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Thanksgiving Football: Northampton pulls off last-second victory over Easthampton

SPRINGFIELD — John Farinacci silenced the Thunderdome with a shoot-out wrister Saturday night as the Providence Bruins defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds, 4-3, during their annual Throwback Night. The Thunderbirds, who brought back the Falcons jerseys from the 1994-1995 season with a signature twist, ultimately suffered their third consecutive loss against the Bruins as they debuted a never-before-seen grey variation of the classic uniform in front of a sellout crowd of 6,793 fans. “Our guys played hard,” interim Thunderbirds coach Dan Tzacuk said. “We had four lines today for a complete game of 60 minutes, and our goaltender stood tall. ... It was a back-and-forth game, from having a lead to trying to weather the storm with successive penalties and then finding a way to score a goal to tie it up. “Both teams play hard, and it was a good competitive battle.” Once the puck dropped at center ice, both teams rolled out a fast and physical element to their game plan. It didn’t take long for Keenan Washkurak to provide his teammates a jolt of momentum — one that ultimately led to the Thunderbirds team taking an early lead. Washkurak and Providence defenseman Joey Abate exchanged personal greetings, which resulted in both men going to the penalty box for matching five-minute majors for fighting after dropping the gloves. ENJOY THIS ADAM GAUDETTE GOAL pic.twitter.com/nBDDeaV3ac — Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) January 7, 2024 Matthew Peca put the offense into motion as he found a loose rebound, along with Adam Gaudette, who was long gone from the defense zone and already deep within the neutral zone. From there, Peca slipped a quick pass to Gaudette, who initiated the clean breakaway. He turned his direction and attention toward the net and noticed Providence defenceman Michael Callahan trying to disrupt the play. Gaudette sped up and fired a quick wrister to the far right post, giving the home team a 1-0 lead at 6:05 remaining in 1st period. Peca assisted in the play for his 21st helper of the season. The T-Birds were merely warming up. Minutes later, Springfield utilized the same play as Hugh McGing zipped the cross-ice-pass to Gaudette, who had just entered the offensive zone. The puck then hit his stick, and trailing behind him were Providence defencemen Ian Mitchell and Jakub Zboril. Gaudette corralled the puck, luring Bruins netminder Brandon Bussi out of his net. Bussi then dropped to the butterfly as Gaudette slipped a clean backhander stick side, giving the home team the 2-0 lead. Providence struck back and scored three consecutive goals during the middle of the second period as Springfield dealt with penalty trouble. First, Joseph Duzak was called for the four-minute-minor high-sticking call, and then seconds later, Zach Dean was called for tripping. The Bruins were already on a 5-on-3 man advantage as the T-Birds’ defense fell apart. Reily Walsh fired a simple wrister toward Malcolm Subban as the rebound found its way to Fabian Lysell, who skated into place near the top of the left slot. Lysell then zipped a quick shot that trickled off a defender as it crossed the goal line, getting the road team on the board 2-1 at 14:49 remaining in the middle frame. Providence didn’t let up. Joey Abate slipped a pass back to the point for Brett Harrison, who then redirected the backhander back at Subban, allowing Providence to tie the game 2-2 just over two minutes later. A mere 32 seconds after that, Mitchell retrieved the puck then sent it back to the left bottom point where Anthony Richard fired a one-timer top shelf, breaking the tie and giving the Bruins the 3-2 lead. The third period saw Springfield tie the prime-time matchup at 3-3. WASHER TIES THIS GAME UP pic.twitter.com/zbhFozwE6W — Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) January 7, 2024 Duzak generated the Thunderbirds’ momentum as he skated into the offensive zone near the bottom of the right side boards with Rosen on his wing near the left side. Duzak then zipped the pass to Rosen, who fired a quick wrister toward a crowded net. Washkurak finished the play by tipping in the one-timer, allowing the T-Birds to tie the game at 3-3 with 8:52 left in regulation. Both teams found opportunities throughout the remainder of the third period, but both Subban and Bussi stood tall, neutralizing any threat that came their way. Neither team could capitalize during overtime with Bussi putting aside the Thunderbird’s best attempt — a shot from Gaudette. Later in the extra frame, Providence forward Jayson Megna pulled the net off its placement, neutralizing Springfields’ ability to score. Megna was then called for a delay of the game penalty, but Springfield did not capitalize, sending the game to a shootout. The shootout yielded a stalemate as Subban and Bussi were tied after five attempts. Farinacci, though, ultimately secured the victory, lifting the Bruins to a 4-3 win. “There are teachable moments here for these young guys,” Tkaczuk said. “It’s not always going to be rosy. There’s going to be challenges along the way. But that’s part of the process of them growing as individual players in their own game and us growing as a team as we continue to build throughout the season.” The Thunderbirds now gear up for a four-game road trip, starting with the second half of the home-and-home series in Providence. They return to the ice tomorrow, the puck drop is set for 3:05 p.m.

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Real Madrid vs. Villareal: Live stream, TV, how to watch La Liga

The Bucks will look to clinch a spot in the NBA’s first in-season tournament finals on Thursday as they face off against the Pacers in Las Vegas. The unique matchup will kick off a doubleheader at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to crown an in-season tournament representative in the final for both conferences. Milwaukee is coming off a blowout win over the Knicks on Tuesday night to secure their spot in the semifinals while the Pacers used a late 9-0 run to pull away from the Celtics for an upset win at home on Monday night. The winner of this matchup will either face the Lakers or Pelicans on Saturday night in the finals. What TV channel is the game on? What time will it start? Thursday’s game will tip off at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. Live stream info: WatchESPN | Sling | fuboTV - You can watch on ESPN or stream the game on WatchESPN by logging into your credentials. If you don’t have cable, you can stream the game on smart TVs and streaming devices via Sling and fuboTV, which has a free trial. More coverage via the Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are used to being on the NBA’s biggest stages, both of those teams having won championships in the last four seasons. The Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans haven’t often found themselves in that spotlight. That foursome — a pair of championship contenders, a pair of up-and-coming clubs — is probably the ideal grouping for the final four at the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. The semifinals in Las Vegas are Thursday, with Indiana facing Milwaukee and New Orleans then taking on the Lakers. Combined record of those teams in this tournament: 19-1. “I just want to win,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “Whatever it takes to do that, that’s what I’m going to do.” Thursday’s games count as regular season games. The championship game on Saturday does not. There’s also a big financial incentive to win in Las Vegas. By making the semifinals, all players on standard contracts have assured themselves of $100,000 from the league’s tournament prize pool; players on two-way deals get half of the standard-contract share. That figure goes to $200,000 each with a semifinal win, and $500,000 each for the players on the team that wins the title on Saturday. And even for players like the Lakers’ LeBron James — the league’s all-time leading scorer — these games are significant. “I continue to have this battle with Father Time, that for so long everybody has said has been undefeated,” James said. “I’m trying to give him one loss.” The matchups: PACERS VS. BUCKS Indiana Pacers (11-8, 5-0) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (15-6, 5-0), Thursday, 5:13 p.m. EST (ESPN) Line: Bucks by 4.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Series this season: Pacers 1-0 (won 126-124 in Indianapolis on Nov. 9). Indiana tournament stat leaders: Tyrese Haliburton (28 ppg, 13.4 apg, 5.2 rpg, 1.6 spg), Myles Turner (19 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.6 bpg), Obi Toppin (16.2 ppg, .642 FG%), Buddy Hield (15.8 ppg, .596 FG%), Bruce Brown (13.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.8 spg). Milwaukee tournament stat leaders: Damian Lillard (29.6 ppg, 7.0 apg, .526 3FG%), Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 6.6 apg, 2 spg, .636 FG%), Brook Lopez (17.6 ppg, 6 rpg, .586 FG%), Malik Beasley (12.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Khris Middleton (12.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg). Outlook: Haliburton had the first triple-double of his career in the quarterfinal win over Boston and has put himself into the MVP conversation for this tournament (and quite possibly the season to this point). Milwaukee’s offense clicked at a season-best level in its quarterfinal win over New York, with 146 points on 60% shooting. There’s no certain bet in Vegas, ever, but expect tons of points: The teams are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in tournament games in points per game (Indiana 133.6, Milwaukee 129.6), field-goal shooting (Milwaukee .529, Indiana .516) and 3-point shooting (Milwaukee .463, Indiana .445). PELICANS VS. LAKERS New Orleans Pelicans (12-10, 4-1) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (13-9, 5-0), Thursday, 9:10 p.m. EST (TNT/TruTV) Line: Lakers by 1.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Series this season: First meeting. The teams will play three more times this season. New Orleans tournament stat leaders: Brandon Ingram (27.4 ppg, 6.2 apg, 6 rpg), Zion Williamson (22.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.4 spg), Herb Jones (16.0 ppg, .611 FG%), Jonas Valanciunas (14.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, .596 FG%), Jordan Hawkins (13.5 ppg). L.A. Lakers tournament stat leaders: LeBron James (26.2 ppg, 8.2 apg, 8 rpg, .571 3FG%), Anthony Davis (21.2 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 2.8 bpg), D’Angelo Russell (17 ppg, 6.6 apg, .536 3FG%), Austin Reaves (15.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 5 apg), Rui Hachimura (11.2 ppg). Outlook: James has talked about owning a team in Las Vegas when the NBA inevitably expands once the new media rights deal is completed, and he’s clearly motivated by the prospects of being the winner of the first NBA Cup. The Lakers are 10-4 since starting the season 3-5. The Pelicans have been underdogs in all five of their tournament games to this point, and unless the line shifts by Thursday night this will be no exception. They’ll have very little burden of expectation on them in this one, which will surely help their chances.

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Celtics tourney loss to Pacers provides key silver lining

The Celtics and Timberwolves meet up at 7 p.m. Wednesday in what is a crucial matchup between the top team in each conference. Boston gets some mixed news when it comes to the injury report for that game. On the positive side, Jayson Tatum is no longer listed after missing Monday’s game against the Pacers. But three rotation players are also listed: Jrue Holiday (elbow sprain management), Al Horford (non-COVID illness) and Kristaps Porzingis (right knee contusion) are all questionable for Monday. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Tatum sat Monday’s loss to the Pacers because of left ankle sprain management, which he suffered against the Warriors on Dec. 19. He’s missed a few games occasionally to make sure he’s still healthy, though he’s also been playing through the sprain. Holiday has been bogged down by that right elbow sprain recently, which has also forced him to miss a couple games. Notably, Porzingis was questionable going into Monday’s game against the Pacers before eventually playing. But that was because of right eye irritation. The knee contusion is new as the C’s will monitor how the big man is feeling ahead of Wednesday’s game. The Celtics suffered a loss to the Pacers after a controversial finish, but they still have a league-best 28-8 record. The Wolves have been a pleasant surprise this season as they’re currently 25-10. Minnesota does play the Magic on Tuesday in Orlando, so the Wolves will be playing a back-to-back Wednesday. Regardless, it should be a fun game as the C’s look to avenge their early-season loss in Minnesota.

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Western Mass. Boys Basketball Top 20: Springfield Central earns top spot in first rankings

FOXBOROUGH — After missing 35-yard field goals in back-to-back losses, Chad Ryland’s job security is in jeopardy. The Patriots worked out five kickers on Tuesday, and according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Bill Belichick told one of them to hang around Foxborough. “Kicker intel: Matt McCrane stayed in town after being 1 of 5 to work out for the Patriots Tuesday, and was on standby pending another workout(s) Wednesday (possibly Matthew Wright, who was released from Falcons practice squad Tuesday),” Reiss tweeted. “So possibility of 2nd kicker still in play.” $200 INSTANT BONUS DRAFTKINGS MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BET FANDUEL MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $50, GET $250 BONUS CAESARS MASS CLAIM OFFER $1,000 FIRST-BET BONUS BETMGM MASS CLAIM OFFER MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. McCrane has been on five NFL rosters and spent time in the XFL. His only NFL kicks came in 2018, when he went 8-for-12 on field goals and 9-for-9 on extra points with three different teams. Wright, the second kicker Reiss noted as a possibility, has more NFL kicks on his resume, going 40-for-46 with a long of 59 yards with the Chiefs last season. Belichick was tightlipped about his kicking situation in his Wednesday morning press conference, but on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show Monday, he offered a blunt assessment Ryland’s play. “Chad’s a very talented player, but this is two weeks in a row we’ve basically missed extra points,” Belichick said. “So it’s not good enough.” With the most recent miss, Ryland fell to 12-of-18 (66.7%) on the season. There’s nothing he can do about it, but the rookie’s totals look even worse compared to Nick Folk 21-of-22 (95.5%), who remains nearly automatic in Tennessee.

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NBA Last 2 Minute report shows Celtics hurt by clock error in Hornets loss

FOXBOROUGH — Though he hasn’t made a decision on retirement, Matthew Slater knows the finish line is getting closer. The 38-year-old has won three Super Bowls and been named to 10 Pro Bowl teams as a pillar of the Patriots dynasty. A long-time leader in the locker room, Slater’s legacy is secure in Foxborough as one of the best lieutenants Bill Belichick has ever had. So as he closes out the 16th season of his career, how does Slater want to be remembered? The special teams ace offered a thoughtful response to that in a press conference on Thursday morning. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. “The thing that I value most,” Slater began, “The thing that I hope people remember me by when my time is up, is what I did off the football field. How I engaged with the community. How I tried to use my platform the right way: To connect with people, uplift them and bring the people around me up. “That’s always been my approach. And that stems from my faith in Christ. I believe He was a great servant, a great leader, and I’ve tried to emulate that in every aspect of my life. It hasn’t been perfect by any means, but I hope when people think about me they don’t just think about a guy that was running up and down covering kicks, but they think about a guy who tried to pursue manhood to the best of his ability. Tried to help the people around him to the best of his ability. And tried to serve others to the best of his ability.” On the field, Slater has been pretty darn good too. Just ask Belichick. “He’s just about the perfect player,” Belichick said. “He does everything you want him to do for your team. He’s the first guy in, last one out, and is a minimal playtime player in terms of the total number of plays he plays, but the way he trains, the way he prepares, communication, he does everything he can to help the team. Has tremendous, total respect from everybody in the organization. Players, coaches, staff, you name it. And he’s earned it. He earns it every day... every day he comes in like he might get cut that day. Prepares and practices and performs like, ‘If I don’t do good today, I might not be here tomorrow.’ That’s a tremendous attitude. “All the Pro Bowls and recognition that’s so well deserved, and personally, what he brings to the team off the field: Leadership, work ethic, guidance, motivation etc. is very unique and extraordinary. At the very top.” Though there are no gunners currently enshrined in Canton, Belichick believes Slater may be the one to change that when the time comes. “I think Slater really is eventually going to be a Hall of Fame candidate,” Belichick said. “As a coverage player, not as a specialist and he’s not a returner. So he’s in a very unique category, one that I don’t think is represented in the Hall of Fame. But based on what he did during his career, the length of time he did it, and the level he’s done it at... I would say this guy has been as productive as anybody has ever been at his position throughout his entire career, which is very lengthy. I think he’s the best that’s ever done what he’s done.”

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Westfield State womens soccer team seeks 3rd straight MASCAC title, punches ticket to finals with 3-2 win over Worcester State

WESTFIELD – The Westfield State University women’s soccer game is now one win away from winning its third straight MASCAC title and 10th in 18 seasons under the direction of head coach Todd Ditmar. Westfield State junior forward Delaney Parker (Orange) scored two goals, including the eventual game-winner to help the second-seeded Owls sneak past No. 3 Worcester State, 3-2, in the MASCAC women’s soccer semifinals Friday at home.

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MLB Notebook: Explaining my HOF ballot; Ron Washington on Vaughn Grissom

Syracuse will play USF in the Boca Raton Bowl at 8 p.m. Thursday. The Orange will be without quarterback Garrett Shrader who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Redshirt Braden Davis is No. 1 on the depth chart at quarterback for Syracuse. Running back LeQuint Allen leads the Orange offense. He has carried 225 times for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns. USF QB Byrum Brown has completed 64.3% of his passes (257-for-400) for 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also has carried 189 times for 745 yards and 11 TDs. Fans looking to watch this college football game can do so for free on fuboTV, which offers a free trial (as well as RedZone, for you NFL fans) or on DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV has promotional offers available, as well. Through the end of 2023, fuboTV is also offering $20 off the first two months of subscription (in addition to the 7-day free trial). It can also be streamed for free with a cable subscription on WatchESPN. Who: USF vs. Syracuse (ESPN) When: Thursday, Dec. 21 — 8 p.m. ET Where: FAU Stadium Stream: fuboTV (free trial); or Sling; or DirecTV Stream Tickets: StubHub and *VividSeats *New customers who purchase tickets through VividSeats can get $20 off a $200+ ticket order by using the promo code MassLive20 at checkout.* Gear: Shop around at Fanatics for jerseys, hats, polos, sneakers, shirts and more Sports Betting Promos: Football fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses. More from the Associated Press: Syracuse and South Florida meet in the Boca Raton Bowl on Thursday night. The winner gets to go into the offseason with a winning record — 7-6. Syracuse is seeking its first bowl win since 2018 and first time posting consecutive winning seasons since 2012 and 2013. South Florida hasn’t won a bowl game since 2017 and hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2018. Boca Raton Bowl: Syracuse (6-6, ACC) vs. South Florida (6-6, American), Dec. 21, 8 p.m. Eastern (ESPN) Line: Syracuse by 3, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Series record: South Florida leads 8-2. WHAT’S AT STAKE? The winner gets to go into the offseason with a winning record — 7-6. Syracuse is seeking its first bowl win since 2018 and first time posting consecutive winning seasons since 2012 and 2013. South Florida hasn’t won a bowl game since 2017 and hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2018. KEY MATCHUP USF’s passing defense against Syracuse’s mystery passing game. This is an incredibly odd matchup. USF gave up 301.2 yards per game through the air this season — the most in the country. With primary starter Garrett Shrader hurt, Syracuse plans to start redshirt freshman Braden Davis. He went 1 for 1 passing in the regular season. Safe guess: expect more of the wildcat that Syracuse ran well this season. PLAYERS TO WATCH Syracuse: RB LeQuint Allen. Syracuse had four games in November; Allen rushed for more than 100 yards in all of them. South Florida: QB Byrum Brown. He threw for 23 touchdowns this season, with 11 of those scoring throws coming in the final four games. FACTS & FIGURES The teams have some remarkable statistical similarities. Syracuse is rushing for 185 yards per game, USF for 184.7. South Florida netted 39.6 yards per punt, Syracuse netted 39.4. Both teams averaged 7.3 penalties per game, both offenses held the ball on average for 28 minutes per contest, and both turned it over exactly 20 times in the regular season. ... Expected high temperature in Boca Raton on Thursday: 75. Expected high temperature in Syracuse on Thursday: 30.

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Daily Boys Basketball Stats Leaders: South Hadleys Jack Loughrey leads region in scoring

CHICOPEE ― Springfield Central girls basketball performed on the road against Chicopee on Friday as the Golden Eagles soared to a massive 78-30 win over the Pacers.

