CLNS Media https://www.clnsmedia.com/ Covering Boston Sports Since 2009 Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:57:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://www.clnsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Favicon.png CLNS Media https://www.clnsmedia.com/ 32 32 Sam Hauser Emergence an Important Development for Celtics Playoff Hopes https://www.clnsmedia.com/sam-hauser-emergence-an-important-development-for-celtics-playoff-hopes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sam-hauser-emergence-an-important-development-for-celtics-playoff-hopes Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:51:41 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150363 BOSTON — Let the Celtics tell it and Sam Hauser always impacted the team this year with defense, gravity and offensive activity outside of his three-point shot. And true, he became a better rebounder, impacted different lineups and flashed an occasional secondary play-making and inside game that helped him sustain through a slow three-point shooting start to the [...]

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BOSTON — Let the Celtics tell it and Sam Hauser always impacted the team this year with defense, gravity and offensive activity outside of his three-point shot. And true, he became a better rebounder, impacted different lineups and flashed an occasional secondary play-making and inside game that helped him sustain through a slow three-point shooting start to the year by his standards.

But even Hauser acknowledges his job in Boston.

“I know I’m capable of doing other things other than shooting a three,” Hauser said on Wednesday. “It’s just what I’m asked to do the most and that’s how I started to get on the floor in Boston, and tried to run with that and become as great of a shooter as I can each and every day and then also building off that, which the next phase to a shot is a shot fake and a drive, so I know I’m capable of it and when it presents itself, I try to take advantage.”

Hauser continued his tear from three that included a brush against Celtics history in Atlanta, where he launched six misses in rapid succession after starting the night 10-for-15 from three. He fell one short of Marcus Smart’s record 11 from the 2020 season, and subtracting those six heaves, Hauser combined to shoot 41-for-79 from deep to begin this month (51.9% 3PT). Defenses reacted, and in recent games he became a hub for screening, movement and passing out of pressure that changed the complexion of the Celtics’ offense. This month, they lead the league in offense with 121.9 points per 100 possessions and remain just beneath the Nuggets for No. 1 this season with 121.3.

Joe Mazzulla moved Hauser back into the starting lineup after his 5-for-7 three point shooting night in Sacramento, where he started the second half over Jordan Walsh, who had logged 20 starts where Boston went 15-5. The move felt bold at the time, Walsh’s defense emerging as a crucial component to that end of the ball while the Hauser lineup’s struggles on the boards led to them getting away from their opening night lineup after only two games. Hugo González replaced Hauser in Detroit, where the Celtics fell to 0-3, before Josh Minott and Walsh provided more physical looks at the four position in the months that followed. Hauser, playing with new groups, struggled offensively by his standards after the demotion, shooting 35.5% 3PT.

“We only went to it for two games. So it’s probably a small sample size on that,” Mazzulla said on Wednesday. “To me, I just think they’re playing well. I think our defense has gotten better, I think our offensive execution has gotten better, I think Sam’s ability to continue to play two-way basketball, his ability to defend at a high level and then it obviously allows us to spread the floor and play a little bit offensively. We have to be able to go to a bunch of different lineups, but that one’s playing well so far.”

After the Celtics avenged the previous week’s loss to the Pacers behind Hauser’s 17 points, six rebounds and three assists on 6-for-8 shooting (5-7 3PT), their latest and original starting lineup this year improved on its +20.5 net rating to begin the night. The Hauser group’s 129.8 offensive rating surpassed the Walsh one by 11.4 points per 100 possessions, while the lineup’s defensive rating improved by 5.9 points per 100 too. Most surprisingly, the Hauser lineup rebounds 5.1 percentage points better than the Walsh group (70.8 DREB%). Boston has now won 6-of-9 with Hauser in the starting lineup this month.

It looks like the answer for the fifth starting spot until something changes, or someone returns. Only Denver’s most-used Nikola Jokić (+20.1) rivals this one among units with 134+ minutes played together this year.

“When I got back to starting, we were like 35 games in and we figured out our identity and who we were going to be this year,” Hauser said. “And that first week or two of the season, we were just trying to figure it out and everybody was a in a different role and getting used to that and adjusting to it. And now, by this time of the season, everybody realizes how they can help this team in the best way possible and I think that’s probably the biggest change, honestly.”

