season of his career, and while it made for a great batting average, the home run and RBI production didn't measure up to those of a top draft pick, particularly at this position. It continues the trend of Guerrero never quite living up to our hopes for him, apart from that […]
Early 2026 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at third base shows Isaac Paredes, Max Muncy gaining ground
1 During a year when so many of the standard bearers at third base removed themselves from early-round consideration, Ramirez remained as studly as ever, opening up about as big of a lead as he's ever had at the position. If only he wasn't 33. 2 Caminero's first full season vaulted him into an elite group of sluggers, one of just three to hit 40-plus homers in his age-21 season. His batting average was about 100 points lower on the road than at the minor league ballpark the Rays called home, which raises some uncertainty with the team expected back at Tropicana Field next year. 3 Chisholm stands out all the more at second base, a position with even fewer early round-caliber bats, so if you're looking to target him as a rare power/speed threat at a position long devoid […]
Phillies-Dodgers NLDS: What we’re watching in the series, starting with Cristopher Sánchez
PHILADELPHIA — The man who was supposed to be starting Game 1 of the National League Division Series for the Phillies approached Cristopher Sánchez with a question during Thursday’s optional workout, which was attended by almost the entire roster.“Are you ready?” Zack Wheeler asked Sánchez.“Of course I am,” Sánchez said.AdvertisementTo Sánchez, there is something about this place. Nothing is guaranteed. But, since the beginning of the 2024 season, the Phillies have won 27 of the 33 times he’s started at Citizens Bank Park. There is a photo of Sánchez that lines the hallway from the clubhouse to the dugout, and he touches it before every start. He wants to feel the bones of this ballpark.“Knowing every inch of this stadium, I think those are extra motivations,” Sánchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “Just the support that you get when […]
Aaron Boone fires back at Jays broadcaster who said Yankees ‘are not a good team’
TORONTO — Aaron Boone likely doesn’t watch many Toronto Blue Jays broadcasts. He’s usually busy managing the New York Yankees when they air. But Boone clearly heard what Toronto broadcaster Buck Martinez said about the Yankees last month. Ahead of an American League Division Series against the Blue Jays, Boone fired back.Advertisement“Contrary to some thoughts up here,” Boone said. “We’re a really good team.”The comment was clearly directed at Martinez’s comments on a Sept. 9 Sportsnet broadcast. Amid a Blue Jays contest against the Astros, the former Jays manager and long-time big-league catcher said the Yankees are “not a good team.”“I don’t care what their record is,” Martinez continued. “They have a lot of wild pitches. They make a lot of mistakes in the field.” "The Yankees, they're not a good team. I don't care what their record is. They […]
College football Week 6 betting notes: Expert finds betting value by analyzing spread trends
Throughout the years, I've been often surprised by how many handicappers attack the weekly slate of games looking for all sorts of angles and trends, many of them statistically-based, as they seek clues for the upcoming card. That's fine, but it should probably be accompanied by a simple measurable that can prove most beneficial to handicapping the upcoming slate of games, yet often overlooked. I have long believed that before tackling the weekly slate, a quick review of how teams are performing vs. the spread, specifically an easy-to-use list of current spread streaks, win and lose, should be the first step in scoping the weekly card. Why? Identifying just a handful of streaking point spread teams, win or loss, early in their ascents or descents, can often make the difference between a winning and losing season for the handicapper. There's nothing better […]
Be the first to leave a comment