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Patriots vs Giants prediction: Odds, game and player props

After missing his first game of the season, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard could return from his absence. Leonard is listed as questionable on the injury report with left hip contusion, which forced him to miss the Clippers’ game against the Thunder on Thursday. Moussa Diabate (left hip impingement) and Mason Plumlee (left MCL sprain) are both out as well for the Clippers. The Celtics face the Clippers in Los Angeles at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The C’s are shorthanded themselves for Saturday’s game as they have three rotation players listed, including Jayson Tatum (questionable) and Kristaps Porzingis (out). BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. The Clippers have been on a recent hot streak as they were just on a nine-game winning streak before their loss to the Thunder. They’re 17-11 on the season and have climbed out of a slow start to the year. They made headlines when they traded for James Harden from the 76ers at the beginning of the season. Harden has impressed, averaging 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in his 23 games in Los Angeles. The Clippers have plenty of marquee names, whether it’s Leonard, Harden, Paul George or Russell Westbrook. The Celtics will also see old friend Daniel Theis, who signed with the Clippers as a free agent. Theis wasn’t getting minutes in Indiana, so he was able to negotiate a buyout. The Clippers needed front court help with Plumlee out in the long-term, which is why they went out and signed Theis. The big man has averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in his 17 games for the Clippers thus far.

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UMass mens basketball falls to Towson on the road

Granby boys basketball jumped out in front early against Hopkins Academy and never looked back as the Rams defeated the Golden Hawks, 65-45 on Saturday at the Pioneer Valley Tip-Off at the Mullins Center.

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NFL Power Rankings: Plenty of twists and turns in AFC/NFC playoff races

Week 15 saw the San Francisco 49ers extend their winning streak to six games, tops in the league thus far. With three games to go, they’ve also pretty much locked up the NFC West with their sights now set on landing the NFC’s top seed. With the Eagles losing their third straight after a stunning loss to the Seattle Seahawks Monday night, the Niners have a bit of breathing room for that top seed. Over in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens won their fourth straight, and currently hold the top spot in the conference. Jacksonville’s loss, meanwhile, left the Jaguars in a three-way tie for the division lead in the AFC South with Indianapolis and Houston. As for the Patriots, they had a visit from Taylor Swift with the Kansas City Chiefs in town. They managed to keep Travis Kelce, Taylor’s beau, in check. But they couldn’t stop Patrick Mahomes. So they’re holding firm on the No. 2 pick in the draft. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Here’s the Power Rankings heading into Week 16: 1. San Francisco 49ers (11-3): When Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel are on, they’re impossible to beat. The Cardinals defense had no chance on Sunday. 2. Baltimore Ravens (11-3): The Ravens are on a roll and Lamar Jackson is healthy in December. But let’s not jinx it for the Ravens star quarterback. 3. Miami Dolphins (10-4): They didn’t have Tyreek Hill, but Jaylen Waddle was enough to coast by the Jets. With the Cowboys and Ravens on deck, we’ll see if they can finally beat a good team. 4. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5): Beating the Patriots sure doesn’t mean what it once did. But they’ll happily put an end to a two-game losing streak. 5. Detroit Lions (10-4): They played their best game in quite awhile on Saturday night. Maybe it should have been expected. Lions are 4-0 in primetime games this season. 6. Dallas Cowboys (10-4): Did the Bills expose a chink in the armor? We’ll see if other teams run the ball, and then run it some more en route to taking down the Cowboys. 7. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4): So what happened after Matt Patricia was inserted as the defensive play caller? The Eagles give up a game-winning touchdown in the final minute for their third straight loss. Can’t make this stuff up. 8. Cleveland Browns (9-5): When you’re Joe Flacco, and you’re signed off the street to rescue the Browns, and deliver wins even while throwing three picks, style points don’t matter. 9. Buffalo Bills (8-6): They basically ran the ball down the Cowboys throats and embarrassed Jerry’s boys in the process. Playing with their backs against the wall seems to suit the Bills. 10. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6): At different points Saturday, it looked like it was time to write the obituary on their 2023 season. Only, the Bengals managed to survive, coming back from 14 in the fourth quarter to pull off an overtime win and stay alive for a playoff spot. 11. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6): They’ve surrendered their lead in the AFC South, and no longer have the look of a legitimate contender. 12. Houston Texans (8-6): It wasn’t pretty, but they managed to survive without C.J. Stroud and pull out a win against the Titans. 13. LA Rams (7-7): They needed to win to keep their postseason hopes alive, and win they did behind another stellar performance by Matthew Stafford. 14. Indianapolis Colts (8-6): With backup Gardner Minshew leading the charge, they just might be the most surprising eight-win team in the lot. 15. Denver Broncos (7-7): Not the best time for the run game to disappear. But the loss to the Lions shouldn’t hurt them too much in the fight for a wild card berth. 16. Minnesota Vikings (7-7): They need to take some lessons from the Philadelphia Eagles on the brotherly shove, a.k.a. tush push. And why do it back-to-back after flunking the first time? Kevin O’Connell will be second-guessing himself all week. 17. Tampa Bay Bucs (7-7): If Baker Mayfield plays like he did against the Packers the rest of the way, the Bucs will emerge from a crowd of bad teams and win the NFC South. 18. Seattle Seahawks (7-7): Losers of five straight, they were pretty much down to their last gasp to keep their playoff hopes alive. The game-winning TD pass from Drew Lock to Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a thing of beauty. So was the ensuing pick by Julian Love. 19. New Orleans Saints (7-7): Derek Carr finally looked like the quarterback the Saints thought they were getting. Better late than never, I suppose. 20. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7): Three straight losses and you have to wonder if there’s any more wins left in them this season. 21. Green Bay Packers (6-8): Something’s not right if Baker Mayfield is carving you up for nearly 400 yards with four touchdown passes. 22. Las Vegas Raiders (6-8): Three points scored in a loss Sunday. Sixty-three in a win Thursday night. What accounted for the turnaround? Playing against Brandon Staley’s defense. 23. Atlanta Falcons (6-8): Losing to Carolina is cause to turn up the heat on head coach Arthur Smith, and lump him in with the rest of the coaches on the hot seat. 24. New York Giants (5-9): Tommy DeVito has been a nice, feel-good story. But he just may have turned into a pumpkin in New Orleans. 25. Chicago Bears (5-9): They merely blew their third double-digit fourth quarter lead this season. Ho-hum. 26. New York Jets (5-9): The Jets have now gone 13 straight seasons without a playoff berth. That’s the longest active drought not only in the NFL, but the NBA, NHL and MLB, too. 27. Tennessee Titans (5-9): Mike Vrabel’s team was officially eliminated. So the Titans attention will turn to fixing what’s broken. They have plenty of money to spend to accomplish the mission. 28. LA Chargers (5-9): The surprise would have been if Brandon Staley survived after the Raiders put up 63 on his defense. 29. New England Patriots (3-11): Back to their losing ways, back to making a slew of mistakes and back to the reality of wondering if Bill Belichick is coaching his final games with New England. 30. Arizona Cardinals (3-11): The only silver lining to getting smoked by the 49ers, was the Cards being able to rush for 234 yards. Other than that, nothing to see here. 31. Washington Commanders (4-10): Sam Howell looked like he was poised to be their starter for the long haul. The fact he was yanked for Jacoby Brissett on Sunday is all you really need to know. 32. Carolina Panthers (2-12): Stop the presses. Bryce Young led a game-winning drive - in a 9-7 game no less - but they’ll certainly take it. NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.

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sports

Josh Cohens double-double leads UMass mens basketball over UMass Lowell (photos)

AMHERST – After suffering a 10-point loss to Towson on Wednesday, the UMass men’s basketball team was looking to get back to its winning ways when it faced off with its in-state rivals UMass Lowell Saturday afternoon. With the assistance of a Josh Cohen double-double (25 points, 14 rebounds), the Minutemen achieved their goal, defeating the Riverhawks by a score of 91-77. “I thought we’ve done what we’ve done at home all year which is play from the jump ball with a presence,” head coach Frank Martin said. “I wasn’t happy with our first two defensive possessions because we gambled … I thought our defense was locked in and pretty good.” In the first half, both teams traded blows and it appeared that neither could get the edge with the score tied at 18 apiece. Eventually, UMass Lowell pulled away to hold a slim four-point lead. Unfortunately for the Riverhawks, this was their only lead of the afternoon. UMass seized the opportunity and took its first lead just over the halfway mark when Cohen picked off a Riverhawks’ pass and sent it back to Keon Thompson, who took and made a 3-point shot. “We needed a pick me up,” Cohen said. “We set the tone early, we let them back in a little bit. To make that little run at the end, it just pushed us into the half feeling good.” For the next six-plus minutes, UMass went on a 21-9 run giving the Minutemen a sizeable advantage and a 45-31 lead at halftime. Cohen, who finished the first half with 19 points and seven rebounds, led the way for UMass. He also had two steals as well in his first 16 minutes on the court. “It’s awesome, it’s a credit to him and our team,” Martin said of Cohen. “We don’t have selfishness of guys … Guys want to win, he’s a good player. They know the ball gets to Josh, good things happen.” Overall, UMass finished with a 50-percent (18-for-36) field goal percentage at the end of the first half to UMass Lowell’s 37.5-percent (12-for-32), something Martin was pleased with. In the first half, it was all Cohen, but after he held to just two points in the first half, Rahsool Diggins dug deep in the second half. Diggins put together 13 more points, finishing with 15 on the day including four coming on a three-point and-one play. “He kind of challenged me,” Diggins said of what Martin said to him at halftime. “Reminded of how it felt last year when we played these guys, so I just went out there and played my game.” Diggins was one of four players on the floor for UMass with double-digits as Matt Cross, and Keon Thompson picked up 14 points and 10 points, respectively. When asked what the difference maker between Saturday’s matchup and Wednesday’s, Martin said the big change was the approach to scoring and where they were scoring from. The second-year UMass coach said that in the Minutemen’s matchup with Towson on Wednesday, they couldn’t score at the rim. In the team’s matchup with the Riverhawks on Saturday, the team was far more successful. In addition to getting to the rim, UMass shot well from the free-throw line – going 16-for-20 from the stripe, including going 6-for-9 in the first half alone. The Minutemen are back in action on Saturday, Dec. 16, when they take on West Virginia University in the first game of the Hall of Fame Classic at the MassMutual Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

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sports

Michigan commit Christian Anderson Jr. talks Wolverine coaches, national championship, fans from Germany

The Celtics will be much healthier when they face the Spurs at 7 p.m. Sunday to finish off the 2023 part of their season. After missing three rotation players in their Friday win over the Raptors, the C’s only have one starter listed on their injury report. Jrue Holiday is questionable with a right ankle sprain. He was also questionable ahead of the Raptors game, though he ended up playing. Notably, the Celtics will be at full strength otherwise. That means all of Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford will play after missing Friday’s game. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. The C’s have been beaten up recently, though there fortunately hasn’t been any serious long-term injury. Jaylen Brown missed the Pistons game because of the back contusion he suffered against the Lakers. But he suited up for the Raptors game and put up an impressive night. The Celtics took care of business as part of their back-to-back against the Pistons and Raptors, winning a pair of close games. They are 25-6 on the season, including a 16-0 mark at home. Next up for the Celtics are the Spurs, who are 5-26 and last in the West this season. Rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama is coming off a 30-point game against the Trail Blazers, and he’s averaging 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists after going first overall in last year’s draft. But otherwise, it’s been a struggle for the Spurs to put together victories.

7bacae3e8b4a546f1022984c83199eeb

sports

MLB: Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros

Weather Alert ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 108 expected. * WHERE...Portions of north central and northwest Georgia, including downtown Atlanta and surrounding areas. * WHEN...From 11 AM to 10 PM EDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&

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sports

Boys Basketball Scoreboard: Angel Castillo, Athol hold off Frontier & more

The Athol boys basketball team defeated Frontier by just two points Thursday night to remain undefeated. Behind the 50-48 win, Athol moved to 5-0 on the season.

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sports

Third-quarter struggles bog UMass womens basketball in loss to Loyola Chicago

AMHERST – A porous third quarter bogged down the UMass women’s basketball team Wednesday night, as the Minutewomen fell to Loyola Chicago, 79-66, at the Mullins Center. The Ramblers outscored UMass 24-10 in the third quarter to take a lead they did not relinquish. The third quarter included a 14-0 run by Loyola Chicago. UMass trailed by as many as 17 points late in the game but did manage to cut the lead to 73-64 with 54 seconds left. “I was proud of the group that was on the floor for the last five minutes of the game,” UMass coach Mike Leflar said. “That was the team we need to be in terms of urgency.” Stefanie Kulesza had 17 points, six rebounds and eight steals. Even with the impressive stat line, she did not have much interest in discussing individual statistics after the game. “I didn’t even realize I had that many steals,” Kulesza said. “It’s not one of the focuses that we have going into each game. If I’m in the position and in the right spot then I’ll get the steal. But that’s not what I was focused on tonight.” It was the fourth straight loss for the Minutewomen. “As a coach I am still trying to find ways to get through to this group,” Leflar said. “In terms of what it takes to win and what it takes to be a consistent group. We have to keep fighting and keep believing to take steps forward.” Kulesza scored 13 points in the second quarter alone, allowing the Minutewomen to take the lead going into halftime. The offense sputtered in the second half. In the third quarter, the Ramblers scored their 24 points on 9-for-12 from the field. UMass went 4-for-13 from the field and turned the ball over five times. The main problem throughout the game and especially the third quarter was the 26 turnovers for the Minutewomen (3-15, 1-5 Atlantic 10). “The issue the whole game was handing them the basketball,” Leflar said. “That led to a lack of urgency on the defensive side of the floor. That led to them playing faster than us. I was disappointed with that, and I shared that with our players in the huddle. They were scoring because they were outworking us.” UMass had four players in double figures: Lilly Taulelei (10 points), Alexsia Rose (10 points), Kristin Williams (15 points), along with Kulesza. Rose led the team with seven assists. Loyola Chicago (9-8 Overall, 3-3 Atlantic 10) got 22 points from Sam Galanopoulos on 9-for-13 from the floor. The Ramblers had 23 fast break and went 8-for-14 from the 3-point line. UMass sets its sights on George Mason (12-3, 3-1 A-10) on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Mullins Center. “Watch the film,” Leflar said. “Show up for the next practice and ready to keep plugging away. My biggest challenge as the leader of the program is to make sure all 13 people are on board to keep pushing forward.” In the first quarter, the Minutewomen scored early and often inside with 12 points in the paint. The Ramblers countered with some outside shooting including two early 3-pointers by Sophia Nolan. Ali Berg’s late 3-pointer gave the Ramblers a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. UMass did not score from the outside until the first minute of the second quarter on a Bre Bellamy jumper. UMass went on a 9-2 run in the final minutes of the second quarter to take a 35-33 lead at the half. Kulesza ignited the run and scored 13 points in the frame. Loyola Chicago went up 48-43 in the third quarter after an Alyssa Fisher 3-pointer. The lead matched the Ramblers biggest of the game. The lead extended to 55-43 with 2 minutes 30 seconds left in the third quarter. Fisher had 17 points for the Ramblers.

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sports

Senior guard Ava Pedersens return from injury could be key to Westfield High School girls basketball teams season

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association released its most recent power rankings for the winter season on Friday, posting the lists for high school girls and boys basketball and boys and girls hockey. The power rankings include games that were posted by schools into Arbiter by Jan. 19 at 4 a.m.. The state athletic association will update the rankings every Tuesday and Friday throughout the remainder of the regular season.

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sports

Pat McAfee Apologizes Over Role in Aaron Rodgers-Jimmy Kimmel Feud

Pat McAfee on Wednesday apologized for airing comments that Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made toward Jimmy Kimmel on McAfee’s ESPN television show a day earlier suggesting the late-night talk show host had a connection to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. “Some things obviously people get very pissed off about, especially when they’re that serious allegations,” McAfee said. “So we apologize for being a part of it. I can’t wait to hear what Aaron has to say about it. Hopefully those two will just be able to settle this, you know, not work-wise, but be able to chitchat and move along.” Speaking on his weekly Tuesday appearance on McAfee’s television show on ESPN, Rodgers, a four-time winner of the N.F.L.’s Most Valuable Player Award, suggested that Kimmel, the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC, was acquainted with Epstein, who was accused of having sex with minors and in 2019 died by suicide while in jail. Epstein was a longtime friend to powerful politicians and business executives, and the names of some of his associates are expected to be publicly released soon in court documents. “There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, really hoping that doesn’t come out,” Rodgers said on McAfee’s show. Kimmel denied the allegations on X, formerly known as Twitter, and threatened potential legal action against Rodgers.

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sports

Boys Basketball Scoreboard for Jan. 4: Drury gives Pioneer Valley first loss & more

Pioneer Valley boys basketball fell to Maynard in the Division V state quarterfinals on Mar. 10, 2023.