And it hasn’t significantly diminished Walsh’s productivity. He told CLNS Media in Miami earlier this month that he looked at the move to the bench as a challenge rather than a demotion. Walsh immediately played his best game of the season, statistically, with 13 points and 13 rebounds in his first game back with the second unit in LA. And with the space, shooting and offensive movement Hauser allowed for through overpowering offensive showings earlier this month, it’s hard to imagine how the Celtics didn’t implement him with the starters sooner.

The team faced a difficult decision with Hauser among others over the season that they ultimately punted on with the Georges Niang salary dump. His slow start to the season continued to raise questions about his long-term standing in Boston given the team’s continued tax status. Now, like Anfernee Simons following his recent surge, it’s hard to imagine this year’s Celtics without Hauser playing alongside their best players. And back at his lifetime mark of 40% from three — his start to the season increasingly appears to have been an aberration.

He doesn’t care that it landed him on the bench. Though how he handled it might’ve served as a lesson for other Celtics who followed in losing their starting jobs.

“I don’t really care if I start or come off the bench,” Hauser said, reflecting on the change in Miami last week. “It doesn’t really matter to me, to be honest with you.”

 

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Takeaways from Another Late Celtics Loss to the Pistons https://www.clnsmedia.com/takeaways-from-another-late-celtics-loss-to-the-pistons/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=takeaways-from-another-late-celtics-loss-to-the-pistons Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:15:13 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150359 Jaylen Brown missed a pair of late free throws and what would’ve been a game-winning shot against Tobias Harris in a loss to the Pistons to conclude a 2-2 road trip on Tuesday. Detroit beat Boston in 3-of-4 games this season decided by 14 points combined, while the Celtics’ lone win came by three following a missed game-tying [...]

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Jaylen Brown missed a pair of late free throws and what would’ve been a game-winning shot against Tobias Harris in a loss to the Pistons to conclude a 2-2 road trip on Tuesday. Detroit beat Boston in 3-of-4 games this season decided by 14 points combined, while the Celtics’ lone win came by three following a missed game-tying free throw by Cade Cunningham.

The matchups featured strong play from Brown and Cunningham, both named All Stars on Monday, a decisive bench advantage for the Pistons and an ability by the Celtics to stay in games with the east’s top seed but not close them. Their competitiveness physically and on the boards kept them close similarly to the last Celtics-Pistons game, where Brown’s seven free throw misses plays a crucial role in Boston’s loss. Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics matched the Pistons’ physicality as he did after that night. Yet Detroit, again, flexed its status as the conference’s power.

  • Brown scored 13 of the Celtics’ 29 points in the first quarter while the Pistons held Derrick White scoreless to begin his 1-for-11 night. Brown’s efficiency waned after his 5-for-11 start, so even as the Celtics’ offensive rebounding and an early three-point shooting edge formed, they turned the ball over and lost the possession battle for the rest of the night. Detroit won 50-50 balls, limited Boston’s offensive boards after halftime and closed 7-of-17 from three. Jaden IveyDuncan Robinson and Harris beat Boston’s aggressive rotations on Cunningham, which didn’t force any turnovers on him. He finished with 14 assists.
  • Sam Hauser’s success following the 10 threes he made over the Hawks continued through a 6-for-9 showing against Detroit that saw his screening, shooting and some activity inside the arc opening up the offense. The Pistons, however, put him in foul trouble and he sat from the nine minute mark of the third quarter until seven minutes remained in the fourth. Luka Garza also struggled with fouling, disrupting Boston’s rotation and calling for more Baylor Scheierman minutes and even a Xavier Tillman Sr. appearance. All of the Celtics’ starters won their  minutes by 7-12 points after trailing by eight at halftime.
  • The intensity, pace and shot-making for stretches of Monday’s game resembled a playoff series like the previous matchups between the teams. Adding to Mazzulla’s recent sentiment of clutch time becoming a crap-shoot, Boston actually won those minutes by 1.3 points per possession, but allowed 127.3 points per 100 as their rebounding and rotations faltered late in the losses. They won the closing minutes, 10-8, and by 25 points per 100, with three missed free throws becoming the difference.
  • Small ball became a factor in the loss as well, with the Pistons pulling their centers off the floor for a stretch as they had in prior games. The Celtics went to Scheierman, Hauser, Brown, White and Pritchard in those situations., which finished -83.3 per 100 in three minutes. A small but important segment of the game. Tillman’s group finished -2, also consequential in a one-point loss. The Pistons tested the Celtics’ depth.
  • Despite the thin margins, the Pistons’ speed, tenacity and knowledge of the Celtics’ attack on both ends should’t go unnoticed. They routinely turned their turnovers into points, winning 20-5 on the fast break. Detroit took advantage of Boston’s aggressiveness on the offensive glass with those leak-outs and limited the Celtics outside of Brown with their switching. It was one of the stronger execution games against Boston this year, however much the Celtics will come away feeling like they keyed in on the right areas to win. There’s hope for a better result with this matchup in the playoffs, as Pritchard projected while comparing it to the Knicks’ upset of the Celtics last season, Detroit’s personnel as it stands will make doing so difficult.

