Sports
Celtics chase offensive improvement against lowly Nets
Feb 25, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) talks with a referee during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Although the Boston Celtics are coming off one of their worst offensive performances of the season, Jaylen Brown believes his team has plenty to feel good about entering its Friday night game against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics turned in a lackluster second half on Wednesday on a 103-84 road loss to the Denver Nuggets. Boston’s point total and shooting percentage (34.9%) were both season lows, and the Celtics were outscored 56-36 in the final two quarters.
The result ended Boston’s four-game winning streak. Three of those victories came on the road.
“It would’ve been great to finish out strong on the road trip with a win, but 3-1 on a West Coast swing, coming straight out of All-Star break is not half-bad,” Brown said. “We just gotta continue to get better little by little.
“I like where we’re at as a group. I think we’re playing some really good basketball. I think our guys have developed in areas that we continue to just push along, so we just gotta keep that up.”
Boston was playing its third game in four nights on Wednesday. The Celtics beat the Phoenix Suns 97-81 on Tuesday without Brown (right knee contusion), but he led the Celtics in points (23) and rebounds (11) against Denver.
“I like where we’re at as a team,” Brown said. “It’s a good test going back home, playing in front of our home crowd, but we got some tough matchups coming up so we gotta be ready.”
The Celtics are 9-2 in their past 11 games.
“(A) 3-1 trip … played four good teams,” Boston’s Derrick White said. “We knew it was going to be a tough back-to-back. I think we’re in a really good spot. Obviously, there’s a lot to improve on and we’re going to continue to work on. But it’s a big game coming up here on Friday. We gotta be ready to go for that.”
A game against the Nets may be just what the Celtics need to get back on track. Brooklyn fell 126-110 to the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, the Nets’ sixth consecutive loss. Michael Porter led the Nets with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
“I do believe we can be better than this and that’s the message: Work to be better. Be ready to compete,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said after the latest defeat. “We’re not wasting opportunities. Every game of the last 24 has to be played with intention.
“We move on to the next one. It’s an exciting game (Friday). I know the whole team cares. We just have to go out and fight and be 1% better.”
Brooklyn rank last in the NBA in scoring (107.0 points per game), field-goal percentage (44.4%) and rebounding (40.4 boards per game).
Although he didn’t score, Josh Minott made his Brooklyn debut in the Thursday loss. Boston sent Minott to Brooklyn for cash considerations at the trade deadline.
Minott most recently was playing for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. He averaged 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game with the Celtics this season.
The Friday game will be the fourth meeting between Brooklyn and Boston this season. The Celtics won 113-99 on the road on Nov. 18 before the Nets prevailed 113-105 in Boston three days later. The most recent matchup was a 130-126 double-overtime road win for the Celtics on Jan. 23, when Brown logged 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red Sox tie club mark with 15th straight win in DH opener vs. O's
Jul 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) hits a two run RBI double against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Ceddanne Rafaela homered, Jarren Duran drove in three runs and the Boston Red Sox tied a franchise record for consecutive victories with 15 by beating the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-3 in the first game of a split doubleheader Wednesday.
The Red Sox, who also won 15 straight during the 1946 season, haven’t lost since a 10-2 home setback against the Washington Nationals on July 1.
Boston starter Jake Bennett (6-3) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits and struck out five. Aroldis Chapman tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 23rd save of 2026 and 390th overall, tying him for ninth on the all-time list with former Red Sox pitcher Dennis Eckersley.
Dean Kremer (1-3) gave up six runs on eight hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Rafaela, Caleb Durbin and Willson Contreras each collected two hits for the Red Sox, who never trailed.
Baltimore received a solo home run from Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who had three hits and two RBIs.
Durbin’s two-run single and a two-run triple from Duran handed Boston a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Baltimore made it 4-1 in the third, when Pete Alonso doubled and scored on Tyler O’Neill’s two-out double that Rafaela lost in the sun.
The Red Sox regained a four-run lead in the bottom of the third. Durbin scored on Duran’s sacrifice fly to make it a 5-1 contest.
Encarnacion-Strand’s home run came against Bennett in the fourth and cut Boston’s lead to 5-2. It was his second home run in as many games since being called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.
Rafaela’s home run, his ninth of the season, extended Boston’s edge to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth, but Encarnacion-Strand’s third hit of the game was an RBI single that drove in Coby Mayo and trimmed Boston’s advantage to 6-3 in the sixth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Guardians star 3B Jose Ramirez activated, batting second
Jun 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after scoring during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images In a virtual tie atop the American League Central, the Cleveland Guardians received a major boost with the activation of star third baseman Jose Ramirez, who is in the starting lineup and batting second Wednesday against the visiting Minnesota Twins.
Ramirez, 33, a seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger, had been out since June 13 with a left hamate fracture. He underwent surgery three days later and was given a timetable of five to seven weeks. Wednesday marked five weeks and a day since the procedure.
In a corresponding move, outfielder Kahlil WIlson was optioned to Triple-A Columbus.
Without Ramirez, the Guardians went 15-15 but struggled offensively, ranking 28th in the majors in runs (121) and 26th in OPS (.690). In 72 games this season, the 14-year veteran is hitting .239 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs, along with 18 doubles and 24 stolen bases.
In other injury news, Cleveland outfielder Angel Martinez began a rehab assignment on Friday after suffering a non-displaced left foot fracture the same day of Ramirez’s injury.
Martinez played seven innings in his third rehab game for Triple-A Akron on Tuesday and could be activated by this weekend, MLB.com reported. In 66 games this season for Cleveland, he has hit .239 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spain's Gavi: No suspension for Argentina’s Leandro Paredes
July 19, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.; Argentina’s Leandro Paredes clashes with Spain’s Gavi next to assistant coach Walter Samuel. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images Spain midfielder Gavi doesn’t feel Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes should be suspended for his postgame tirade following Spain’s 1-0 victory in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Tensions were high after the match and Paredes had a hand in elevating them further. While players were mixing it up, Paredes charged in from behind and crashed into Gavi, eliciting further pushing and shoving and an occasional swing.
FIFA said earlier this week it will have a prosecutor conduct an investigation.
Still, Gavi said Paredes shouldn’t receive a ban.
“I don’t think he should be suspended,” Gavi said after the match. “I understand it’s not a good image for children, but I think there’s also that side to football, which is a bit more physical, more aggressive.
“The most logical thing would have been to send him off during the match, and that’s it. In the end, I think it’s all football, and it has to be that way.”
Gavi became involved in the incident after attempting to intervene in a confrontation that involved teammate Eric Garcia.
At one point, Paredes was listed as receiving a red card for his postgame actions. That was deleted a short time later.
After the match, Paredes was asked about the incident.
“I was just talking to them after the match,” Paredes said. “Things got heated with their teammates being aggressive. … They didn’t need to get physical like that. It was childish.”
Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute for Spain.
–Field Level Media
Red Sox tie club mark with 15th straight win in DH opener vs. O's
Guardians star 3B Jose Ramirez activated, batting second