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sports

New England wearing red Pat Patriot throwbacks vs. Chargers

The latest -- and not-so-greatest, according to some reviews -- installment of the “Indiana Jones” series is finally available to stream. Those who want to check it out can head over to Disney+ and scoop up a Disney+/Hulu subscription for as little as $9.99 a month. Folks who want to watch ad-free can boost that plan up to $19.99/month. Sports fans can add ESPN+ to the mix for another $5 tacked onto either plan. Most reviews appreciate the action but not necessarily the plot. Lindsey Bahr describes it as: “The cumbersome plot (script is credited to Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp and Mangold) strains to justify and give meaning to the search for the Antikythera: The FBI is on the hunt for it, as is Nazi scientist Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) for whom the war hasn’t ended, and the daughter (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) of Indy’s late partner Basil (Toby Jones) who was driven mad by the gadget. It’s a bit much, as are many of the overly elaborate and strangely murky-looking action sequences from the train in 1944 to a deep-sea diving sequence with killer eels. The movie hits its action high notes when it sticks to the tactile classics, like a brilliantly executed rickshaw chase in Tangier.” The move dropped onto Disney+ on Friday, Dec. 1. Related Content: What’s streaming this weekend: Indiana Jones, Paris Hilton, Super Mario and ‘Ladies of the 80s’ By The Associated Press Super Mario, an Elvis Christmas special and Paris Hilton enjoying motherhood are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are Peter Gabriel’s long awaited album, a Robin Hood game with robots and Harrison Ford’s last hurrah as Indiana Jones swings onto Disney+. NEW MOVIES TO STREAM — The biggest box-office hit of the year not named “Barbie” is coming to Netflix. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” hits the streaming service Sunday, Dec. 3, after its previous run on Peacock. The film, which grossed nearly $1.4 billion in theaters, has fared slightly better than the infamous 1993 “Super Mario Bros.” In my review, I praised the primary-color visuals but wrote that “as nice as it is to look at ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ it’s not anywhere near as fun as it would be to play it.” — Todd Haynes’ “May December” is a deliciously disquieting drama loosely based on a stranger-than-fiction true story. Haynes’ film, which debuts Friday on Netflix, is inspired by Mary Kay Letourneau, the teacher who went to jail in 1997 for a sexual relationship with a student, only to later marry him. In “May December,” Julianne Moore and Charles Melton play a couple years past a similar scandal, while Natalie Portman portrays an actress who’s come to research them for an upcoming film. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called it “an audaciously self-aware, mischievously funny and emotionally complex drama that defies simple categorization.” — Harrison Ford’s last hurrah as Indiana Jones swings onto Disney+ on Friday. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” had a mixed reception when it launched over the summer. Ford was feted in Cannes. Reviews were mixed. Box office was lackluster. But “Dial of Destiny,” directed by James Mangold (taking over for Steven Spielberg), co-starring Phoebe Waller Bridges and featuring a poignant scene with Karen Allen, has a lot going for itself. In her review, Bahr acknowledged it’s no “Raiders” or “Last Crusade,” “but it’s solid, swashbuckling summer fare and a dignified sendoff to one of cinema’s most flawless castings.” — Matthew Heineman’s “American Symphony” captures a whirlwind year for Jon Batiste. The film covers the pianist winning the 2022 Grammy for album of the year, winning an Oscar for co-creating the score to “Soul” and a triumphant concert at Carnegie Hall — all while his wife, Suleika Jaouad, battled leukemia. “American Symphony” is now streaming on Netflix. — AP Film Writer Jake Coyle NEW MUSIC TO STREAM — A starry special this week honors Elvis. “Christmas at Graceland,” featuring Post Malone, Alanis Morissette, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Lana Del Rey and The War and Treaty. It aired live on Wednesday on NBC and streams on Peacock. “Christmas at Graceland” — airing right after NBC’s “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” — is the first televised concert from the estate and Presley’s granddaughter, Riley Keough, will make special appearances. — Peter Gabriel’s sonic teasing is almost over. After releasing 10 singles during 2023 — coinciding with each month’s full moon — the singer-songwriter finally will drop the album they all come from on Friday, “i/o.” The album is available in two distinct mixes: The Bright-Side Mix by Mark “Spike” Stent and the Dark-Side Mix by Tchad Blake. “Tchad is very much a sculptor building a journey with sound and drama, Spike loves sound and assembling these pictures, so he’s more of a painter,” says Gabriel. “i/o” includes contributions from Brian Eno, regular collaborators Richard Chappell, Oli Jacobs, Katie May and Richard Evans. — If all you know about Violent Femmes is “Blister in the Sun,” it’s time you went deeper. The 40th anniversary deluxe edition of the band’s self-titled debut is out Friday with over a dozen demos, B-sides and live performances — including alternate versions of iconic songs “Please Do Not Go,” “Gone Daddy Gone” and “Add It Up.” Pop culture fans will know that Ethan Hawke serenaded Winona Ryder with an embittered rendition of “Add It Up” in 1994′s “Reality Bites,” while a 1995 episode of “My So-Called Life” opened on Claire Danes joyfully lip-synching “Blister in the Sun.” — Singer-actor Dove Cameron drops her debut album “Alchemical: Volume 1,” which contains six new songs and two previous hits, “Boyfriend” and “Breakfast.” One of the new songs is “Lethal Woman,” a club banger about a woman “sharp as a knife under the table” that includes sounds of banging on a door, a gun being cocked and heavy production elements. The lyrics include the playful rhyme: “Game recognizes game/By the way, what’s your name?” Cameron has had a heady few years, winning new artist of the year honors at the 2022 American Music Awards and being named Best New Artist at the 2022 VMAs. She also was scene-stealer in season two of “Schmigadoon!” — AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy NEW SERIES TO STREAM — In recent years, Paris Hilton has been determined to (somewhat) drop the cutesy facade and show her layers. The second season of “Paris in Love,” out now on Peacock, leans into that effort. First, it introduces Hilton as a new mom. Hilton and husband Carter Reum welcomed son Phoenix via surrogate earlier this year and just revealed a daughter, London. She managed to keep both births a secret, even from her family, until Hilton was ready to announce the news. “It’s been really important for me to keep this a secret. It’s just the first time that something is just mine,” Hilton says in the trailer. New motherhood is never easy though and Hilton must adjust to the needs of her growing family conflicting with her busy schedule. — Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills and Nicollette Sheridan star in the new Lifetime movie “Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas,” premiering at 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. The quintet portray former soap opera co-stars who begrudgingly reunite for a live holiday special and end up repairing relationships and playing matchmakers. Executive producer Larry Thompson made sure each of the five actors had their own diva moment in the film. “The ladies loved it,” he tells the AP. “They got to get together, go over old times and and laugh... We want to do a whole franchise with more movies or maybe a series.” (For more holiday TV options, check out AP’s guide.) — The creators of “Cobra Kai” are behind a new Netflix series called “Obliterated.” The action comedy stars Nick Zano and Shelley Hennig (“Teen Wolf”) as members of a special task force assigned to prevent a planned terror attack in Las Vegas. Once the mission is completed, the temptations of Sin City sway them to spend the night partying. A call interrupts the fun to inform the group that they didn’t finish the job and need to get back to work, sober or not, to find and deactivate a bomb. “Obliterated” debuted Thursday. — It seems there’s no longer bad (tiger?) blood between Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen. Lorre has tapped Sheen as a recurring guest star in his new Max series “Bookie.” Stand-up Sebastian Maniscalco plays Danny, as a longtime LA bookie struggling to keep business afloat despite the looming legalization of sports betting. Omar J. Dorsey plays a former pro football player and his best friend, Ray, who is by his side for many of his, er, adventures both on and off the clock. The first two episodes dropped Thursday. — A documentary short called “Eddy’s World” follows Eddy Goldfarb, a now 102-year-old toy maker, who has created more than 800 toys (including the Yakity-Yak chattering teeth) and holds more than 250 patents. His story is a lesson that work isn’t work if you love what you do. “Eddy’s World” will be Broadcast on PBS Stations available on PBS.org and the PBS App beginning Saturday. — Alicia Rancilio NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY — Robin Hood has been stealing from the rich and giving to the poor for centuries, but I don’t think he’s had to battle giant robots before. Gangs of Sherwood, from French publisher Nacon, brings the Merry Men (and a Woman) into a steampunk version of England that the Sheriff of Nottingham oversees from a flying castle. As Robin you have an arsenal of high-tech arrows, and you can invite three friends to the fray: metal-fisted brawler Little John, speedy assassin Maid Marian and mace-wielding healer Friar Tuck. This isn’t Disney’s Robin Hood (or Kevin Costner’s, for that matter). The rebellion began Thursday on Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC. — The soldiers in Last Train Home aren’t out to save the world; they just want to get out of Russia after the end of World War I. Unfortunately, there’s a brutal civil war going on, and the troops won’t make it home to the newly independent Czechoslovakia without a fight. Czech studio Ashborne Games is aiming for a more complex take than your typical military shooter, and there’s more than combat in this strategy/management mashup. You also need to train medics, cooks and other support personnel, find food and fuel and keep the locomotive from derailing. Get on board on your PC. — Lou Kesten ___ Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.

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sports

FanDuel NFL promo code: Win $150 bonus for Cowboys-Dolphins, Patriots-Broncos

Sports Betting Dime provides exclusive sports betting content to MassLive.com, including real-time odds, picks, analysis and sportsbook offers to help sports fans get in on the action. Please wager responsibly. Football fans have a lot to look forward to on Sunday and our FanDuel NFL promo code will activate a 30-1 odds boost for any team to win its game. If you take advantage of this offer and bet $5 or more on any team’s money line, you’ll walk away with $150 in bonus bets if your team wins. FanDuel Sportsbook BET $5, WIN $150 BONUS BETS CLAIM OFFER 21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Sports bettors can lock-in a $150 bonus with a winning $5 bet on any team to win today. This 30-1 odds boost that you’ll get through this FanDuel NFL promo code offer is one of the biggest in the industry. You can wager on any team to win today, regardless of the odds. As things stand, the heaviest favorite will play on Sunday night, as the Broncos enter their matchup against the Patriots as a 7.5-point favorite. However, there are other games worth considering as well. Click here to register for this FanDuel NFL promo code offer and lock-in a 30-1 odds boost for any team. FanDuel NFL promo code: Win $150 bonus for Cowboys-Dolphins, Patriots-Broncos It’s crucial to note just how big a 30-1 odds boost is. 30-1 odds equate to +3000 odds, which means your winning $5 wager would result in a $150 bonus. At -360 odds on the money line, it would typically take a $540 wager on Denver to win a $150 return. However, with this promo you’ll only need to risk $5 to make $150 in bonus bets. If you’re looking for a more surefire bet, you could always opt to wager on one of Monday’s matchups. The Chiefs are a 10.5-point favorite, while the Eagles are a 13.5-point favorite against the Giants. No matter which game you choose, you’ll win a $150 bonus if your team wins its game. How to register with our FanDuel NFL promo code You’ll need to sign up for a FanDuel Sportsbook account to unlock this offer. Here’s how to register for a $150 bonus: Click here to unlock this FanDuel NFL promo code offer. Enter your name, address, phone number and date of birth. Choose a deposit method and add $10+. Navigate to the game of your choice. Wager $5+ on any team to win. If your first cash wager wins, you’ll earn a 30x return. These bonus bets will be eligible for use on any betting market in other NFL games and more. More offers The great news for all new and existing players is that FanDuel Sportsbook has a bevy of in-app promos and more. This includes the Sunday Funday promo, which will add a 25% profit boost token to your account. If your 3+ leg SGP/SGP+ wins, you’ll collect additional winnings. Plus, there are multiple featured same-game parlays for today’s NFL action. Click here to sign up for the latest FanDuel NFL promo code offer and secure a 30-1 odds boost for any team. FanDuel Sportsbook BET $5, WIN $150 BONUS BETS CLAIM OFFER 21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Get the latest sports betting news, advice and promos sent straight to your inbox. Enter your email here: Think you know Patriots football? Play the MassLive.com Prop Bet Showdown for a chance to win prizes! If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Massachusetts Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org to speak with a trained specialist to receive support. Specialists are available 24/7. Services are available in multiple languages and are free and confidential.

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sports

2024 Hoophall Classic: Boozer Twins, Richardson brothers put on a show (photos)

SPRINGFIELD ― Christopher Columbus’ (FL) quartet of NBA royalty fueled an impressive fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Long Island Lutheran (NY), 81-62, Saturday at the 2024 Hoophall Classic. Cameron Boozer, son of 13-year NBA vet Carlos Boozer, led Columbus with a game-high 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five blocks, earning himself the Most Outstanding Player award. His twin brother, Cayden, shined as well with 17 points, three assists and six rebounds as Columbus outscored its opponents 29-7 in the fourth quarter. “Our toughness, our rebounding, limiting turnovers and limiting points off turnovers- that’s what really changed the game,” Cameron said afterward. “In the first half, (Long Island Lutheran was) much tougher than we were, but in the second half I think we were the tougher team.” Jase Richardson, son of 15-year NBA vet Jason Richardson, also performed well for Christopher Columbus, closing with 20 points, six rebounds, nine assists, two blocks and four steals. His younger brother, Jaxon, finished the game strong off the bench with nine points and eight rebounds, six of which came on the offensive end. Jase, a Michigan State commit for next year, transferred to Columbus from Bishop Gorman (NV) over the summer alongside his brother. The two have quickly meshed with their new teammates and have built a strong chemistry with the Boozer twins. “We have a great group of guys that can do a lot of things, we are a very versatile team,” Jase said. “Anybody can (take over) any given day. Christopher Columbus' Jason Richardson in the first half. The Christopher Columbus boys basketball team defeated Long Island Lutheran during the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College's Blake Arena on Jan. 13, 2024. (MEREDITH PERRI / MASSLIVE)Meredith Perri “(Playing at Hoophall means) a lot, we’re playing teams that we’re probably going to see at GEICO Nationals. Hopefully we make it there so it’s definitely a challenge coming in playing (Long Island Lutheran and Paul VI). We definitely got to set an example, set the tone and get the wins.” Cayden spoke highly of his Hoophall experience, with this weekend being the second Hoophall appearance for himself and his brother. “It’s a great experience, Hoophall is one of the best tournaments in the country,” Cayden said. “Just being able to play against all these good teams and succeed as a team is a great experience.” Christopher Columbus' Cayden Boozer sets up a play in the first half. The Christopher Columbus boys basketball team defeated Long Island Lutheran during the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College's Blake Arena on Jan. 13, 2024. (MEREDITH PERRI / MASSLIVE)Meredith Perri Jaxon and his older brother, Jace, made their Hoophall debut last year together with Bishop Gorman. As one of only three underclassmen on the roster, Jaxon took advantage of his chances in the second half and made several key plays on both ends of the court to help secure the victory. Christopher Columbus' Jaxon Richardson looks for an open lane in the first half. The Christopher Columbus boys basketball team defeated Long Island Lutheran during the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College's Blake Arena on Jan. 13, 2024. (MEREDITH PERRI / MASSLIVE)Meredith Perri “(I’m) learning from these guys, playing with Cayden, Jace and Cameron, it’s helped my game overall,” Jaxon said. “They can guide me and lead me to do what I need to do.” Christopher Columbus returns to Blake Arena on Monday, Jan. 13 for their second and final game at the 2024 Hoophall Classic, facing off against Paul VI (VA) at 1:00 p.m.

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Why Jerod Mayo will be much different than Bill Belichick

FOXBOROUGH – In his opening statement, Jerod Mayo was talking about what it means for him to be named the 15th head coach in Patriots history. He discussed his passion for teaching others, reminisced on his 2008 rookie season, and talked about why he briefly left the game of football to work in business. “I needed a break from Bill, went to Optum for about four years, and I came back,” Mayo said. As the words came out of Mayo’s mouth, Patriots owner Robert Kraft looked at his new head coach, raised his eyebrows, and smirked. Welcome to the 2024 Patriots. It’s a new era in New England. Mayo’s quip, about Bill Belichick, wasn’t meant as an insult, but a joke. In his first press conference as the new Patriots head coach, we quickly learned that life under Mayo will be much different than life under Belichick. That was obvious from the moment Mayo started to speak and called Kraft “Thundercat,” which is a nickname he gave him during his rookie season. As Wednesday’s introductory press conference went on, it was very clear that Mayo will be himself and this new coach will certainly not be like the last. “One thing I learned from Coach and from Thunder (Kraft) is about just surrounding yourself with good people,” Mayo said. “As far as our staff and things like that, we’re going to be good. We’re going to be a lot better. Bill always says this, managing expectations. For me, I’m not trying to be Bill. I’m not trying to be Bill. I think that Bill is his own man. “If you can’t tell by now, I’m a little bit different even up here.” BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS CLAIM OFFER Promo code: MASS158 STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. As Wednesday’s press conference went on, Mayo had several talking points that made it seem like the Patriots will operate much differently than the franchise has in the past. With Belichick, the Patriots had one predominant person running the front office, salary cap, and coaching staff. Belichick had the final say in everything and more power than anyone. With Mayo, the Patriots will lean into a more collaborative effort. Mayo will work in conjunction with the Patriots front office and said he’ll welcome people with different opinions and ideas. “I want people around me that are going to question my ideas, question the way we have done things in the past,” Mayo said. “Realistically, this game is a lot different than when I was drafted in 2008. That’s why I spend so much time developing young men and young women… to teach them not what to think, but how to think. Once we get to that point, I think we can get back to where we need to be – at the top.” Mayo will also put together a new coaching staff. Over the years, Belichick often said he wasn’t big on titles. That’s why the Patriots haven’t had an official ‘defensive coordinator’ since Matt Patricia in 2017. Last year, the Patriots didn’t have an official offensive or defensive coordinator. That will change under Mayo. “I think it’s important. I think titles are important, and I know - no knock to Coach Belichick who has been a huge mentor to me over the years as a player and as a colleague, what I would say is I believe titles are important outward-looking,” Mayo said. “But as far as in the building, I don’t care what your title is. It’s what’s your job, what value do you bring to the organization. I think that’s the most important thing. “Sometimes I think in business, in sports, people get caught up in titles, but I also understand the other side. If you want to continue to get promoted, people have to know exactly what you do. But like I said earlier, inside, it’s all about collaboration. That’s what Thunder talked about, and that’s what I’m about, as well.” Mayo also talked about hiring coaches who relate to players and show they care. He’s going to take a modernized approach to coaching. “One thing I would say with all of my coaches, the number one thing is developing people, and with this generation -- back when I first started playing, most of the time Coach would say something and guys would do it,” Mayo said. “I think with this generation, you have to show them that you care about them before you get into competency as far as Xs and Os are concerned.” As the 40-minute press conference went on, it was clear that a new era in New England was here. Mayo was developed by Belichick, as a player and coach, but he will be very different from his predecessor. “I’m an open book,” Mayo said. “I’m ready to go. I’m ready to go. I’m excited to be the next head coach of the Patriots.”