 

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Celtics Road Notebook: Jaylen Brown, Anfernee Simons and Injury Update https://www.clnsmedia.com/celtics-road-notebook-jaylen-brown-anfernee-simons-and-injury-update/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celtics-road-notebook-jaylen-brown-anfernee-simons-and-injury-update Sun, 18 Jan 2026 19:09:13 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150354 The Celtics began an eventful road trip with a loss to the Pacers before a 19-point deficit at Miami two nights later put them at risk of their first three game losing streak since their 0-3 start to the season. Anfernee Simons led the turnaround with 39 points before he played a sizable role in the team’s [...]

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The Celtics began an eventful road trip with a loss to the Pacers before a 19-point deficit at Miami two nights later put them at risk of their first three game losing streak since their 0-3 start to the season. Anfernee Simons led the turnaround with 39 points before he played a sizable role in the team’s 26-point win over Atlanta where they led by as many as 43. The trade deadline sits only 18 days away and Boston plays 10 more games before then, beginning on Monday in Detroit.

Here’s what stood out to me from my stops in Miami and Atlanta on the trip.

  • Simons scored the fifth-most points of his NBA career on Thursday in the manner the Celtics wanted him to going back to the summer — while also impacting defense and playing within the team construct. The scrutiny on Simons internally and overall sense that he’s inevitably gone before the deadline have both faded recently while he’s averaged 17.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 3.3 APG in January on 49.2% shooting from the field and 51.4% on eight attempts per game from three. What stood out most from his trip was how he drew extra defenders late in the Miami game and throughout his 14-point (5-10 FG) showing in Atlanta two nights later. Payton Pritchard sat out the win over the Hawks with ankle soreness, and Simons played in the fourth at the Heat over Pritchard while also cutting into Brown’s minutes.
  • Speaking recently about the ups-and-downs of his acclimation to Boston, he’s expressed a desire to win and enjoyment in the process of tailoring his game toward winning basketball. Jaylen Brown said on the trip Simons is probably playing in a role below his talent level, but it’s become an important one for a Celtics team that has a difficult decision looming. Simons becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer when his $27.7 million deal expires. He’s been connected to salary dump moves, the Bucks and attempts to upgrade the front court. Those trade rumors, too, aren’t anything new, Simons said, who’s leaned on his Portland experiences to help him handle the challenges he’s faced with the Celtics. Increased defensive attention on him could unlock a new layer of Boston’s offense. Simons has fans in the Celtics organization, and the increasing sense that the team’s success this season may not lead to significant payroll or tax reduction is increasing my confidence that Simons could remain with the team past the deadline — but the team is still focused on its long term roster construction.
  • Brown bounced back from missing the final seven minutes of the first half in Miami and producing his third least efficient game (37.5% FG) this season with a 41-point masterpiece performance in Atlanta where he did his work in three quarters. Mazzulla alluded to Simons’ play in explaining Brown appearing for his second-fewest first half minutes all season at the Heat, while Brown referenced playing behind Jayson Tatum in his reaction to the move. Still, he sounded deferential as he was following similar benchings at Brooklyn and against the Pacers, the Celtics’ other largest comeback win this season. Boston won all three games, and continue to embrace sacrifice and agile roles across the board with the results clearly affirming Joe Mazzulla’s ability to find the right lineup balance on any given night. As I’ve written, his ability to maneuver the minutes of his best players is a significant step in his coaching career. Elsewhere, Brown’s Wheeler High School retired his uniform near Atlanta, Brown discussed his old tweet about a teacher who predicted she’d look him up in jail one day and complained about officiating while mentioning that he’s studied referees and other players in the league who receive sizable free throw numbers each night. Brown generated 0 free throw attempts later that night in Miami before halftime but finished with seven before attempting 12 in three quarters at Atlanta. He ranks tied for 13th with 5.9 FTA per game.