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ESPN BET promo: Code MASS unlocks $250 bonus for NFL games

Sports Betting Dime provides exclusive sports betting content to MassLive.com, including real-time odds, picks, analysis and sportsbook offers to help sports fans get in on the action. Please wager responsibly. Sign up with our ESPN BET promo on Christmas Even to gain $250 in bonus bets for NFL games. Click here and register with our code MASS to claim the largest welcome bonus available, which exceeds the offer on the app by $50. Then, you will have access to other special promotions for NFL and NBA games on Christmas Day. Place a $10 wager on any NFL game after using our ESPN BET promo MASS. Regardless of the outcome, you will receive $250 in bonus bets. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Week 16 began on Thursday, and we had another two games on Saturday. There are ten games on Christmas Eve, many of which are important for the playoff standings. Try placing your first wager on one of the early games to unlock the bonus bets as soon as possible. This bet can be on the Colts vs. Falcons, Seahawks vs. Titans, Lions vs. Vikings or Browns vs. Texans. Click here to use our ESPN BET promo on Sunday. Create an account with our code MASS and start with a $10 bet on any NFL game. Win or lose, this will result in a $250 bonus. Use our ESPN BET promo for NFL Week 16 ESPN BET promo Enter code MASS Welcome offer Bet $10 to get $250 bonus Date confirmed December 24, 2023 Verified by Alex Payton, Sports Betting Dime The Lions haven’t won a game in Minnesota in six years, but they have a chance to clinch the NFC North title with a win on Sunday. They are three-point favorites on the road. With the Vikings struggling after losing Kirk Cousins, I don’t see them contending with the Lions on Sunday. This is a great option for your first $10 wager. I also see the Colts winning their game over the Falcons. Shane Steichen, along with Dan Campbell of the Lions, is on the short-list to win NFL Coach of the Year. If you place your first wager on one of these games, you’ll get a bonus in time for the Cowboys vs. Dolphins in the late-afternoon slate. ESPN BET promo: How to use code MASS for a $250 bonus It doesn’t take long to sign up with our ESPN BET promo. Take these steps to claim your guaranteed bonus on Christmas Eve. Click here to create an account with our code MASS. Download the ESPN BET app on your mobile phone and enable geolocation services. Deposit $10+ with any accepted payment method. Place a $10 wager on an NFL game. The outcome doesn’t matter, so you will automatically get five $50 bonus bets. Try using one of these bonus bets for the Patriots game on Sunday night. Find more bonuses for NFL & NBA on Christmas There are additional boosts and bonuses available on Christmas Day. ESPN BET Massachusetts will have special offers for NBA action on Monday, which includes a Celtics game. There are also three NFL games, ending with the Ravens vs. 49ers. Brock Purdy is the favorite to win the MVP award on ESPN BET, followed by Lamar Jackson. Click here to sign up with our ESPN BET promo MASS. Place a $10 bet on any NFL game to receive a $250 bonus on Christmas Eve. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Get the latest sports betting news, advice and promos sent straight to your inbox. Enter your email here: Think you know Patriots football? Play the MassLive.com Prop Bet Showdown for a chance to win prizes! If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Massachusetts Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org to speak with a trained specialist to receive support. Specialists are available 24/7. Services are available in multiple languages and are free and confidential. 21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

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Worcester Railers fall to Trois-Rivieres Lions, snap point streak

WORCESTER – The Railers fell to the Trois-Rivieres Lions by a 5-1 final on Saturday night at the DCU Center. Saturday’s loss snapped the Railers’ seven game points streak. They were 6-0-1, earning 13 of a possible 14 points during that span. Any chance Worcester had of extending the streak disappeared during the last 91 seconds of the second period. Trois-Rivieres turned a competitive 2-1 game into a 5-1 rout by scoring at 18:29, 19:17 and 19:54. Miguel Tourigny had two goals to pace the Lions. Matthew Boucher, Charles-Antoine Paiement and John Parker-Jones had the other goals for the winners. Blade Jenkins scored for Worcester. His goal 34 seconds into the second period tied the game at 1-1. Tourigny made it 2-1 at 7:12, then the Lions erupted at the end of it. Josh Boyko made his Railers debut in net. With Worcester playing in Maine on Sunday afternoon, coach Jordan Smotherman was not about to have John Muse in goal for three games in less than 72 hours. That was also the case last weekend in Reading. Boyko made it four different starting goalies in a span of six games and six different goaltenders for the season. He joined the team after beginning the season with the Macon Mayhem of the SPHL. Boyko was 3-11-3 there with a 3.47 goals-against average and .909 saves percentage. He stopped 28 of 33 shots Saturday night. Boyko’s counterpart, Zachary Bouthillier, had a strong night with 33 saves. Bouthillier is 5-1-0 for the season and is 2-0-0 versus Worcester, allowing only two goals in the two games. The game marked the return of Ross Olsson to the Worcester lineup after an absence of about 21 months. It was his 100th game as a Railer. His last game with Worcester before Saturday night was on March 20, 2022 at the DCU Center. Olsson wore Number 4 in this game as opposed to his more traditional Number 9. That is currently assigned to Quinn Ryan. Olsson said he felt fine after the game, comfortable on the ice, and will be available to play if and when the Railers need some help up front. With Saturday behind them, the Railers headed north to take on the Maine Mariners in Portland Sunday. The Mariners are also playing their third game in less than 72 hours. Maine has been having a tough go of things for much of the season and lost to Adirondack at home Saturday night, 5-4, in overtime. That dropped the Mariners’ record to 10-13-5 including 3-6-3 in Portland. Maine has been making roster moves to snap out of its funk and recently re-signed goalie Francois Brassard, who has a 4-2-0 lifetime record versus Worcester. Railers teams have a losing record in Portland at 7-13-4 overall but are 5-2-0 in their seven games at Cross Insurance Arena. MAKING TRACKS – The goal originally credited to Brendan Robbins Friday night was changed to Daylan Kuefler. The puck hit off Kuefler and deflected into the net. Robbins has been thriving since his move to defense. The Railers almost have 3 1/2 forwards when he is on the ice. … Nick Pennucci, Christian Krygier, Ryan, Todd Goehring and Jack Quinlivan were the Railers’ inactive skaters. … Worcester’s power play streak ended at six games in a row. The Railers were 0 for 4 Saturday. … Attendance was 3,901.

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Patriots interview Saints coach for opening on Jerod Mayos staff (report)

Jerod Mayo is casting a wide net for his new coaching staff. For his open defensive coordinator spot, Mayo is interviewing Saints LB coach Michael Hodges, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Mayo has also brought in 32-year-old Broncos DBs coach Christian Parker and Panthers LB coach Tem Lukabu as external candidates for the opening. BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS CLAIM OFFER Promo code: MASS158 STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. Still just 37 years old himself, Hodges has been in New Orleans since 2017, starting as a defensive assistant and rising to linebackers coach. Despite the Saints shifting from Sean Payton to Dennis Allen during his tenure, both coaches liked Hodges as linebacker coach and kept him there. “There’s only good things that you can say about the linebacker room, and you start with Coach Hodges,” linebacker Demario Davis told Nola.com. “He did a phenomenal job (in 2022), coaching a group of diverse individuals — all of us come from different backgrounds with different skillsets — and being able to have a personal relationship with each of us and being able to bring the best out of all of us.” A Helotes, Texas native, Hodges played linebacker at three different schools in college, ultimately walking on at Texas A&M and winning their “Aggie Heart Award,” which is highly esteemed for seniors. It’ll be fascinating to see how Mayo fills his defensive coordinator opening, given a bevy of internal candidates as well as the outside voices he’s bringing in. Mayo already reportedly offered Steve and Brian Belichick jobs on his staff, and defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington is a rising coordinator candidate as well. While it seems like a slam dunk that New England’s next offensive coordinator is going to be an external hire, the defensive side of the ball is more of a mystery.

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Bills vs. Steelers: Live stream, how to watch AFC Wild Card game

The Wild Card round continues Monday as the AFC East champion Bills begin their fifth straight playoff run with a date against the Steelers. Pittsburgh (10-7) will travel to western New York to visit Josh Allen and the Bills (11-6); kickoff is slated for 4:30 p.m. ET. The matchup was originally scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m., but the NFL announced the change Saturday due to severe weather forecast for the area. The Bills are 10-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, with the total set at 36.5 points. The game will air on CBS for those who have cable. Fans looking to watch this NFL game can do so for free by using FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both offer a free trial and RedZone. SlingTV has promotional offers available, and NFL+ airs all local market games. Through the end of 2023, fuboTV is also offering $20 off the first two months of subscription (in addition to the 7-day free trial). It can also be streamed on Paramount Plus. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Who: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills (CBS) When: Monday, Jan. 14 — 4:30 p.m. EST Where: Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY Stream: fuboTV (free trial + $20 off your first 2 months); or Sling; DirecTV Stream or NFL+ Tickets: StubHub and *VividSeats *New customers who purchase tickets through VividSeats can get $20 off a $200+ ticket order by using the promo code MassLive20 at checkout.* Gear: Shop around for jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies and more at Fanatics.com Sports Betting Promos: NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses. RELATED CONTENT: ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Let’s dispense with predictions, because enough people — Buffalo Bills fans included — already have been proven wrong by a team that has defied the odds and the eye test by earning a playoff berth, never mind the AFC’s No. 2 seed. All it takes for proof is the montage of national media naysayers spliced together in a 49-second video the team posted Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter, under the heading: “You know we keep receipts.” The clip features enough cold takes to fill a walk-in freezer at any of Buffalo’s renowned wing establishments. As things stand, Buffalo (11-6) appears just as capable of getting knocked out by Pittsburgh (10-7) on Monday in the opening round of the playoffs as it does winning the Super Bowl in Las Vegas next month. For everything that’s gone against them this season — injuries, turnovers, last-minute gaffes — the Bills are the hottest team entering the postseason. They’ve won five straight games, are one of three teams to win six of their last seven and are 5-1 against teams in the playoff field. On the downside, Buffalo did split games against the seven-win Jets and four-win Patriots. Rather than knock the Bills for their flaws and deficiencies on display through a maddening roller coaster of a season, it might be better perhaps to accept Josh Allen & Co. as a sum greater than their parts. “This team is special,” safety Micah Hyde said after Buffalo clinched its fourth consecutive AFC East title with a 21-14 season-ending win at Miami. “When our backs were against the wall at 6-6, we had a lot of talks and a lot of meetings to try to get that spark going. Somehow, some way, we found a way.” All of the ups and downs were evident in how the Bills rallied from a 14-7 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Dolphins. Allen put aside a three-turnover outing to cap a eight-play, 74-yard drive with a go-ahead 5-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox. The quarterback finished the season leading the league with 44 touchdowns (29 passing/15 rushing) and ranking 32nd with 18 interceptions. An already depleted defense overcame losing linebacker Tyrel Dodson and cornerback Rasul Douglas to injuries by limiting Miami to three first downs in the second half, forcing four consecutive punts and ending the game with Taylor Rapp intercepting Tua Tagovailoa. And Buffalo’s special teams, which cost the Bills wins against the Jets and Denver this season, sparked the comeback with Deonte Harty setting a franchise record by returning a punt 96 yards for a touchdown. Harty was most recently remembered for a fumble at the Buffalo 27 that led to the Los Angeles Chargers going up 10-0 in the Bills’ eventual 24-22 win two weeks ago. A team that opened the season 2-6 in outings decided by seven points or fewer is now 6-6 in that category. Allen, meantime, was 3-5 through Week 10 in games in which he committed a turnover and is 5-1 since. Rather than get weighed down by their mistakes and shortcomings, the Bills have found ways to overcome them, which could well be the most valuable lesson for any team entering the postseason. “At the end of the day, this is fun, this is cool. I’d never say no to winning a division,” Allen said, before adding a dose of perspective. “But the only thing that it solidifies is a home game and one more game.” Allen was celebrating the victory at Miami in front of a large crowd of Bills fans when receiver Stefon Diggs came over, cupped his hand and whispered in the quarterback’s ear, saying, “Four more.” WHAT’S WORKING A defense that’s limited its past four opponents to go a combined 17 of 47 on third down, convert 64 first downs and gain an average of 259 yards per outing. WHAT NEEDS HELP Red-zone production. Buffalo came away with no points on three of five drives inside the Dolphins 20, with two TDs, two turnovers and the clock running out when Ty Johnson was stopped at the 1 on the final play before halftime. STOCK UP WR Khalil Shakir continues establishing himself as Buffalo’s No. 2 threat with six catches for a team-leading 105 yards. The second-year player has 20 catches for 353 yards in his past seven outings. STOCK DOWN RB James Cook had a catch go through his hands in the end zone on Buffalo’s final drive of the first half, which ended with no points. INJURIES Coach Sean McDermott had no updates on the players hurt against Miami: Douglas (knee), Dodson (shoulder), Johnson (concussion) and WR Gabe Davis (knee). KEY NUMBERS 4-5 — Bills’ playoff record under McDermott. NEXT STEPS Host the seventh-seeded Steelers on Monday. Buffalo is 3-1 in its past four meetings dating to 2019 and 12-17 overall. The Bills are 1-2 in the playoffs against Pittsburgh, with the Steelers winning the most recent meeting, 40-21, on Jan. 6, 1996.

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Patriots claim CB from Cardinals (report)

With two weeks left in the 2023 season, the Patriots have added to their cornerback depth. New England claimed Marco Wilson off the Arizona Cardinals, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday. Wilson was waived by Arizona on Tuesday. In 43 NFL games, Wilson has amassed 158 tackles and three interceptions. The Patriots are thin at cornerback after waiving Jack Jones and placing J.C. Jackson on the reserve/non-football illness list. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Wilson, a 2021 fourth-round pick out of Florida by the Cardinals, is in his third year of his four-year rookie contract. After starting the season strong, the 24-year-old didn’t play a defensive snap in Arizona’s last four games. But he couldn’t quite keep the momentum going that made him successful the last few seasons. Wilson will get a fresh start with the Patriots where he’ll look to get back into a groove in the final two weeks of the regular season. New England has already been eliminated from the playoffs and are essentially playing for a high pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The defense has been a bright spot for the Patriots this season despite facing injuries to key players, but now Wilson has a chance to add to the success of the defense and try to carve out a role with the team going forward.

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Thunder loom as surprise wildcard in Celtics title push

The Celtics have a tall mountain to climb to even get back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2022. Getting past the Bucks, 76ers and even a longtime nemesis like the Heat will be no easy task despite Boston’s big-name additions this offseason. While the level of urgency can’t get much higher for this group given the way the 2023 postseason ended, the Celtics’ loss to the Thunder Tuesday night also provided a bit of an eye-opener for a squad just emerging on the national scene. Boston had their full starting five available for this matchup and they were torched by the Thunder’s offense in a 127-123 loss, dropping that unit to 14-2 on the year when they play together. Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis scored 34 points each in the loss but it wasn’t enough against a Thunder squad with an MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an imposing supporting cast with Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey among others. “That’s a talented young team,” Porzingis told reporters in Oklahoma City, “and I don’t believe this was some fluke game for them.” Oklahoma City improved to 23-9 with the win over the Celtics, giving them five straight victories overall and putting them just one game behind the Wolves for the Western Conference lead in the standings. While there is plenty of formidable competition in the West this year between the defending champions in Denver, the conference looks a little more wide open than expected with some unproven (Minnesota) and constantly unhealthy (LA Clippers) at the top of the standings beside them. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. The Thunder not only look like the real deal through 32 games but they are in a position of power. Nearly every other contender in the West has depleted their asset pool of draft picks and young talent. Sam Presti has done the exact opposite in Oklahoma City. He has a boatload of future first-round picks he has been assembling for the past several years and a bench loaded with young talent. The Thunder have the assets to take a swing on a big name in the trade market in the next month and that could push them towards a top-tier contender alongside Boston. Performances like we saw against the Celtics Tuesday night show this group that can go toe to toe with the NBA’s best. Whether or not Presti is willing to take a bigger swing this early remains to be seen. This group is still incredibly young so there is a case for letting the young guys like Holmgren and Williams develop with the way this group is currently composed. However, holding onto future draft picks too tightly can come back to bite at times with an overachieving young team (ask Danny Ainge). If Presti sees a window of opportunity now with some of his young guys on cheap rookie deals, a strong case can be made to push his chips in before he has to pay everyone bigger deals in short order. The Celtics should be rooting for him to take the patient approach in the meantime since this team is a matchup nightmare for Boston. They may even be good enough as is for a deep run in the West Playoffs but they are guaranteed to be a handful in the years to come. As tough budget decisions come in a couple years for Boston that may force key players out the door, the Thunder has the weapons to continue to add talent to this already impressive core. That reality should only increase the urgency for the Celtics in the present to take advantage of this unique window with this group. The Thunder may wait to make a push towards becoming a top-tier contender but their entry into that group could be coming much sooner than expected.

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Celtics injury report: 4 starters listed vs. Raptors Friday

The Celtics will be very undermanned on Friday night for their game against the Raptors at TD Garden. On the heels of an overtime victory over the Pistons on Thursday night, Boston has listed eight players on their injury report including four of the team’s regular starters. The Celtics have already ruled out Al Horford due to rest, no surprise since he hasn’t played a back-to-back for two straight seasons. Kristaps Porzingis (left calf injury management) is also doubtful on the second end of the back-to-back, which will likely leave Boston without their top two bigs. Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta will handle the lion’s share of minutes at center without that duo while Lamar Stevens could see spot duty if Joe Mazzulla wants to go small against Toronto. Three key starters have been listed as questionable for Boston with an assortment of injuries. Jaylen Brown is questionable for the second straight game with a low back contusion. He sat out Thursday’s win with the same injury. Jason Tatum (sprained ankle) and Jrue Holiday (right elbow sprain) are also questionable for the contest on the heels of playing big minutes against the Pistons. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Boston will also be without rookie Jordan Walsh and two-way players Drew Peterson and JD Davison due to a G-League assignment, leaving Boston potentially without eight roster players for the matchup. The Raptors come into town with no rotation player on the injury report so Boston will see a stiff challenge as they attempt to extend their home winning streak to begin the season to 16 games. The Celtics have won four straight games overall and have beaten the Raptors in both head-to-head matchups this season. Boston and Toronto tip off at TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday night.

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NFL RedZoneHow to watch NFL RedZone for free, stream options | Week 17 games

It’s the final NFL Sunday of 2023 as we hit a New Year’s Eve edition of NFL RedZone for Week 17. It’s another big slate of football games today, available commercial-free starting at 1 p.m. EST. While there are a number of ways to watch NFL games for free this season, NFL RedZone remains a premium service from many providers, like fuboTV. If you’re looking for the lowest price, the cheapest way to watch NFL RedZone in 2022 is via Sling at $51 per month. Meanwhile, fans can also stream NFL RedZone for free by signing up for a trial of NFL+ Premium. Live stream: WATCH NFL REDZONE BY SIGNING UP HERE Sunday afternoon’s schedule is loaded with games in the early afternoon. Starting at 1 p.m., we’ve got the Patriots vs. Bills, Falcons vs. bears, Raiders vs. Colts, Rams vs. Giants, Cardinals vs. Eagles, Saints vs. Buccaneers, 49ers vs. Commanders, Panthers vs. Jaguars, Panthers vs. Ravens and Titans vs. Texans. Then in the late afternoon, we’ve got the Steelers vs. Seahawks, Chargers vs. Broncos, Bengals vs. Chiefs and the Packers vs. Vikings. How to watch NFL RedZone (Week 17 | 2023 season) How to watch NFL RedZone on TV - Viewers who get RedZone as part of the TV package can watch the Sunday broadcast on the NFL RedZone channel, which varies based on TV provider. Viewers can use their TV provider’s channel finder (like with Xfinity or Spectrum/Charter) to pinpoint the exact channel. Live stream options: How to watch NFL RedZone without cable - Sling | fuboTV | NFL+ Premium - Fans without cable can watch NFL RedZone by signing up for a la carte streaming services like Sling and fuboTV. However, NFL RedZone is often limited to premium packages, as is the case for both of these services. Meanwhile, NFL+ Premium offers a free trial for its service, which is available on smart TVs and streaming apps. Sling - Fans can watch RedZone by signing up for the “Sling Blue” package, which includes NFL Network. However, fans also need to sign up for the “Sports Extra” package ($11/month) to get access to NFL RedZone. fuboTV - A basic fuboTV plan will run fans $59.99 per month, with the Sports Plus with NFL RedZone package running for an extra $10.99 per month. NFL+ Premium - NFL+ is the league’s streaming service, which added RedZone to its lineup this year. But be warned: RedZone is only available on the NFL+ Premium Tier. Fans can watch NFL Network as well as primetime games for $6.99 per month on NFL+. However, you need the $14.99 NFL+Premium plan to watch NFL RedZone. Other streaming options that carry RedZone as part of add-on packages include: YouTubeTV and Hulu + Live TV. What is NFL RedZone? - RedZone is a special gameday broadcast from NFL Network that is commercial-free and carries viewers through all the games on Sundays. Hosted by either Andrew Siciliano or Scott Hanson (depending on which version of the channel you get), RedZone runs from 1 p.m. EST on Sundays through the final afternoon game, constantly switching between broadcasts to show the most exciting parts of each game -- especially when a team has entered the titular red zone.

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Red Sox free agent rotation target off market, chooses Cubs (report)

As expected, top Japanese free agent starter Shōta Imanaga won’t be coming to Boston. Imanaga is closing in on a deal with the Cubs that will become official once he passes a physical in Chicago, as first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Exact terms are not yet known, but Imanaga is reportedly signing a complicated contract that will come in significantly short of the $100 million he was rumored to get. Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Imanaga’s deal guarantees just about $30 million over two years and has multiple options, escalators and bonuses that could push it to $80 million. The Red Sox, along with the Giants, Angels, Mets and other clubs, were rumored to be in the mix for Imanaga in recent days. But a source cautioned Monday that Boston was not one of the more serious bidders for the southpaw and that a match was a “long shot.” It’s unclear what the Red Sox ultimately offered or why Imanaga’s ultimate deal was far short of expectations (MLBTradeRumors projected a five-year, $85 million deal for him at the outset of free agency). Imanaga is the latest free agent starter to come off the board in a winter during which Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Aaron Nola, Eduardo Rodriguez, Sonny Gray, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Lucas Giolito, Kenta Maeda, Jack Flaherty and Frankie Montas have already signed deals of significance. The Red Sox, who landed Giolito a day before opening up another rotation hole by trading Chris Sale to the Braves, were involved on Yamamoto, Lugo, Rodriguez and potentially others before they signed elsewhere. Another top Red Sox target, outfielder Teoscar Hernández, came off the board Sunday night when he signed a one-year, $23.5 million deal with the Dodgers. Losing out on Imanaga continues a theme for the Sox, who have constantly come up short in their bidding for free agents they have pursued this offseason. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Two top free agent starters remain in Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery but there is significant industry doubt that the Red Sox are willing to pay up for either pitcher. The likelier outcome, at present, is that the Sox add to their rotation mix via trade by pursuing a controllable pitcher or sign a cheaper free agent like Marcus Stroman, Hyun Jin Ryu or Mike Clevinger. Currently, Boston has Brayan Bello and Giolito slotted into the top of its rotation with Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck in the mix for the remaining spots. Imanaga, 30, was posted by the Yokohama Bay Stars on Nov. 27, opening a 30-day window for teams to sign him. While the lefty was never expected to command a deal close to the 12-year, $325 million contract that Yamamoto received from the Dodgers late last month, he was still considered an intriguing mid-rotation option by many clubs. MLBTradeRumors ranked Imanaga as the No. 10 free agent on this year’s market at the outset of the winter. The Red Sox, as MassLive’s Sean McAdam reported, heavily scouted Imanaga, who led Nippon Professional Baseball with 174 strikeouts in 2023. For a team that has yet to make major improvements to its starting rotation this winter (Boston signed Giolito while trading away Sale), Imanaga was thought to be a logical fit. Boston was reportedly impressed with the left-hander’s pitch metrics despite the fact he’s undersized (5-foot-10) and has a fastball that usually sits in the 92-92 mph range. In November, McAdam spoke to a veteran scout who had watched Imanaga extensively in both the World Baseball Classic and NPB. “He’s an undersized lefty who can really throw strikes,” said the evaluator. “He has a plan out there on the mound. He’s not overpowering but I think his strike-throwing and feel to pitch are really his strengths. The (four-seamer) fastball plays. It’s got ride to it, and it’s also got some spin to it. He’s got the ability to got some swing-and-miss with it, even though it’s not overpowering. He can locate it, move it around the zone and keep it away from the barrel. “I would say his next best pitch would be his split-change. Hitters don’t see that over here as much, and he can throw it to both lefties and righties. After that he has a slider which he throws to lefties, and a curve. “I see him as a back of the rotation guy. He’s a strike-thrower, but when it comes down to just the quality of the pitches, that gives me a little pause. And the durability.”

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Joe Mazzulla explains benching starters decision in Bucks blowout

As the Celtics’ deficit ballooned to a historic halftime deficit, there were some questions on what C’s coach Joe Mazzulla would do to start the second half. The C’s faced a 75-38 halftime deficit, which was its second-largest in franchise history. That’s when Mazzulla pulled the trigger to bench the starters to open the third quarter. Last season, that wasn’t necessarily the case as starters played deep in blowouts, whether it was a C’s lead or deficit. Mazzulla broke down his decision to bench the starters after the game. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. “It’s tough,” Mazzulla said. “They want to play; they prepared. Again, it was my decision. It wasn’t theirs. At the end of the day, it’s my responsibility to do what’s best for them and the team. If I said, ‘Hey, you want to go out there?’ They’re going to do it. It was me. I told them and I felt like it was my responsibility to do it.” Mazzulla didn’t ring any alarm bells after the Celtics were blasted in the 135-102 loss to the Bucks. They’re still a league-best 29-9. While they lost a game to the second-place Bucks, they still have a three-game cushion in the standings. Most importantly, as Mazzulla says often, their intentions were still good and there weren’t any reasons to worried about the team’s habits, he said. The Celtics also finished up a five-games-in-seven-days stretch, so it was no surprise they were gassed. Add on top an overtime win over the Timberwolves a night before, it’s no surprise the C’s looked tired. Mazzulla said he thought it was in the best interest of the team as he also hoped Thursday’s loss could be a learning moment for his squad. All that’s left then is to turn the page to their next game, which is set for 7 p.m. Saturday against the Rockets at home. “Everything’s about the players,” Mazzulla said. “And so as you continue to listen to life from the player’s perspective and you look at the intentions and the character of your team, and a year of experience for myself. So I trust our character; I trust our team. You have to look at this and say, ‘OK, is this a one-off? Is this a trend? Is this something you have to be concerned about?’ When you look at stuff like that, the answer is no, no.”

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Danny Ainge always asked for Stephen Curry trade to Celtics

While there are a handful of untouchable players around the league in trade talks, opposing executives still sometimes shoot their shot when it comes to superstars. There’s not really a conceivable timeline where a guy like, say, Stephen Curry is ever traded from the Warriors considering what he means to the franchise and his value on the court. But that didn’t stop then-Celtics president Danny Ainge from inquiring about Curry over and over again. Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers went on The Woj Pod recently, where he revealed Ainge was one of those decision-makers who asked if Curry was available. BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS CLAIM OFFER Promo code: MASS158 STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. “I never was upset at anybody asking (about Curry),” Myers said. “The GM’s job is to mine for trades. That’s a GM’s job. But Ainge was the one that was always asking. ... We laughed. Like I said, we have a really good relationship. But you know, you got to ask. I mean, everybody knew that wasn’t happening, so it was kind of a good laugh.” Of course, Curry was always going to be an impossible get — especially once he reached superstardom. There was likely a chance the right package could land Curry before he exploded into a two-time MVP. But there were inherent risks with landing Curry as he had constant ankle issues. Part of the Warriors’ greatness comes from them choosing Curry to lead their franchise, and he’s delivered over the years. Myers had a lengthy tenure with the Warriors, spending 2012-23 as their general manager. He gets a lot of credit for putting together the Golden State dynasty that has won four championships with their core of Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. He recently stepped down from the position as he’s now an ESPN NBA analyst. Ainge was the Celtics president of basketball operations from 2003-21, stepping down after the conclusion of the 2020-21 season. Brad Stevens has since been Ainge’s successor and as the architect of the present-day Celtics. While Stevens has done an impressive job with the roster, Ainge should get a lot of credit for landing the talented core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Ainge is now with the Jazz as an executive as he’s looking to put together another rebuild.

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Bill Belichick has become the distraction he urged Patriots to ignore | Vautour

For almost a quarter century, Bill Belichick has preached ignoring and avoiding distractions as part of his control-even-the-smallest-of-details tenure running the Patriots. But during that time, no franchise has been more overrun by distractions than the New England Patriots. So it is fitting with a little irony sprinkled in, that in what could be his last week as the Patriots coach, not only is there a distraction, but he is the distraction. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. In a week with 11 games that have playoff implications, a postseason-irrelevant game between the Patriots and Jets is still getting national attention, and not good national attention, because Belichick is on the hot seat. It’s an awful season that’s capped off a lousy four-year stretch. In addition to losing, this year had a fresh set of controversies for Belichick to be pathologically secretive about. His approach to his starting quarterback made Mac Jones vs. Bailey Zappe unnecessarily chaotic and his approach to Jack Jones, Trent Brown and J.C. Jackson kept those dramas alive longer than they had to be. Now in a season where his team is out of the playoffs, he’s asking people to believe he’s not even thinking about his own future yet. Belichick is trying to act like none of this is happening. He used the same tired topic avoidance moves that he practiced with every questionable play call or roster decision. Every player on the current roster and a hefty percentage of the former ones have been asked about Belichick’s uncertain future as well as some of the former ones. Q: Have you had any conversations with Robert Kraft about your future with the team? A: “Yeah, I’m looking forward to working, getting ready for the Jets here.” Belichick’s ham-handed obfuscation, which used to seem like a power move, now looks more like taking shelter until the storm passes. The biggest indication that some significant news is coming is that Robert Kraft has been as quiet as Belichick. If Kraft planned to keep Belichick, he could have ended these shenanigans weeks ago, the way the Jets did with Robert Saleh, but Kraft has continued to let things escalate. As a result, every conversation the Patriots owner has in his suite during games or on the sideline before them is analyzed to fill the enormous void. Like a season winding down on a popular TV show, everyone is curious about how this cliffhanger wraps up. Will Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft stay together or will Belichick spin his career off elsewhere? The fact that the final game is against the New York Jets, whom Belichick famously left at the altar almost exactly 24 years ago only enhances the drama. Sam and Diane or Ross and Rachel were junior varsity compared to this. Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.

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Celtics achieve unique milestone in blowout win over Kings

The Celtics knew they were going to need some scoring reinforcements on Wednesday night against an uptempo Kings squad with Jayson Tatum and Al Horford sidelined. Boston’s roster responded by achieving a feat that hadn’t been done in over 25 years by a Celtics squad. The Celtics put together their most efficient scoring performance of the year in the 144-119 blowout win over the Kings. Most of their damage came via a balanced scoring attack as five separate players finished with 20 or more points in the win. Derrick White and Jaylen Brown led the way with 28 points each. Kristaps Porzingis chipped in with 24 points in his return to the floor while Jrue Holiday added a season-high 21 points. Payton Pritchard also posted 20 points off the bench, providing the team with tremendous balance. According to Celtics numbers guru Dick Lipe, it was the first time that Boston had five players score 20 or more points in a game since 1987. Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish achieved the feat that night in a win over the Nets. Wednesday’s win over the Kings marked just the fifth time that had occurred in franchise history. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. “I think we know what this road trip means to us,” Jrue Holiday said of the dominant outing. “Last game we felt like we should have won. This game was a good opportunity to bounce back. But we’ve got a lot of players who are really, really good and step up in that way. But I think for a team that runs a lot like Sacramento, we also know that in transition we can get out on them, too. So I think a couple times we got some transition points just taking it out and pushing it because they didn’t get back on defense. So, kind of playing at their pace, but at the same time being able to control it.” Porzingis hinted that the team tried to take some more ownership individually with Tatum sidelined, which led to the balanced scoring performance. “I think it’s just a bit more attention on everybody else,” Porzingis added of Tatum’s absence. “He’s the focal point whenever he’s playing every night. Tonight’s a bit more on - you have to take that responsibility a little bit. I think we did a good job with that. We shared the ball well and we had five guys that scored over 20, and pretty much everybody that stepped in gave good minutes. Svi, Oshae, those guys were great in the minutes that they had. I thought it was a great team victory.” The Celtics will look to build upon that offensive momentum starting again on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.

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Bruins lose stalwart defenseman to injury

The Bruins’ four-game road trip got off to a rough start as they lost one of their most important players in the second period of their game against the Avalanche, on Monday at Ball Arena. Brandon Carlo, who is in the midst of his best season, left Monday’s game with injury in the second period. The Bruins later announced it was an upper-body injury and that Carlo wouldn’t return. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. It wasn’t immediately clear when Carlo suffered the injury. The Bruins are already missing Derek Forbort. If Carlo joins him on the shelf, Boston will be missing two of their best penalty killers and defensive-minded blueliners. Rookie Mason Lohrei also missed his second straight game after being hit in the mouth with a puck. Carlo had played 1:50 before the injury and had an assist. He has two goals and seven assists and averaged 20:29 on the ice.

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Avalanche coach thinks Bruins defenseman is underrated

BOSTON — As he got set to lead his team against the Bruins for the second time in 10 days, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar singled out defenseman Charlie McAvoy as a big part of the reason Boston has remained one of the top teams in the NHL despite considerable offseason roster turnover. The Bruins and Avalanche play at 7 p.m. at TD Garden. BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS CLAIM OFFER Promo code: MASS158 STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. “He’s very important as a No. 1 for them because he does everything,” Bednar said. “He can play any style of game you want. He’s a great puck mover. He can jump up in the play and help them offensively. He’s a heavy defender and has physicality and bite to his game. “Power play, penalty kill, you name it, he’s the guy they lean on to get the job done. He has got it done on a very good team every year,” Bednar said. “He’s certainly a guy I look at and say this is one of the top defenders in the league.” With six goals and 23 assists in 35 games, if he stays healthy, McAvoy is on pace to reach career highs in goals, assists and points. But he’s still well behind the NHL leaders among defensemen including Cale Makar, Bednar’s No. 1 blue-liner. “I would say (McAvoy) is underrated,” Bednar said. “Numbers aren’t the be-all, end-all. He’s an adequate to very good point producer and offensive player and he mixes in some things he’s exceptional at on the defensive end.”

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Amherst native scores in Team USAs rout of Switzerland at World Juniors

Amherst native Ryan Leonard had a hand in Team USA’s dominant win over Switzerland at the World Juniors in a preliminary game Thursday in Sweden. Leonard, who plays at Boston College and was drafted No. 8 overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, scored Team USA’s seventh goal in the 11-3 victory. With USA on the power play and already up 6-1 midway through the second period, Gavin Brindley fed the puck to Leonard, who was waiting at the bottom of the left circle before finding the back of the net to put Team USA up by six. This was his first goal of the tournament. In USA’s first game against Norway — a 4-1 win — Leonard had an assist and racked up a game-high eight shots on net. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Several draft experts had high praise for the Capitals selecting Leonard — who’s toted as “a versatile winger with a lot of elements to his game that an NHL coach will covet” and someone who “works hard every shift and has the hands to contribute offensively.” The 18-year-old shined at Pope Francis before joining the USA National Team Development Program after two seasons. Leonard was one of nine players in the program to put up 50 goals in a season after scoring 51 to go along with 43 assists in 57 games in the 2022-23 season. He also scored the game-winner in overtime during the Gold medal game against Sweden at the U18 World Championship in April. Team USA’s next game is Friday against Czechia, who’s 1-1 in the tournament and will look to snap USA’s unbeaten streak.

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Michigan commit Christian Anderson Jr. talks Wolverine coaches, national championship, fans from Germany

SPRINGFIELD – Though most fans at Blake Arena were here to see Cooper Flagg and No. 1 Montverde Academy, Oak Hill’s Christian Anderson Jr., a Michigan commit, dazzled despite a blowout defeat during the the second day of the Spalding Hoophall Classic on Friday. Anderson Jr. didn’t come out until only two minutes remaining – when he was replaced by his freshman brother Lucai – and was named Oak Hill’s player of the game after scoring 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out a pair of assists. After the game, Anderson Jr. spoke with MassLive about how the atmosphere of the HoopHall Classic is preparing him for road games with the Wolverines, what he’s been hearing from Michigan coaches, the Wolverines’ football national championship win, and the support he’s been receiving from fans from Germany, the country he spent the first five years of his life living in. Despite always being the shortest player on the court, Anderson Jr. was active on both ends. Listed as a four-star recruit by ESPN and a three-star by 24/7, Anderson Jr. initially committed to Michigan almost three years ago at 5-foot-8, but he’s since grown to 6-foot-1. Still, he was dwarfed by Montverde’s long and lanky roster, which features six players 6-foot-7 or taller. With his jersey untucked and his braids swaying, Anderson Jr. found himself on the floor in multiple battles for loose balls and wasn’t afraid to drive in the paint against players much taller than him. On one drive, he bowled into Caleb Gaskins and Liam McNeely, both 6-foot-8, and drew a foul. With 1.3 seconds remaining in the first half, Anderson Jr. sped in for an offensive rebound and snuck in on the backside of Montverde point guard and Baylor commit Robert Wright. He drew a foul and canned both free throws, part of a perfect 7-for-7 night from the stripe. When Montverde went to inbound the ball, Anderson Jr. jumped up and knocked it away from Ace Flagg, a forward six inches taller than him. “Obviously, being the shortest on the court, you’ve got to do more than everybody,” Anderson Jr. said. “You can’t always do the same. I’ll use the example of Cooper Flagg; I can’t play the same as him. He’s 6-foot-9, I’m 6-foot-1. It’s always got to be I’m doing more, I’m doing everything I can on defense, I’m doing everything I can on offense…At my height, you’ve just got to do everything a little bit better than everyone else.” On one play where he was guarded by 6-foot-10 Indiana commit Asa Newell at the top of the arc, Anderson Jr. executed a perfect bounce pass around Newell to an open cutter at the rim. Oak Hill Academy’s Christian Anderson (1) wins Most Outstanding Player during a game against Montverde Academy on the second day of the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College’s Blake Arena on 1/12/24. (Kayla Wong/ MassLive)Kayla Wong Anderson Jr. also talked about the atmosphere at the HoopHall Classic, where players feel like the fans are almost on top of them from their seats high up in the bleachers. And with most fans there to watch Flagg, he thought it was good preparation for Big Ten play, where almost every school’s students have their game against Michigan circled on their schedules. “They got the number one player in the country, so everyone’s rooting for him,” Anderson Jr. said. “It feels like everyone is rooting against you. It’s even kind of hard to talk to your teammates because it’s so loud…You want to be at the next level in college? It’s going to be like that, every away game.” He said Michigan coaches have attended several of his Oak Hill games this year. Anderson Jr. is in his first year playing for the Virginia basketball powerhouse after three years at Lovett High School outside Atlanta, where he’s the program’s all-time leading scorer. He didn’t see Michigan coaches in the crowd today but said they texted him before the game, “Go to work today,” and told him they’d try to catch one of his games at HoopHall. Oak Hill plays one more game this weekend, on Sunday vs. Brewster Academy at 9:15 p.m. He said that head coach Juwan Howard and assistant Saddi Washington text or call Anderson Jr. after every one of his big games. He’s also seen Michigan fans in the crowd at almost every game he’s played for Oak Hill. “Michigan is one of the biggest brands in all colleges,” Anderson Jr. said. “So obviously, that maize and blue are very notorious around here.” Anderson Jr. said he watched both of Michigan’s football games during the College Football Playoff and loved that Jim Harbaugh was the last coach to beat Nick Saban. He predicts that quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be a lottery pick when he declares for the NFL Draft. “It’s cool to get that team pride,” Anderson said. “We got the best football team in the country, and next year, we’re going to try to have the best basketball team in the country.” Though Anderson Jr. has been living in the U.S. since he was five, he grew up in Berlin, Germany, one of the places his father, Christian Anderson Sr., played during a lengthy overseas basketball career. He’s played in several competitions for the German national team, including leading them to gold in division B of the FIBA U16 European Championship. His coaches from the German national team have been closely following his games at Oak Hill and were watching online Friday night. He receives constant messages from kids who idolize him back in Germany and will be heading back for some more tournament play this summer. “Even just little kids from around where I lived in Germany, little kids from the area, they’re always trying to DM me and ask for tips or anything and show their support,” Anderson said. “...it’s definitely nice to get the support even from halfway across the world.”