  • While Pritchard’s (ankle) absence on Saturday sounded like a load management night, his first game missed since Mar. 29, 2025, Josh Minott (ankle) sat out a sixth straight game with an unexplained sprain he suffered despite sitting out all but three minutes of the previous six games, effectively leaving him out of the last 12 since his last rotation minutes at Indiana. Minott appeared on the court at practices and shootarounds throughout the trip and Mazzulla acknowledged he’s progressing while taking things day-by-day. The Celtics still haven’t upgraded him from out and he faces an uphill battle toward playing again once he does return due to the resurgent play of Luka Garza and Jordan Walsh’s steadiness in the front court. Baylor Scheierman started twice this week in Brown and Pritchard’s absences.
  • Sam Hauser’s outburst against the Hawks that rivaled his greatest game ever in Washington and nearly matched Marcus Smart’s single-game Celtics three point shooting record from 2020 devolved into a brief hunt for the tie that left him 10-for-21 from three. He started 8-for-10 before missing his first three looks in the fourth. His emergence into January as a starter alongside Simons’ rise went under the radar, but he’s averaging 14.0 PPG, shooting 45.1% from three and playing excellent defense this month. The Celtics have won 5-of-7 since he entered the starting lineup in Walsh’s place, with that starting group that began the season boasting a 126.7 offensive rating and 110.8 defensive rating (+15.9) in 20 games together.
  • Walsh handled his move to the bench well, posting one of his best games of the season with the second unit in Los Angeles earlier this month and averaging 3.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG on 48% shooting (36.4% 3PT) in 18.0 MPG over his last eight appearances off the bench. Walsh discussed the move with CLNS Media, explaining that the change maintains his role off the bench: “Regardless of who I’m playing with, I’m solidifying myself as a defender, so that’s what I’m always gonna be doing. I don’t think much as changed. It’s just taking it as a challenge, not taking it as a demotion. I feel like I would’ve viewed it that way no matter where I was at (in my career), going from where I was to where I am now, I think it’s a challenge I have to accept and try to out-perform … (it’s) more minutes if you play good and that’s about it.”
  • Mazzulla scaled back his focus on officiating himself following his illegal screen refrain from Indiana that the NBA backed up by stating in the last two minute report that Pascal Siakam should’ve been called for one before his game-winner on Monday. He said that wasn’t the message to the Celtics after the loss, but rather the stretches in the game that cost them, including the middle of the third quarter, turnovers, two-on-one reads and situational rebounding: “But from time-to-time, there are obviously moments where (commenting on officiating) happens … our techs are pretty low, so we’re not costing points. As long as we do what we need to do to stick to the process of winning and we’re not costing ourselves points, they handle it how they want to handle it. For the most part, I don’t think it’s taking away from our execution and our mentality toward the game, which I think is the most important thing.:”
  • Kristaps Porziņģis greeted former Celtics teammates after missing his fifth straight game with Achilles tendonitis. He and several players and staff members chatted in a side room at State Farm Arena before he left the arena declining to speak with several media members, saying he would do so during the Hawks’ trip to Boston next month.

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Sitting Anfernee Simons Becoming More Difficult for Celtics as Deadline Nears https://www.clnsmedia.com/sitting-anfernee-simons-becoming-more-difficult-for-celtics-as-deadline-nears/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sitting-anfernee-simons-becoming-more-difficult-for-celtics-as-deadline-nears Sat, 17 Jan 2026 14:46:39 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150346 MIAMI — Anfernee Simons might begin 2026 as the NBA’s biggest luxury. One of the league’s most talented shooters, and statistically the Celtics’ best from three (40.5% 3PT) among their high-volume launchers, sits and watches many fourth quarters. Before Thursday’s 39 point outbreak that saved the Celtics in Miami, Simons averaged less minutes in the final [...]

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MIAMI — Anfernee Simons might begin 2026 as the NBA’s biggest luxury. One of the league’s most talented shooters, and statistically the Celtics’ best from three (40.5% 3PT) among their high-volume launchers, sits and watches many fourth quarters. Before Thursday’s 39 point outbreak that saved the Celtics in Miami, Simons averaged less minutes in the final frame this season than rookie Hugo González.

Small ball and Joe Mazzulla’s increasing confidence in the star’s acclimation to the team’s defensive system, focus on the intangibles and the flat out need for Simons to save them in some circumstances bumped him to fifth after the win in Miami. The Celtics have struck the right balance recently between Derrick WhitePayton Pritchard and Simons, even getting away from a struggling Jaylen Brown in Miami to play Simons more late in the first half. But the most difficult decision regarding Simons awaits Boston in only 20 days at the deadline.

“That boy, he can play,” Brown said, who accepted the trade-off with Simons on Thursday. “He’s probably more talented than the role that he’s placed in, but I have hella respect for him to come out and play winning basketball and do what the team needs. Doesn’t complain, just brings good energy and just contributes in a positive way, but tonight, like any night, we’ve seen at times he can just really fill it up. So I think he’s learning, he’s growing, he’s coming into his own, he’s developing, but tonight was an example of that.”

Simons initially played a longer stint in the second quarter alongside Sam Hauser over Brown after the Celtics trailed by 11 points following a first quarter capped by three Simons threes. Brown turned the ball over twice and missed three short-mid rangers in the ensuing minutes and came off the floor less than five minutes into the frame. His 12:43 first half minutes marked his fewest since a win at Brooklyn where Mazzulla similarly went away from Brown in the first half, who acknowledged the move as performance based. Simons’ play forced the decision this time, Mazzulla said on Thursday.

But the real tradeoff came in the fourth after White and Pritchard combined for eight points through the first three quarters and Boston trailed by 10. Simons led a 9-4 run with White, Hauser, Hugo González and Neemias Queta before Luka Garza relieved Queta in foul trouble. Brown joined them for González after two more Simons buckets pushed the run to 13-7. Brown and Simons traded threes and the Celtics secured a lead they never surrendered with 4:45 left after Boston trailed by 19 points in the first quarter.

Though rare this season, Simons’ presence, offensive creation ability and shooting in moments where Brown or another scorer in front of him have made him an important layer to the team’s offense. That’s also left him marginalized in moments where they do, or Mazzulla has opted for more defensive or rebounding-oriented looks. The Celtics also directly challenged Simons to improve his defense over the summer, which he has.

“Just being coachable,” Simons said. “Having some humility on the things that you need to get better at, and just accepting the role, trying to be the best version at it and it’s got its ups-and-downs, but I think for the most part, I’m learning each and every game, just going with the flow and continuing to try to improve … it was definitely an adjustment. Usually you know exactly when you’re going into and coming out of the game, but sometimes here, he’s feeling out the game, and he’s feeling out what the game needs, and so you gotta be ready at any moment for your number to be called no matter if it’s the first quarter, second quarter and it might come down to the fourth quarter, so that just keeps you always on your toes and always locked into the game and being ready when your number’s called, which has been helpful.”

While individual net ratings don’t always fully describe one player’s impact, particularly in comparison to others, Simons finished fourth in the NBA last month despite almost always playing with the Celtics’ second unit. Only González, White and Queta boast better net ratings than Simons’ +7.6 among the team’s regular contributors. That’s at least a sign that Simons has played winning minutes consistently, something Mazzulla stressed by emphasizing Simons’ defense, rather than offense, following the 39-point outbreak that marked the fourth-most ever by a Celtics bench player. It also sets up continued trade-offs between Simons and Pritchard for however long they’ll play together. Simons’ full fourth quarter stint on Thursday kept Pritchard on the bench for all but one second.

Both players bring different strengths to their lineups. Pritchard’s passing, short-to-mid range game and pick-and-roll prowess have helped the starters despite him struggling from three this season (33.6%). Simons spot up shooting ranks in the 77th percentile of NBA players (1.18 PPP) this season compared to Pritchard sitting around the 55th percentile (1.06 PPP). It’s difficult to compare their individual productivity since Pritchard often faces opposing starters while Simons said on Thursday that he routinely benefits from the pressure other Celtics players have faced around him.

“A lot of times in Portland, it was such a chess match to figure out where I can get some space at,” Simons said. “Obviously here, everybody is viable to go off for 30-40 and shoot the ball at a high clip, so you find yourself having a little bit more room when you’re driving the ball and some guys might stay, so you’re playing one-on-one against the guy, so that kind of spacing always is helpful when you got it going like that.”

The Celtics’ core starting four of Brown, Pritchard, White and Queta have posted a +7.3 net rating this season, though Simons’ three most common five-man groups have all posted offensive ratings over 120 and two of them exceeded 130. There’s overwhelming evidence the Celtics’ offense improves with Simons on the floor, but with three of the team’s five best players needing minutes at guard, one will often get left out unless Boston leans into three-guard lineups. They experimented with it some during the New Year’s west coast road trip, but it remains a -3.6 net rating through 33 games and 97 minutes, surprisingly due to a low 114 offensive rating.