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Ex-Celtics role likely to increase after Ja Morant season-ending injury

Marcus Smart was always going to be an important piece of the Memphis Grizzlies down the stretch, but Monday’s announcement that Ja Morant’s season is over puts even more on the former Celtics guard’s shoulders as the Grizzlies try to avoid missing the playoffs. The Grizzlies announced Monday that Morant will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. The team released this statement: “Following ongoing soreness and instability, Morant underwent an MRI that revealed an underlying labral tear.” BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Morant missed the first 25 games of the season after being suspended when video surfaced of him brandishing a gun. He appeared to be giving the Grizzlies a much-needed jolt of adrenaline when he returned averaging 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists over nine games. But his absence leaves the Grizzlies with a hole to fill. They’re already trying to overcome a slow start with a 13-23 record. Smart missed a month with injury from mid-November to mid-December, but he’s been good since returning on Dec. 26 and has averaged 27.0 points over the last two games both Grizzlies wins. Smart, who the Celtics traded to Memphis during the offseason is averaging 14.0 points and 4.5 assists this season.

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Ex-Patriots LB doesnt think decision has been made about Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick’s future in New England has been a hot topic for most of the 2023 season. The Patriots are on their way to a second straight losing season, and have played some of their ugliest football under Belichick this year. Reports have surfaced that revealed owner Robert Kraft made a decision about the legendary coach’s future after New England’s loss in Germany. But another report said nothing is set in stone. For Rob Ninkovich, who played eight seasons for the Patriots, he believes the decision has yet to be made. On the latest episode of “Eye On Foxborough,” the former Patriots linebacker joined MassLive’s Karen Guregian to discuss why he believes Kraft hasn’t decided about which direction he’ll go in terms of Belichick come the 2024 season. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. “You have to wait. I think he’ll probably wait to see how the whole season progresses. And there’s only two weeks left in the season. But I think you have to. You can’t be emotional in the heat of a moment, or in the heat of certain situations,” Ninkovich said. “You gotta take a step back and look at the big picture. I think if you look around the league right now, there’s a lot of bad coaching. And you have one of the best coaches in the game, if not the best in the game. So there’s always risks and everything. I just would think that Mr. Kraft would take a step back and observe the whole big picture, what they have after the season, where they’re at in the draft, what they have in cap space. “Is starting over all the way — I don’t know if that’s the best idea. So if you have a high draft pick — think back to 2009 when I first got to New England. 2010 was a massive, massive step for that new Patriots revamp that won a lot of games,” he added. “It was Julian (Edelman), Devin (McCourty), (Rob Gronkowski), all these key pieces that came in and they had a tremendous amount of success. So, I know it’s been a lull, and this year is the first year they’ve ever had such a down year. But you never know with a lot of options in the draft and a lot of options in the offseason with a lot of cap space to do a lot of things offensively with what they have right now.” Belichick’s future is just one of many questions surrounding the Patriots in the offseason. They have to make a decision about who they want to draft, who their quarterback will be beyond this year and they could use some help on offense. Regardless of what happens, the Patriots could look different in 2024.

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sports

QB Corner: Bailey Zappe struggles against Jets, snow

FOXBOROUGH — If Bailey Zappe hoped that the Patriots’ season finale would be an opportunity to add evidence to the case that he is good enough to be a winning NFL starting quarterback, Mother Nature and the Jets had other ideas. In addition to facing a very good New York Jets defense, Zappe was forced to deal with snowy conditions, including wind, cold and poor footing, Sunday at Gillette Stadium. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. It didn’t go well. Neither team moved the ball effectively in the Patriots’ 17-3 loss to the Jets. In Zappe’s last chance to convince Bill Belichick or whoever else might be coaching the Patriots next year, that he should be considered a viable starting quarterback candidate before free agency and the draft, he struggled. Zappe was 6-for-15 for 48 yards without an interception or touchdown in the first half. He was sacked twice. Things got worse after intermission as Zappe mixed two interceptions in with his growing collection of incompletions. He appeared to get lucky in the fourth quarter. After taking a 16-yard sack on a trick play, he was intercepted by Ashtyn Davis, but the safety tried to return the pick and fumbled the ball. The Patriots recovered it to regain possession. But two plays later Zappe was intercepted again, this time by Tony Adams, ending the Patriots’ comeback chances. Zappe finished 12-for-30 for 88 yards and two interceptions and was sacked seven times. Zappe finished his second season in the NFL completing 127-of-212 passes for 1272 yards six touchdowns, nine interceptions. He took 25 sacks. Zappe is now 4-4 as a starting quarterback and 2-4. The Patriots ended Mac Jones’ already disappointing season, with one last moment of indignation. Jones was demoted from Zappe’s backup to the inactive third-string emergency quarterback. Nathan Rourke was upgraded to No. 2, his first time active this season. Jones finished his third NFL season with 224 completions on 345 passes for 2,120 yards. He threw 10 touchdown passes and was intercepted 12 times. The once-promising rivalry between him and fellow 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson never materialized. Wilson was also just the third-string emergency quarterback for the Jets. New York will reportedly attempt to trade Wilson during the offseason.

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sports

Matthew Slater plans on making most of his potential final game

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – The curtain might be closing on one of the greatest Patriots in franchise history. Matthew Slater won’t say if next week’s game against the New York Jets will be his last, but the future Patriots Hall of Famer recognized this could be the end of his historic NFL career. Slater, 38, surprised some teammates this past offseason when he opted to return to the Patriots for the 2023 season. A 10-time Pro Bowler, eight-time All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champion, and Patriots captain since the 2011 season, Slater said he’s going to enjoy every moment of next week’s regular-season finale. Slater said he recently received that advice from Devin McCourty, who retired from the NFL this past offseason. “I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can – take it all in, cherish the moments with the guys,” Slater told MassLive. “The reality is I don’t know what my future holds. I just want to cherish every minute of it. I’ve talked to guys who’ve crossed over, so to speak, D-Mac and (people) like that and they’re just like, ‘Hey, man, enjoy all of it. You know, when it’s gone, it’s gone.’ I’m going to enjoy it and try not to think too much about what lies ahead.” BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Slater has been one of the best stories to come out of the Patriots in franchise history. A fifth-round pick in 2008, Slater was considered a ‘roster bubble’ player for his first three NFL seasons. That changed in 2011. That season, Slater earned captain honors and Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his NFL career. Now, 14 years later, Slater is not only one of the most well-respected players in Patriots history but arguably the greatest coverage special teamer in league history. Slater currently holds the NFL record for special teams Pro Bowl selections (10) and first-time All-Pro honors (five). Slater has also been instrumental in helping the Patriots through a difficult 2023 season. This year’s 4-12 team hasn’t won many games, but the group has shown plenty of fight. That’s a credit to leadership. “We’ve got a lot of high-character guys on this team,” Slater said. “That’s not something you can measure. It’s not something that shows up in the stats column. It’s not something that shows up in the scouting report, but we have a lot of high-character guys. We could’ve easily gotten the doors blown off of us today with the way we played. It says a lot about the character of the guys on this team.” There’s no higher character than that of Slater’s.

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sports

Updates emerge with Patriots Trent Brown drama

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — As his teammates took on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon, Trent Brown was a healthy scratch for the first time in his Patriots career. The hulking tackle didn’t have a stall set up in the visitor’s locker room at Highmark Stadium, and Vederian Lowe took every snap at left tackle in a 27-21 loss to the Bills. The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed reported the team has struggled to keep Brown motivated since he lost money on playing time incentives, and Bill Belichick was tight-lipped on the decision to scratch him after the game. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. “We played the players we wanted to play,” Belichick said, declining to comment on Brown’s motivation. Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal offered a deeper dive into the issues with Brown, who suffered a pair of injuries during a late October loss to the Dolphins. Since then, he’s missed four games, and hasn’t shouldered a full workload when he’s been active. “Internally, I’m told, there was belief Brown could have returned before (Week 12) and did not,” Giardi writes. “The belief was that he was protecting himself and his future earnings in a season without the promise of a postseason. With the number of players on the roster who were playing through injuries — including those on the offensive line — needless to say, that hasn’t gone over very well.” Giardi then cited an anonymous player, who told him, “A lot of us — almost all — are fighting for each other and for pride, even though the results aren’t what any of us want. It sucks that not everyone is willing to put it out there. I hope people who sign the checks are paying attention.”

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sports

Five takeaways from the Bruins win over New Jersey

BOSTON — After falling behind 2-0 to the New Jersey Devils a little over a minute into the second period, the Bruins snapped out of their funk and poured in five unanswered goals for a 5-2 victory and second straight win. David Pastrnak provided two goals, which isn’t anything new. Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk netted two, also, which was more than a little unexpected. Jake DeBrusk followed his two-point night in Buffalo Wednesday with two more points, including his first goal in exactly a month. In net Linus Ullmark stopped 31 of 33 shots against him. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Here are five takeaways from the win: 1) Shattenkirk the unlikely scoring star. Kevin Shattenkirk came into the game with two goals this season. Then, in the span of about 20 minutes, he doubled that total. With the Bruins ahead by a goal, 3-2, Shattenkirk took a cross-ice feed from defense partner Matt Grzelcyk and ripped home a wrister from the right faceoff circle. Then, with the Bruins leading by two late in the third, Shattenkirk struck again — this time on the power play, with assists from Brad Marchand and Pastrnak. “He’s gained a lot of confidence in how we want to play,’' said coach Jim Montgomery of the veteran defenseman. “His brain is elite, so it allows him to get into advantageous spots. And that’s what we’re seeing in him, a difference in him now.” The first goal had added significance for Shattenkirk, as it was the 100th of his 14-year career. “It felt great,” said Shattenkirk. “I don’t think I was going into every game expecting to hit (the milestone). I’m not Pasta. If I don’t have a goal in a game, I’m not like, ‘Damn, i didn’t get my 100th goal tonight.’ But you know it’s going to come eventually. I just stuck with it, and once it happened, it’s a great milestone, something I’m proud of. My teammates showed a lot of love for me as well, which is always heartwarming.” 2) There was no panic getting down by two goals. The Devils have a lot of speed up front, and even though they were playing the second half of a back-to-back, showed a lot of jump early, grabbing a lead just 6:03 into the first before adding to the lead in in the first minute of the second period. But the Bruins didn’t get overwhelmed by the deficit. “Loved the response of the bench,” said Montgomery. “We felt like we were playing our game, we felt like we were playing to our identity and we felt like we were playing Bruins hockey. And that played itself out. Players were competing. I thought we were physical tonight. And I thought, because we were physical, our puck support was getting to it. I thought the second period was the best second period we’ve had all season.” Pastrnak said the Bruins’ strategy involved a strong forecheck to wear down the Devils, playing for the second straight night. The gameplan worked, and it didn’t take until the third period for it to manifest itself, either. $200 INSTANT BONUS DRAFTKINGS MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BET FANDUEL MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $50, GET $250 BONUS CAESARS MASS CLAIM OFFER $1,000 FIRST-BET BONUS BETMGM MASS CLAIM OFFER MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. 3) Charlie McAvoy survives a scare. The Bruins have been dealing with some injuries of late and for a while in the third, it appeared as though they had another when McAvoy, attempting to break up a two-on-one, collided into goaltender Linus Ullmark as he went diving to intercept a pass. McAvoy lay motionless for a bit, and appeared to have been hurt, but eventually skated off and was cleared. “He’s fine,’' said Jim Montgomery. “I think he just had a little bit of a scare with a burner or stinger of some sort. I don’t know where it was. But he’s walking around and he’s happy right now. So we’re good.” 4) Merkulov’s debut a success. Georgii Merkulov made his NHL debut, as the Bruins summoned him from their AHL affiliate in Providence, hoping that he could bring some offense to their bottom six. Merkulov centered the third line, with wings Trent Frederic and James Van Riemsdyk, and while he didn’t collect a point, he acquitted himself well. Merkulov got 15:08 of ice time and recorded three faceoff wins. “Good,” summarized Montgomery. “He did a lot of good things. I didn’t play him (much) down the stretch just because we were looking to close out the game. As soon as we closed out the game (with the fifth goal), I put him back out there. He played a good game.” All betting sites in MA will have promo codes for signing up. Don’t forget to check out BetMGM Massachusetts and DraftKings Massachusetts 5) Pastrnak delivers per usual. It was just another night for the Bruins’ top scorer, who potted two second period goals in the span of less than three minutes. Those tallies gave him 22 goals for the season. On the first one, he slipped behind New Jersey goalie Vitek Vanecek and tucked in a loose puck in the crease. Then, he took a nice backhand feed from Jake DeBrusk while the Bruins enjoyed a man advantage, giving them a 4-2 lead. “You’re on the bench and you’re excited, like, ‘What’s he going to do next?’ “ said Montgomery. “He makes it look pretty nice.”

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sports

Rob Gronkowski predicts what Patriots will do if Bill Belichick leaves

Rob Gronkowski is of the belief that Bill Belichick not only wants to remain with the New England Patriots, but that owner Robert Kraft will bring him back for “at least one more year.” Still, should the Patriots move on from the coaching legend, the Super Bowl-winning tight end revealed what he thinks his former team will do to replace Belichick. “There’s only a lot of smoke because of the New England Patriots situation,” Gronkowski said on FOX on Sunday. “There will be fire if coach Belichick is gone. Mr. Kraft will get on the phone with the Tennessee Titans organization and figure out a way to get Mike Vrabel to be the head coach of the New England Patriots. He fits Mr. Kraft’s mold. He’s very experienced with the organization. He was a Patriots legend when he was a player. So, we will see what happens.” When Gronkowski made those comments, Vrabel was still coach of the Titans. But that changed Tuesday when Tennessee elected to move on from the 48-year-old after six seasons. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport posted on X, formerly known as Twitter to “keep an eye on New England and what’s next for Bill Belichick.” Vrabel has loosely been connected to the Patriots, and with Belichick’s future up in the air, it’s fair to wonder if they’ll look at the former New England linebacker as someone to bring in. The Boston Globe reported in November that, should the Patriots part ways with Belichick, that Vrabel would be one of Robert Kraft’s “home run hires” as coach, along with Nick Caserio for general manager. Caserio, the general manager of the Houston Texans, shot down rumors of a potential return Tuesday morning. So should New England decide to part ways with Belichick, it at least wouldn’t have to figure out a way to get Vrabel from the Titans given he’s now free to sign wherever. It will certainly be interesting to see how this all unfolds — from what happens to Belichick to where Vrabel ends up.

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sports

Emotional Lions QB reacts to Detroits 1st division title since 1993

Christmas came early for the Lions. For the first time since 1993, Detroit is NFC North champions. The last time the Lions won, it was known as the NFC Central. The Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 30-24, on Christmas Eve to become division champs just two seasons after finishing 3-13-1. After the game, quarterback was emotional speaking to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “It’s pretty exciting, man,” Goff told Pelissero. “It really is. It’s been a lot of hard work. A long time coming. We got a special group. We really do and this was hard for me. It wasn’t pretty at the end, but we got it done.” BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Goff came to the Lions in 2021 via trade with the Los Angeles Rams for Matt Stafford. The quarterback was part of the 3-13-1 team and helped rebound them to 9-8 in 2022. Now he and Detroit are playoff bound and division champions. “It’s emotional. But, it’s just the beginning for us. It’s the first check mark for us,” Goff told Pelissero. “I get emotional thinking about all the guys that went through 3-13, that went through 1-6 early last year and now stand here.” This is the first time the Lions are back in the playoffs since 2016. Now, they’ll look to end their NFL-worst postseason win drought, which spans 31 seasons. The Lions are back in action Saturday when they travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in Week 17.

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Giving Bill Belichick GM power again would be crazy, ex-Patriots champ says

All signs point to Bill Belichick getting another shot to be a head coach in the NFL. But will anyone let him have full control over the roster, like he did with the New England Patriots? Asante Samuel, who played for Belichick in New England, said it would be “crazy” for a team to give the coach the same de-facto general manager control that he had with the Patriots. “I expect to see them coaching in the future, but with different circumstances. If any owner would give Bill Belichick that power again, that would be crazy,” Samuel said in an interview with TMZ Sports. Samuel has been critical of Belichick in the past, stating that the Patriots’ success is more a result of Tom Brady’s contributions than that of the head coach. Samuel has claimed that Belichick is “absolutely not” the NFL’s best head coach and that players were “brainwashed with the Patriot Way.” His comments came after the Patriots announced that they were mutually parting ways with the coach after 24 seasons. “He still has a desire to coach. I think that’s all he wants to do is coaching and – I can’t say lead men because, you know, that’s not what he particularly does so well,” Samuel said. “But on the other hand, if he does go somewhere, different circumstances and if he gets Josh McDaniels, I think he can do some great things with a GM who’s sort of an alpha male who’s not going to tolerate Bill Belichick,” Samuel continued. “Not going to how down to him, who’s going to select good players, not these mediocre players that Bill Belichick thinks can always help win in his system and all those things.” Samuel was selected by Belichick in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft and went on to become one of the most prolific ballhawks of his era. Samuel played 11 NFL seasons, making four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team. He spent his first five seasons in New England, winning two Super Bowls. He then went on to play five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and two with the Atlanta Falcons. Samuel was an aggressive cover corner who finished his career with 51 interceptions, leading the league in picks twice.

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sports

Paul Pierce: Lakers hung In-Season Tournament banner to spite Celtics

Paul Pierce faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals twice as a member of the Boston Celtics, winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2008 before losing to LA in 2010. So he knows what it takes to not only get to the Finals, but to win it all. So when the Lakers lifted a banner to the Crypto.com Arena rafters for their In-Season Tournament championship, Pierce took issue with it. “They did that to spite the Celtics, bro,” Pierce told ex-Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett on SHOWTIME Basketball’s “Ticket and The Truth.” “I’m telling you because we got 17. So that counts toward the 17? 17.5?” BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Pierce suggested the Lakers should have received a plaque rather than raise a banner. “Just put it in the locker room,” Pierce said. It’s been a tough road for the Lakers since their victory in the inaugural tournament. They sit ninth in the Western Conference and are 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Lakers and the Celtics are tied for most NBA titles with 17. Boston has come close — reaching the NBA Finals in 2021 under first-year coach Ime Udoka — but has yet to win Banner 18. Going into Sunday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, the Celtics sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 25-6 record and built a roster in the offseason that will certainly keep them competitive as they hope to make a lengthy playoff run. As for the Lakers? The In-Season Tournament banner might end up being their bright spot of 2023-24.

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sports

Former Patriots draft steal named NFL All-Pro for 1st time

Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Joe Thuney cemented his status as one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen this season after being named to the NFL All-Pro 1st Team on Friday. Thuney is in his third season with the playoff-bound Kansas City Chiefs, where he’s become a mainstay of the offensive line protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 31-year-old left guard, who arrived in Kansas City as a free agent in 2021, has made the Pro Bowl in back-to-back seasons. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Thuney was a steal for the Patriots when they took him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was the Patriots’ second selection that year, behind cornerback Cyrus Jones in the second round. The Patriots’ first-round selection was forfeited in the fallout of the Deflategate scandal. A former left tackle at NC State, Thuney bumped over to left guard in the pros and became a Week 1 starter. Thuney has showcased plenty of versatility in the NFL, spending time at left tackle and center when called upon. Since his time in New England, Thuney has proven to be one of the NFL’s most durable ironmen. He started every game of his five-year tenure with the Patriots and has only missed two games throughout his eight-year career. He missed time in 2022 with an ankle injury. Thuney returned to Gillette Stadium this season in an unusual spot as an opposing player. His Chiefs came away with the win. Afterward, Thuney didn’t have much to say about the current state of the Patriots, but stressed that he enjoyed his time in New England. “There’s so much going on. I just try to stay in my lane and think about what I can do as a football player,” he said. “I’m very happy to have been a Patriot. ... It is what it is. I just wanted to come in here and play hard for the Chiefs, play hard for my teammates and try to get a win.”

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Red Sox free agent target must sign by Thu. but Boston considered long shot

The Red Sox face a deadline — and clarity — on another one of their rumored free agent targets later this week. And barring a last-minute surprise, Boston’s pursuit is expected to fall short. Boston is considered a “long shot” to sign Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga before his deadline to sign with a major league club Thursday (Jan. 11), according to a source with knowledge of discussions between the sides. It’s unclear exactly how aggressive the Red Sox have been with Imanaga, who is considered one of the top three free agent starters left on the market and must pick a new team by 5 p.m. ET on Thursday. But unless something changes in the coming days, the southpaw is expected to sign elsewhere. On Friday, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported the Red Sox were “lurking in Imanaga’s free agency rather than as one of the most involved teams.” A source said earlier Monday that multiple teams remain interested in the mix for Imanaga. The Angels, Giants, Cubs and Mets have been linked to him, along with the Red Sox, for weeks. On Monday, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand pegged San Francisco — one of the teams that missed out on fellow top Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto this winter — as the favorite to sign Imanaga. It’s unclear if Imanaga has a preference to pitch on the west coast. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Imanaga, 30, was posted by the Yokohama Bay Stars on Nov. 27, opening a 30-day window for teams to sign him. While the lefty is not expected to command a deal close to the 12-year, $325 million contract Yoshinobu Yamamoto received from the Dodgers late last month, he’s still considering an intriguing mid-rotation option who may get more than $100 million on the open market. MLBTradeRumors ranked Imanaga as the No. 10 free agent on this year’s market at the outset of the winter. The Red Sox, as MassLive’s Sean McAdam reported, heavily scouted Imanaga, who led Nippon Professional Baseball with 174 strikeouts in 2023. For a team that has yet to make major improvements to its starting rotation this winter (Boston signed Lucas Giolito while trading away Chris Sale), Imanaga was thought to be a logical fit. Speier previously reported that Boston was impressed with the left-hander’s pitch metrics despite the fact he’s undersized (5-foot-10) and has a fastball that usually sits in the 92-92 mph range. In November, McAdam spoke to a veteran scout who had watched Imanaga extensively in both the World Baseball Classic and NPB. “He’s an undersized lefty who can really throw strikes,” said the evaluator. “He has a plan out there on the mound. He’s not overpowering but I think his strike-throwing and feel to pitch are really his strengths. The (four-seamer) fastball plays. It’s got ride to it, and it’s also got some spin to it. He’s got the ability to got some swing-and-miss with it, even though it’s not overpowering. He can locate it, move it around the zone and keep it away from the barrel. “I would say his next best pitch would be his split-change. Hitters don’t see that over here as much, and he can throw it to both lefties and righties. After that he has a slider which he throws to lefties, and a curve. “I see him as a back of the rotation guy. He’s a strike-thrower, but when it comes down to just the quality of the pitches, that gives me a little pause. And the durability.”

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Rutgers commit Dylan Harper wants to win titles with Scarlet Knights: Im going in there to win

SPRINGFIELD — Headlining the best class Rutgers men’s basketball has ever seen is Dylan Harper. Son of former Chicago Bulls star Ron Harper, Dylan Harper is the No. 2 player in the Class of 2024. It’s safe to say that the Harpers are a basketball family due to many of Dylan’s immediate relatives being former Division I basketball players. His parents also have coaching background, with Ron Harper spending some time with the Pistons, and his mom currently coaching him.

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sports

Did Bill Belichick send a message to other NFL teams?

FOXBOROUGH – Bill Belichick wants to continue coaching. It remains to be seen if that’ll still be with the Patriots. On Monday, Belichick held what might be his final press conference as the head coach of the New England Patriots. One of the biggest takeaways is that Belichick made it seem like he’d be willing to give up his control as general manager to keep coaching in New England. That seemed like an obvious pitch from Belichick, who’s scheduled to meet with owner Robert Kraft this week. It could also be a pitch for other NFL teams. “I’m for whatever, collectively, we decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team,” Belichick said. “And, I have multiple roles in that, and I rely on a lot of people to help me in those responsibilities. If somebody’s got to have the final say, I rely on a lot of other people to help. And, however that process is, I’m only part of it.” BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. With Belichick, the prevailing thought was wherever he coached next season, he would be the one to run the front office. That’s been the case in New England. Since coming to the Patriots in 2000, Belichick has been the general manager and head coach. As he noted, Belichick has had help from various directors of player personnel such as Scott Pioli, Nick Caserio, Dave Ziegler, and most recently, Matt Groh. Belichick has an NFL record six Super Bowl championships as a head coach. He’s considered the greatest head coach in NFL history. He’d be an easy sell for any NFL owner looking for an experienced coach. Over the last four seasons, however, Belichick’s personnel decisions have come back to haunt the Patriots. His roster has lacked elite offensive talent since Tom Brady left. His last All-Pro offensive player was guard Joe Thuney in 2019. His last true offensive Pro Bowl player (excluding Mac Jones, who made the team as an alternate) was Brady in 2018. His last Pro Bowl pass catcher was Rob Gronkowski in 2017. The Patriots last 1,000-yard receiver was Julian Edelman in 2019. The Patriots offense finished tied for last in the NFL in scoring (13.9 points per game) and ranked 30th in yards (276.2). “I think we have some things that we can build on,” Belichick said when asked about assembling the 2023 Patriots. “I think there are some things that we need to fix and change.” What the Patriots need to change is how they built their offense through the draft, free agency, and trades. Belichick’s job as the general manager could be one hang-up for a potential new owner. However, if Belichick is willing to go to another team and just be the head coach, it would possibly open more jobs. One seems to be the Atlanta Falcons. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, “the Falcons are a team to watch if Belichick is available. They are interested, per sources.” Falcons owner Arthur Blank fired head coach Arthur Smith on Sunday night but kept general manager Terry Fontenot. Belichick could also be an option for a playoff contender who ends up looking for a new head coach. Options would include the Dallas Cowboys, whose owner, Jerry Jones, is also the general manager. Could Belichick be an option if Jones fires Mike McCarthy? The Philadelphia Eagles are in a similar situation. They’ve assembled a great roster under general manager Howie Roseman, but coming off a 14-3 season, they finished 11-6. Philadelphia finished the season 1-5 in their final six games. If they’re looking for a more experienced head coach than Nick Sirianni, Belichick would certainly fit the bill. On Monday, Belichick was asked if he would be interested in coaching for another NFL team. “I’m not going to get into a lot of hypothetical situations,” Belichick replied. The gravity of this situation isn’t lost on Patriots players. Several voiced their support for their head coach on Monday. It’s clear Belichick is still respected and judging by his defense’s performance this season, it’s obvious he’s still a good coach. The issue, however, has been Belichick the general manager. His willingness to do away with those responsibilities makes it possible he could return to New England, but also makes him an even better candidate for other NFL teams. “I’m going to do everything I can every day to do the best I can to help our football team,” Belichick said on Monday. “That’s what I’ve always done. It’s never been any different for me in my career. I learned that lesson from my dad growing up. You work for the team that you’re working for and do the best you can for it, until somebody tells you different. So, that’s not going to change.”

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sports

Some Things I Think I Think: On Chris Sales complicated legacy and more

* Before being traded to the Atlanta Braves Saturday, Chris Sale spent seven seasons with the Red Sox. The first two couldn’t have gone better, with the lefty contributing 59 starts, winning 29 decisions and fashioning a 2.56 ERA, culminating with a World Series-clinching inning of dominant relief at Dodger Stadium. The next five? Not so much. Other than a few patches of brilliance, Sale was mostly injured or limited. He lost an entire season recuperating from Tommy John and large chunks of two others. In 2022, Sale endured a run of injuries that were so frequent - broken rib, broken pinkie finger, broken wrist — that they defied belief. But always, Sale fought to return. Contrary to the conspiracy theories of some who envisioned the pitcher laughing as he hobbled to the bank twice a month, the injuries and unavailability ate at Sale. Anyone who doubted his competitiveness or will to win is forgetting Game 4 of the 2018 World Series, when he put his entire team on blast in the dugout, designed to stir them from their torpor. It’s always mystified me when fans vent against injured players. Frustration? That’s understandable. But outright anger at a player who, through no fault of his own, suffered an injury? That’s difficult to fathom. Understand this: Sale was hyper competitive, always professional and the ultimate teammate. Those who played with him held him in the highest regard, and so, too, did his managers and coaches. The notion that Sale didn’t care whether he contributed or not, and was only motivated by his paycheck, couldn’t be more off the mark. In retrospect, it’s inarguable that the Sox certainly erred when they gave Sale a five-year, $145 million extension in March of 2019. They didn’t get nearly enough return for their investment. But if you think you’re more bothered about that than Sale himself, you’re wrong. * It’s hard to watch the Patriots in the waning weeks of a forgettable season and think about what might have been. Had Bill Belichick made the switch from Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe earlier in the season, how different would things look now? It’s tough to imagine the Patriots being in the playoff picture even if the quarterback change had happened sooner. But at the very least, the Pats would have additional time to evaluate Zappe, determine if he could be someone around whom the team could build, and perhaps be in position to focus their draft prep on offensive linemen and wide receivers. Instead, by stubbornly sticking with Jones long after such a move made sense, the Pats squandered both the 2023 season and additional development time for Zappe. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. * It’s probably a little early to start with the second-guessing, but it sure seems as if the Bruins missed out by not targeting Patrick Kane more. Sure, there were some risks and adding him would have required some additional salary cap machinations. But Kane is already scoring at a point-per-game rate, and has six goals in 12 games. For a team starved for secondary scoring up front, Kane could have helped. * Watching the Celtics toy with the hapless Detroit Pistons Thursday night was a little like watching one of those races at Truist Park in Atlanta featuring “The Freeze” and a fan from the stands. Having spotted them the Pistons a huge lead, it was only a matter of time before the Celts caught up and overtook them. * Every time I’m channel-flipping and come across some obscure bowl game featuring two 6-6 teams in a stadium one-third full, I remember that someone, somewhere is, inexplicably, betting on that game. * And on the subject of bowls, I generally determine my rooting interest by deciding which of the two head coaches is less odious than the other. So you can imagine the conundrum I find myself in when it comes to the Rose Bowl: Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) vs. Nick Saban (Alabama). C’mon, scoreless tie! * I know TV producers like to “mic up” players in-game in order to reveal more of the players’ personalities. But when it comes to hockey players, the value is limited since it seems every sound bite is some variation of: “OK, boys....let’s go......need to get the next one.” * I’ll be revealing my Hall of Fame ballot later this week, but the notion that voters should feel compelled to vote for the maximum number of players allowed is one I’ve never understood. Just because you’re allowed that many votes doesn’t guarantee that there are 10 Cooperstown-worthy choices on each ballot. I checked six names this year and that may be the most I’ve had on a ballot in 25 years of voting. * For the life of me, I’ve never understood how the concept of “opt-out” clauses has become so prevalent in baseball. For teams, it’a lose-lose scenario: if the signed player outperforms his contract, he’s (likely) going to leave for more money elsewhere; if he underperforms, he stays and you continue to pay his bad contract. It’s one thing to do it for a true superstar free agent, if doing so will separate you from other competitive offers and land you the player. But now, they’re so commonplace, it seems like every other player gets an opt-out. * Don’t hold your breath waiting for the feckless NFL Players Association to come to the aid of Russell Wilson. If a team — the Denver Broncos — can essentially extort a player by threatening to cut him unless he restructures his contract, why even have a collective bargaining agreement? * There have been whispers about the Red Sox soliciting offers on Kenley Jansen, which I guess makes some sense. Jansen would have immense value to a contending team. But he solidified the back end of the bullpen last year, something the Sox lacked for a number of previous seasons. And while he could theoretically be replaced by signing a free agent like Robert Stephenson, let’s hope they remember that 1) Not everyone is built for the ninth inning and 2) Stephenson has all of three saves in eight major league seasons. * If the Kansas City Chiefs don’t have their act together after 15 games, maybe they’re not quite the dynasty they’ve been made out to be. I suppose it can still be anyone’s year in the AFC, but after the Baltimore Ravens, I find it hard to get excited about another team. The Dolphins appear unreliable and while the Bills could be the proverbial “tough out” in the postseason, they’re far from a sure thing. * Happy New Year to all, and as always, thanks for reading.

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sports

2023 All-Western Mass. Girls Cross Country: Selections announced for fall season

MassLive announced its All-Western Mass. teams for girls cross country on Dec. 28. Take a look at the first and second teams in Class A and Class B below: Class A

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sports

Frank Ryan Dies at 87; Cerebral Quarterback Led Browns to 64 Title

In his 13-year N.F.L. career, Frank Ryan passed for 149 touchdowns, went to the Pro Bowl three times and took the Cleveland Browns to the 1964 N.F.L. championship, throwing three second-half touchdowns in that victory. It was the last time the city of Cleveland would have a major pro championship for 52 years, until June 2016, when the Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors to capture the N.B.A. title. Browns fans are still waiting for a Super Bowl win. But when Ryan died on Monday at 87, he was also remembered for his achievements beyond the football field. Six months after the Browns’ 27-0 championship victory over the Baltimore Colts, Ryan was awarded a doctorate in mathematics from Rice University in Houston, where he had been a second-string quarterback.

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sports

Daily Girls Basketball Stats Leaders: Palmers Charlotte Theriault scorches & more

Note: Stats Leaders is based on results sent to MassLive. If a player is missing, coaches should email sports@masslive.com. Take a look at Friday’s top girls basketball scorers below:

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sports

2023 All-Western Mass. Boys Cross Country: Selections announced for fall season

MassLive announced its All-Western Mass. boys cross country selections for the 2023 season on December 29. Led by a strong crop of juniors, Ludlow won the Class A Western Mass. team competition and followed it up by taking home the runner-up trophy at the state meet.

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sports

The Westfield News Scoreboard: Norwell, Marthas Vineyard deal Bombers hockey back-to-back losses

BOYS ICE HOCKEY Norwell 6, Westfield 2 Nolan Petrucell and Matt Cerrutti each scored two goals to lead Nowell past Westfield at Gallo Arena in Bourned on Dec. 23.

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sports

Belchertown boys, Northampton girls swimming win as Luke Giguere continues state title redemption

BELCHERTOWN– Luke Giguere continued his streak of early-season victories with two individual wins and two team wins to lead the Belchertown boys past Northampton 111-49 on Tuesday evening at Chestnut Hill Community School. Belchertown's Ryan Gould wins the 50 free. pic.twitter.com/VF5JqsTnHG — Connor Pignatello (@c_pignatello) January 2, 2024

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sports

Boston Globe All-Scholastics

Around baseball, impression is Red Sox content to let top of the trade and free-agent markets pass them by Boston has the ability to put together a package including young, controllable players who can contribute in the big leagues soon, but is unlikely to make the sort of long-term commitments needed for the biggest names.

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sports

Chloe Parsenios leads late comeback as Lenox girls basketball edges Greenfield in OT

LENOX – It may have taken a little longer to find an offensive rhythm than Lenox coach Nicole Patella wanted, but once her team found it, they never looked back. Despite being up early, the Millionaires surrendered their lead to Greenfield and found themselves down by double digits throughout the second, third and fourth quarters. Most of the fourth that is.

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weather

Heres where power outages remain Wednesday in Massachusetts

Utility crews have restored power to all but about 9,000 customers since Monday’s rain storm brought strong winds and flooding throughout Massachusetts and one company expects to have most of the lights back on Wednesday night. According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, more than 9,200 customers throughout the state still had no power as of 4:26 p.m. Wednesday. Its online outage map represents customers from Eversource, National Grid and UNITIL. Norwell had the biggest percentage of the town without power, with 15% or 695 of the 4,634 customers without power. In Duxbury, where public schools are still closed due to power outages, only about 18 homes and businesses were still without power Wednesday afternoon. All of Quincy’s customers got power back, with about 1,000 of them restored between the MEMA site’s updates at 3:42 p.m. and 4:04 p.m Wednesday. Plymouth, Bristol and Norfolk counties were the most affected by lingering power outages in the state. National Grid reports 6,040 customers without power; Eversource Eastern MA reports 3,222 while Eversource Western MA and UNITIL report no one without power at 4:26 p.m. Eversource said in a press release Wednesday afternoon that its crews will continue working Wednesday evening and will start to redirect workers to help in Maine as things improve in Massachusetts. “It was critically important for us to get power back on for our customers as quickly and as safely as possible before the Christmas weekend, and our men and women worked nonstop to make that happen,” said Eversource President of Regional Electric Operations Craig Hallstrom. “We can’t thank our customers and community partners enough for their patience while we coordinated this massive response over the last couple of days to get the power back on for them.” Customers looking for outage information or who want to report an outage can do so online at Eversource.com, or by calling 800-592-2000 in Eastern MA. Eversource is also reminding customers who may be doing storm cleanup to keep safety top of mind by always staying clear of any downed wires and by reporting them immediately to 9-1-1, as well as being aware of weakened tree limbs that could still come down around their property. National Grid gave an update Tuesday, promising customers that everyone will have their electricity restored by 11 p.m. Thursday. It posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, at 1:41 p.m. Wednesday, “More than 270,000 customers across Massachusetts have had their service restored, with approximately 8,000 remaining without power. Our crews are working toward full restoration and completing critical restoration work, such as this fuse repair on Plain Street in Norton.” Other X posts indicated National Grid had more than 2,000 workers “on the job” Wednesday to restore service.