The fact that White, Pritchard and Simons all defend despite giving up some size as a lineup makes it worth exploring more alongside more trade-off between Simons and the play-makers in front of him. Defensively, he’s allowing 1.00 point per possession, an average mark, faring good against spot up shooters and in isolation while struggling through screens. Pritchard has fared similarly, with a 1.06 defensive PPP that ranks in the 20th percentile. Defense no longer separates the two by a significant margin, and as an important decision toward building the next championship looms — the Celtics need to know what Simons can provide at his highest usage.

“That’s the NBA. I’ve been in trade rumors since my third year, every other week it’s something new,” Simons said last week. “So it’s just part of the NBA and you just gotta be where your feet are.”

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Anfernee Simons leads Celtics to win over Heat | Garden Report Postgame Show on CLNS Media https://www.clnsmedia.com/anfernee-simons-leads-celtics-to-win-over-heat-garden-report-postgame-show-on-clns-media/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=anfernee-simons-leads-celtics-to-win-over-heat-garden-report-postgame-show-on-clns-media Fri, 16 Jan 2026 05:19:50 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150347 Anfernee Simons’ 39-point display off the bench spurred the Celtics to victory against the Heat in Miami. A below-par display from Payton Pritchard and a lackluster first half from Jaylen Brown didn’t matter after an incredible night from Simons and some important contributions from Luka Garza and Sam Hauser. The Garden Report Postgame Show goes [...]

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Anfernee Simons’ 39-point display off the bench spurred the Celtics to victory against the Heat in Miami. A below-par display from Payton Pritchard and a lackluster first half from Jaylen Brown didn’t matter after an incredible night from Simons and some important contributions from Luka Garza and Sam Hauser.

The Garden Report Postgame Show goes LIVE with CLNS Media’s Jimmy Toscano, Sherrod Blakely, Noa Dalzell, and Bobby Manning right after Celtics vs Heat to break it all down.

⏰EPISODE TIMELINE⏰
00:00 Intro
01:00 Instant reaction with Jimmy and Sherrod
02:03 Anfernee Simons’ impact + his trade value
11:56 Who should start? Pritchard or Simons
17:50 Joe Mazzulla postgame
23:23 Reaction to Mazzulla’s comments
24:40 Should the C’s trade for Jaren Jackson Jr.? What lies ahead for this team?
28:30 Thoughts on ‘benching’ Brown and Pritchard. Why Simons needs to play more
39:08 Anfernee Simons’ postgame press conference
42:50 Reaction to Simons’ comments
45:06 PrizePicks
48:00 Bobby Manning joins
52:36 Luka Garza impresses again
55:35 Noa Dalzell joins, discussing Sam Hauser
1:05:03 Thoughts on Mazzulla’s coaching tonight
1:11:05 Payton Pritchard vs Anfernee Simons
1:20:20 Trade rumors
1:30:44 Credit Cake

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Patriots Sign DE Darrell Taylor for Playoffs! https://www.clnsmedia.com/patriots-sign-de-darrell-taylor-for-playoffs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=patriots-sign-de-darrell-taylor-for-playoffs Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:13:24 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150342 CLNS Media’s Taylor Kyles and SI’s Mike Kadlick react to the Patriots signing former Texans defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad. Taylor was waived by Houston last week and, according to NFL Network, has a strong possibility of being elevated for the remainder of the playoffs. Patriots Daily on CLNS Media is Powered [...]

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CLNS Media’s Taylor Kyles and SI’s Mike Kadlick react to the Patriots signing former Texans defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad. Taylor was waived by Houston last week and, according to NFL Network, has a strong possibility of being elevated for the remainder of the playoffs.

Patriots Daily on CLNS Media is Powered by:

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Are there any positives from the Celtics’ loss to the Pacers? | You Got Boston w/ Noa Dalzell https://www.clnsmedia.com/are-there-any-positives-from-the-celtics-loss-to-the-pacers-you-got-boston-w-noa-dalzell/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=are-there-any-positives-from-the-celtics-loss-to-the-pacers-you-got-boston-w-noa-dalzell Tue, 13 Jan 2026 21:52:31 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150340 Celtics reporter Noa Dalzell recaps the team’s 98-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers, including what went wrong with Jaylen Brown sidelined and another clutch-time loss. Plus, highlighting a couple of notable role player performances — including Neemias Queta, Anfernee Simons, and Jordan Walsh. ⏰EPISODE TIMELINE⏰ 00:00 Intro 00:26 Recapping the loss 03:19 Positive takeaways + [...]

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Celtics reporter Noa Dalzell recaps the team’s 98-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers, including what went wrong with Jaylen Brown sidelined and another clutch-time loss. Plus, highlighting a couple of notable role player performances — including Neemias Queta, Anfernee Simons, and Jordan Walsh.

⏰EPISODE TIMELINE⏰
00:00 Intro
00:26 Recapping the loss
03:19 Positive takeaways + big picture
10:02 PrizePicks
11:13 Jordan Walsh looked back to his best
18:15 Neemias Queta’s night
20:13 Anfernee Simons’s impact
21:18 Thanks for watching!

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Can Patriots repeat Sunday’s performance vs Texans? | All 32 NFL Podcast w/ Mike Giardi https://www.clnsmedia.com/can-patriots-repeat-sundays-performance-vs-texans-all-32-nfl-podcast-w-mike-giardi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=can-patriots-repeat-sundays-performance-vs-texans-all-32-nfl-podcast-w-mike-giardi Tue, 13 Jan 2026 21:45:45 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150335 Mike continues to battle through a debilitating cold to give you the initial scouting report on the Houston Texans. Is this defense the best they’ve seen this year? (Hell, yeah!) And can the Pats do to CJ Stroud what they just did to Justin Herbert? ⏰EPISODE TIMELINE⏰ 00:00 Intro 01:38 Challenges Patriots’ offense will face [...]

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Mike continues to battle through a debilitating cold to give you the initial scouting report on the Houston Texans. Is this defense the best they’ve seen this year? (Hell, yeah!) And can the Pats do to CJ Stroud what they just did to Justin Herbert?

⏰EPISODE TIMELINE⏰
00:00 Intro
01:38 Challenges Patriots’ offense will face vs Texans’ defense
14:24 PrizePicks
15:55 More on the Texans’ defense
18:55 What to expect from Texans’ offense
21:45 What’s going on with CJ Stroud? Can Patriots’ get at him?
26:16 Texans’ running game
27:45 Ka’imi Fairbairn vs Andy Borregales
28:35 Thanks for watching!

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Jordan Walsh Should Start Again for Celtics After Pacers Loss https://www.clnsmedia.com/jordan-walsh-should-start-again-for-celtics-after-pacers-loss/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jordan-walsh-should-start-again-for-celtics-after-pacers-loss Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:15:45 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150307 Baylor Scheierman became the latest Celtics spot starter on Monday at Indiana with Jaylen Brown (back) out and Sam Hauser returning from a one game absence with hamstring tightness. They combined to finish 2-for-10 from the field (2-9 3PT) and the Celtics lost both of their minutes in a 98-96 loss to the Pacers, while winning Derrick White and Payton Pritchard’s playing time [...]

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Baylor Scheierman became the latest Celtics spot starter on Monday at Indiana with Jaylen Brown (back) out and Sam Hauser returning from a one game absence with hamstring tightness. They combined to finish 2-for-10 from the field (2-9 3PT) and the Celtics lost both of their minutes in a 98-96 loss to the Pacers, while winning Derrick White and Payton Pritchard’s playing time by one point.

Jordan Walsh remained in a bench role for the sixth straight game where the Celtics have played .500 basketball, assuming 18:11 second half minutes to Scheierman’s 3:42. Walsh made all three shots he attempted inside the arc after halftime, recorded two of his three steals in the game and helped cut a six point deficit with six minutes remaining the fourth to two points with a pair of stops, breakout dunk and assist to Pritchard for a three.

Walsh has now appeared in 18.8 minutes per game from the second unit, averaging 4.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game alongside 0.7 steals. He’s shooting 10-for-22 from the field and 4-for-10 from three across that stretch even after he missed both attempts from deep on Monday. In 20 games as a starter, he posted 7.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.1 SPG on 60.4% FG (44.7% 3PT) while Boston won 15 of those games and Walsh’s defense emerged as the revelation of the season.

Yet it wasn’t his own poor performance or another player’s ascension internally that led to Walsh’s demotion. An illness knocked him out of last month’s win at Toronto and he missed the following game against the Pacers. Hugo González played well across that stretch, and Walsh started four more games, but his second half minutes dwindled across each before Hauser replaced him after halftime in Sacramento, then assumed Walsh’s role in the following game. González started the San Antonio game with Hauser out, Joe Mazzulla said, to match Walsh up with Victor Wembanyama off the bench.

“In the second half they went to more cross-matching,” Mazzulla said on Saturday. “So we just went to different lineups from there. I thought Jordan did a great job on Wembanyama. Once they went to their cross-matches, we have to be able to space the floor and make the two-on-one reads. I thought Baylor did a good job of that.”

Walsh held Wembanyama to 2-for-4 shooting and four points across 3:24 matched up against him, according to NBA tracking data. In his first game off the bench in LA, he continued slowing James Harden and held Kawhi Leonard to 1-for-5 shooting after Leonard emerged as an All-Star candidate in the weeks prior. That night, Walsh posted 13 points and 13 rebounds across 29:38, actually seeing more playing time in his move to the bench.

But the Celtics lost part of their identity with the move. The Walsh starting group posted a 118 offensive rating, 114 defensive rating and +4.2 net rating through 21 appearances. The Hauser lineup is +23.4 for the season, +19.3 over the last four games, and he found his shot (19-42 3PT, 45.2%) across that stretch while receiving praise from Mazzulla for his defense. But Walsh maintains the team’s best individual offensive rating this season (122.7) due in part to the power of playing with the starters.

Walsh’s offensive rebounding rate beats Hauser’s by nearly five percentage points. His effective shooting is 10 percentage point better for the season. Walsh’s 2.5 STL% also far exceeds Hauser’s 1.3% on a team that wants to force turnovers. Boston has forced the fewest turnovers per game (9.8) since moving Walsh to the bench. They ranked 24th with 13.3 in 21 games with their previous rotation.

“I thought (Walsh) was tremendous,” Mazzulla said in LA after Hauser became a starter. “He didn’t move to the bench. We went with Sam because we knew what their lineups were gonna be, we wanted to get off to a great start on the offensive end. We knew what their coverages were. We got off to a quick start with some of their off-ball movements and it changed their matchups because we went with him, and I think that’s a testament to the guys that we’re always gonna do what gives us the best chance to win and everyone has embraced that. So for him to understand that … to even give us the production that he did, that just shows the mindset of the team.”

Walsh took Mazzulla’s benching as a personal challenge and looked more like himself at Indiana. There’s no reason he shouldn’t produce a similar impact with the second unit that he did with the start, and can always ride that into the closing unit as he did on Monday. Even after going away from him in second halves while he started, Mazzulla acknowledged his importance to the team. Scheierman rode a 10-point performance and strong closing stretch against San Antonio to a start on Monday, reflective of Mazzulla’s merit-based rotation approach this year.

There’s still some debate over what matters most this season, though. The Celtics seemed to find and develop something with the Walsh group, which stood among the league’s more balanced five-man lineups at its height (+8.5 for 12 games). Could that impact persist through Jayson Tatum’s return and become a factor next season? Boston needs to find those things out this year as much as they should continue along what’s become a sustainable path to contending in the East now.

“(Mazzulla) was challenging me to come in and try to be the guy that I was for a month,” Walsh said. “I definitely took that on as a challenge, but at the same time to me, starting, bench, it don’t matter. If I have a chance to come in and make an impact, that’s all that matters to me.”

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How the Patriots broke the Chargers in the Wild Card round | LIVE Pats Interference https://www.clnsmedia.com/how-the-patriots-broke-the-chargers-in-the-wild-card-round-live-pats-interference/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-the-patriots-broke-the-chargers-in-the-wild-card-round-live-pats-interference Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:36:46 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=150330 The Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi is back to break down all angles of the Patriots’ 16-3 win over the Chargers, their first playoff win in seven years. The guys cover how the Pats pulled off their best defensive performance of the season, why it changes their postseason potential, how Drake Maye rebounded in the [...]

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The Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi is back to break down all angles of the Patriots’ 16-3 win over the Chargers, their first playoff win in seven years. The guys cover how the Pats pulled off their best defensive performance of the season, why it changes their postseason potential, how Drake Maye rebounded in the second half and what else you missed Sunday night. Later, Mike and Andrew dive back into Dad Pod, “Let Me Have It” and a PG-13 segment Andrew couldn’t quite finish on the radio this weekend.

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