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weather

Hundreds of thousands still without power in Massachusetts Monday night

More than 200,000 Massachusetts households still don’t have electricity as of 6:18 p.m., according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency website, after pounding rain and driving winds ripped through the state Monday. At around noon, MEMA reported about 285,000 customers were without power but several thousand were restored throughout the day, leaving about 235,000 households without power Monday night. The total represents customers using National Grid, Eversource and UNITIL. Coastal towns on the North and South shores saw the most homes without power, according to MEMA’s outage map, with 27% of Plymouth County’s customers waiting for power to be restored. Scituate was hardest hit, with 99% of the town’s customers in the dark as of 6:18 p.m. Further inland, 92% of Millis’ 4,141 customers have no power, MEMA reports. Sixteen percent of Provincetown’s customers have no power, with 13% in Barnstable lighting candles Monday night. The National Weather Service recorded a wind gust of 63 mph in Hyannis at 12:27 p.m. Several counties report no outages, including Berkshire, Dukes, Franklin and Nantucket counties. Several big cities also report no power problems; Springfield, Worcester, Lawrence and Leominster report no power outages Monday night. The National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning for most of eastern Massachusetts until 7 p.m. Monday. “A powerful low pressure finally moves into northern New England this evening, then farther north overnight. This will bring an end to the rainfall from south to north late this afternoon. While remaining gusty, wind speeds also will diminish,” the National Weather Service website said Monday at 6:30 p.m. The service recorded a wind gust of 90 mph in Milton at 11:38 a.m. Heavy rain and blustery wind made for a tough day to use an umbrella, as seen on Main Street in downtown Springfield. (Don Treeger / The Rebublican) 12/18/2023Don treeger Flooding and transportation concerns sent students home early in some parts of the state and the wind knocked tree limbs down, including in Hanover, where a man was killed after a tree fell on his trailer Monday morning. Heavy wind also grounded planes at Logan International Airport in Boston several times throughout the day Monday, as the Federal Aviation Administration announced ground stops when the wind got particularly bad. The city of Greenfield declared a state of emergency as of 12:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon after hours of heavy rainfall flooded the Green River and the Deerfield River, with those waters still rapidly rising as of 2 p.m. Thousands of gallons of untreated sewage flowed into Greenfield’s rivers on Monday afternoon as the rivers, unable to take the heavy rains, rose beyond flood stage in the city.

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weather

Mass. weather: Western Mass. could see more snow after Sunday storm

With the odds looking more likely that parts of Massachusetts could see up to a foot of snow on Sunday, more precipitation in the days after appears possible, forecasters said. As of Thursday, the National Weather Service said it sees a possibility for a warming trend to start on Tuesday followed by heavy rain and strong winds on Wednesday. The recent snowfall could add a new problem to this system. “Antecedent wet conditions and a fresh snowpack may introduce some flood concerns on area streams and rivers,” forecasters said. Cities like Boston and Worcester are on track to see rain on Wednesday, both less than 1 inch, according to AccuWeather. But parts of Western Massachusetts could see a reprise of Sunday’s snow on Tuesday. The Weather Channel said Thursday that Springfield has a 60% chance of snow on Tuesday, part of a “potential winter storm.” The expectation is conditions will be cloudy with a chance for snow starting in the afternoon, before evolving into all rain overnight. Temperatures in Springfield should see a high of 37 degrees during the day and only drop down to 35 in the evening, the Weather Channel said. Elsewhere in the region, North Adams could also see “a little snow in the afternoon,” according to AccuWeather. Pittsfield is also on track to see wet snow Tuesday afternoon. Springfield and North Adams could see less than 1 inch of snow, while Pittsfield could see 1 inch of snow. By the Wednesday after, all three cities should see some rain before sunshine returns on Thursday. Read more: Here are Massachusetts weekend snow predictions in 5 maps But compared with the Sunday storm, forecasters are not certain about the snowstorm potential on Tuesday, with confidence in it being low, National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Pederson told MassLive. Tuesday could turn out rainier than Sunday, he said. “Generally, that 24 to 36-hour window is when we’re getting into our higher confidence,” he said. “...Generally with any system when you’re five to six days out or more, the variability with any models make it difficult to say with certainty how much snow will fall. But as we get closer, the confidence increases.” MassLive reporter Will Katcher contributed to the reporting of this story.

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weather

Mass. weather: Rain, fog to close out 2023 before dry, chilly New Years

The last full week of 2023 is shaping up to be pretty wet and foggy, according to the National Weather Service. A foggy Wednesday morning will give way to showers across southern New England later in the day, the weather service said. Wednesday starts with light showers, mostly in Western New England, before heavier rain arrives Wednesday night into Thursday morning, the weather service said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Periodic light rain in western New England today will become widespread across the rest of southern New England tonight into Thursday. Rainfall totals of one half inch to an inch are expected, with localized amounts up to 1.5 inches possible near the south coast. pic.twitter.com/gouL5Jn8dw — NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) December 27, 2023 The rain is expected to start after 4 p.m. in Western Massachusetts and after 5 p.m. in Central and Eastern Massachusetts, forecasters said. Up to a half inch of rain is expected throughout the state with some areas, mostly on the south coast and on Cape Cod, at risk of getting up to 1.5 inches. Forecasters also said the fog Wednesday morning could be hard to shake as the sun rises. “Those waking up to fog this morning should expect it may hang around until around the lunch hour,” the National Weather Service said in a statement. While dense fog will start to lift early Wednesday morning, the entire state could experience fog until 7 a.m. Thursday, according to a hazardous weather outlook map. And that won’t be the last of it. The fog is expected to linger through the end of the week with scattered showers lingering into Saturday, the weather service said. More light rain is expected Thursday night into Friday, and the risk for showers will continue into Saturday as well. All the while, temperatures will be above normal with highs in the mid-to-low 40s throughout the rest of the week. Things will dry out, but also get chillier, for New Year’s Eve and New Years Day. Those conditions will follow suit for the rest of the first week of 2024, according to forecasters.

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weather

More snow on the way in Mass. on Tuesday with slippery evening commute

Hazardous road conditions are expected until at least 7 p.m. on Tuesday as scattered snow storms are expected to bring between an inch to three inches of snow to parts of Massachusetts. Weather forecasters issued a winter weather advisory that will last until the evening with snowy and icy conditions impacting the evening commute, according to the National Weather Service. “Plan on slippery road conditions,” the National Weather Service said in its winter weather advisory issues Tuesday morning. About an inch or two of snow already fell overnight on many parts of the state. Below-freezing temperatures brought slippery conditions for morning commuters. Several school districts have announced school closures. Mixed snowfall and icy rain are expected to accumulate about an inch to three inches in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This includes Middlesex, Norfolk, and Essex counties. In western Massachusetts, snowfall is expected to be closer to three to five inches of accumulation. This includes Franklin, Worcester, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Parts of upper Berkshire and Franklin counties could see as much as another four to six inches. The snow in the Boston area, Eastern Massachusetts and the Cape and the Islands is expected to begin turning to a wet mixture of sleet, or ice pellets later on Tuesday morning by 11 a.m. Snow flurries are anticipated to fall between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the region. Temperatures will hover around the upper teens to low 20s on Wednesday. Most of southern New England is expected to remain below freezing throughout the weekend, according to CBS News. Some minimal snowfall is expected to sweep through Massachusetts on Friday evening into Saturday, but it’s not expected to be “high impact,” according to CBS News.

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weather

Flash freeze expected to accompany weekend snowstorm in Mass.

If a foot or more of snow wasn’t enough to worry about this weekend, the National Weather Service is predicting a “flash freeze” amid the storm, which could make travel even more hazardous. National Weather Service Meteorologist Kyle Pederson explained that the flash freeze will take place on Sunday. “As we get later into Sunday, areas that maybe received the more rain-snow mix could see what we call a flash freeze, which is where the temperatures drop really quickly and they are below freezing,” Pederson said. Roadways that are wet from rain or melting snow could then quickly be covered in ice, he said. A message posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, encouraged people to plan to get snow and slush cleared on Sunday morning if possible and be prepared for slippery travel once temperatures drop. Sunday Flash Freeze: Temps will start out near/above freezing Sunday then will rapidly drop into 20s Sunday afternoon (blue shading). Plan on getting snow/slush cleared Sunday AM if possible. Be prepared for slippery travel once temps drop.#ctwx #mawx #riwx pic.twitter.com/y2hLX8oDFL — NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 5, 2024 Affected areas include the coastline and southeastern Massachusetts, where there is likely to be a rain-snow line. “Where there’s going to be heavier snow, it’s not going to be as big of a concern because it’s already going to be below freezing in those areas,” Pederson said. Icy roadways will likely continue through Sunday night and even into the Monday commute, he said. “On the Monday morning commute, there still could be some icy spots out there, hopefully not as bad as Sunday though,” he said.

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weather

Dozens dash into chilly water for L Street Brownies polar plunge

A New Year's Day tradition that dates back more than a century is still going strong in South Boston.The dozens who took part in this year's L Street Brownies polar plunge braved some chilly conditions on Monday at M Street Beach.Many who dashed into the ocean this year have made the plunge and annual event, and some continue to do it as a tribute to loved ones they have lost."My father Lenny started jumping in the water in his 80s and then when he couldn't do it anymore by himself, we had to go and pick him up. After that, we just kept doing it," said Allston resident Deedee Kelleher. "We were going to stop, and then we all felt guilty one night and said: 'Alright, we've got to do it anyway.'"The L Street Brownies are the oldest “polar bear” club in America and promote health, fun and friendship. Their home base at the Curley Community Center in South Boston is near Carson Beach.The polar plunge raises money for various charities. A New Year's Day tradition that dates back more than a century is still going strong in South Boston. The dozens who took part in this year's L Street Brownies polar plunge braved some chilly conditions on Monday at M Street Beach. Advertisement Many who dashed into the ocean this year have made the plunge and annual event, and some continue to do it as a tribute to loved ones they have lost. "My father Lenny started jumping in the water in his 80s and then when he couldn't do it anymore by himself, we had to go and pick him up. After that, we just kept doing it," said Allston resident Deedee Kelleher. "We were going to stop, and then we all felt guilty one night and said: 'Alright, we've got to do it anyway.'" The L Street Brownies are the oldest “polar bear” club in America and promote health, fun and friendship. Their home base at the Curley Community Center in South Boston is near Carson Beach. The polar plunge raises money for various charities.

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weather

Video: Chilly Friday; Warmup this weekend

Video: Chilly Friday; Warmup this weekend Share Copy Link Copy 12MPH. OUR DEW POINT SITTING AT TEN DEGREES. SO VERY DRY AIR OUT THERE. AND AS WE HEAD INTO OUR OVERNIGHT HOURS, THAT’S WHEN THAT WIND FINALLY STARTS TO TAPER OFF. BUT WE’RE STILL DEALING WITH A SIGNIFICANT WIND CHILL FACTOR AS WE KICK OFF EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. WE’LL BE DROPPING INTO THE TEENS AND 20S. SO IT WAS COLD THIS MORNING IS GOING TO BE EVEN COLDER FOR YOUR FRIDAY MORNING, BUT AT LEAST WE’RE NOT DEALING WITH THAT GUSTY BREEZE. YOU CAN SEE THAT WIND REALLY STARTS TO TAPER OFF COMING OUT OF THE NORTH. LOWS TONIGHT THOUGH, YOU CAN SEE DROPPING INTO THE TEENS AND 20S. WE’RE LOOKING AT 18 IN WORCESTER, 14 IN ORANGE, 15 IN BEDFORD AND 20 DEGREES IN BOSTON. WE’RE DEALING WITH CALM CONDITIONS, SO THAT WILL ALLOW FOR TEMPERATURES TO FALL EVEN MORE SO FOR TOMORROW. DAYTIME HIGHS SIMILAR TO TODAY, WE’RE ONLY CLIMBING INTO THE 30S, BUT AT LEAST WE’RE NOT DEALING WITH THAT GUSTY BREEZE THROUGHOUT OUR AFTERNOON HOURS. SO TOMORROW IT WILL BE SIMILAR TO TODAY. IT JUST WON’T FEEL AS COLD BECAUSE WE’RE NOT DEALING WITH WINDY CONDITIONS. SO STARTING OFF TOMORROW MORNING, WE’RE STILL LOOKING AT SUNSHINE FOR THE MOST PART, EXCEPT FOR THE CAPE AND ISLANDS, YOU MAY BE DEALING WITH SOME OCEAN EFFECT CLOUDS. THAT ACTIVITY MAY LINGER THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS WE HEAD INTO OUR AFTERNOON. HOURS. YOU CAN SEE NOT A BREEZY DAY, BUT STILL A COLD DAY. A FEW CLOUDS START TO WORK THEIR WAY IN FOR YOUR SATURDAY, SO CALL IT A MIXTURE OF SUNSHINE AND CLOUDS THROUGHOUT YOUR SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BUT TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE COME TOMORROW MORNING. FACTOR IN THAT SLIGHT WIND CHILL FACTOR, ALTHOUGH WE’LL BE IN THE TEENS AND 20S A FEW LOCATIONS, IT’S GOING TO FEEL CLOSER TO THE SINGLE DIGITS. BUT AT LEAST THROUGHOUT OUR AFTERNOON YOU CAN. SEE WE’RE NOT DEALING WITH A SIGNIFICANT WIND CHILL FACTOR. SO BY THE TIME WE GET TO OUR SATURDAY, THAT’S WHEN WE FINALLY START TO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT MODERATING IN TEMPERATURES. WE’RE LOOKING AT THE LOWER 40S FOR SUNDAY. WE MAY BE TRACKING A SPOT SHOWER EARLY ON IN OUR MORNING HOURS, MAYBE EVEN A SPOT SHOWER IN OUR LATER EVENING HOURS ON SATURDAY FOR CHRISTMAS, WE’RE MAKING A RUN TOWARD 50 DEGREES AND YOU CAN SEE WE' GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Your Email Address Submit Privacy Notice

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Next Storm On Deck - Boston News, Weather, Sports

We’ll lock in another dry day across the region to end the workweek as a mix of sun and clouds, temps in the lower 40s and lighter breezes, allows for a solid January afternoon. With that said, it won’t be long before the next storm comes charging in with rain and even a brief burst of wet snow inland. The highest risk to pick up an inch or two of wet snow is across the northern Worcester Hills from midnight – 3 a.m. Even there, this is mainly a rain event. Rain breaks out for most of us around midnight tonight and will become heavy at times by 3 a.m. and soak us through 8-9 a.m. Saturday. It’s a quick hitter, but localized downpours lining up near and just before sunrise will offer a renewed opportunity of street/poor drainage flooding, and help extend ongoing, minor river flooding. 1-2″ of rain will fall across the region, with the highest totals near the I-95 corridor and parts of Southeast Mass. Rain tapers to spotty showers after 9 a.m., with some breaks of sun possible during the late morning and into the afternoon. Just a few spot showers will be left over through the day. Temps will jump into the 50s mid morning to early afternoon, before fading back. The strongest winds run through here between 3 a.m. – 9 a.m. Saturday, with gusts of 45-55mph along the coast. A few gusts to 60mph are possible for Cape Ann and the Cape and Islands. While the strongest winds are done with by the midday high tide, we’ll watch that one closely. The tide around noon is astronomically high, and that makes it easier for any storm surge to create coastal flooding. Unfortunately, more coastal flooding is likely midday Saturday with minor flooding possible in Boston/South Shore and minor to pockets of moderate coastal flooding across Northeast Mass. The hardest hit areas with coastal flooding last storm will be the hardest hit areas this go around, too. Major coastal flooding is possible from Hampton Beach, points north of that, and into parts of coastal Maine. The pattern turns much colder on Sunday and that colder air has some staying power this go around. That means when the next storm nears us, or moves into us, we’ll have a better chance to catch some snow out of it. That potentially happens Tuesday pm into Wednesday am.

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Biting Cold Sweeping U.S. Hits the South With an Unfamiliar Freeze

Extreme weather gripped large parts of the Southern United States on Monday, with ice and snow hampering plans to commemorate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and several governors declaring states of emergency. Communities generally unaccustomed to major winter storms, from Tennessee to Texas, canceled or postponed events honoring Dr. King. In Memphis, the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the site of Dr. King’s slaying in 1968, announced it would close its doors and deliver its special programming virtually. Normally, the museum offers free admission on the holiday. In San Antonio, an annual M.L.K. Day walk was canceled, with officials citing “dangerously low temperatures and potentially hazardous walking conditions.”

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Japan Earthquake Tsunami Warnings Issued in Japan After Powerful Earthquake

Pinned Updated Jan. 1, 2024, 5:30 a.m. ET Jan. 1, 2024, 5:30 a.m. ET Reporting from Tokyo A powerful earthquake hit the Noto region of central Japan on Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuation orders in several prefectures, causing buildings to collapse and disrupting electricity and mobile phone services in Ishikawa Prefecture, the epicenter of the quake, officials and Japan’s public broadcaster said. The quake struck at around 4:10 p.m. and had a magnitude of 7.6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake measured 7.5 magnitude. It was much weaker than the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan in 2011, causing a tsunami, killing thousands and damaging the Fukushima power plant, which triggered a nuclear crisis. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake Monday had a very shallow depth, which tends to make earthquakes more dangerous, but initial reports from the authorities in Ishikawa Prefecture suggested that there had been no major damage to “important facilities.” An official from Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Agency said that there were no signs of abnormalities at any radioactivity monitoring stations at the Shika nuclear power plant in Ishikawa. Still, the meteorological agency warned that aftershocks and tsunamis could continue for up to a week and advised residents to be on guard for at least two or three days. The agency issued a major tsunami warning for the Noto Peninsula facing the Japan Sea and ordered residents to leave for higher ground immediately. The agency warned that there could be waves as high as five meters, or 16 feet, in Noto and as high as three meters along the coasts of Sado Island, as well as in prefectures including Niigata and Toyama. Show more

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Watch the First Meteor Shower of 2024 Reach Its Peak

Unfortunately, the darkest skies across the United States, from New Mexico to Idaho, will likely be coated in clouds Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Things don’t look much better along the East Coast, where clouds will dominate the sky, other than some coastal areas in New England. The best spots, as far as weather is concerned on Wednesday, will be the south-central U.S. Those hoping to catch residual fireballs after the shower’s peak ends will have mixed opportunities. Thursday night should offer better viewing across the Eastern U.S. and portions of the Southwest with little to no cloud cover. But the Northwest won’t ever catch a break in the clouds the next two nights, and the weather system hanging over the Rockies on Wednesday will blanket the central U.S. on Thursday. Where meteor showers come from There is a chance you might see a meteor on any given night, but you are most likely to catch one during a shower. Meteor showers are caused by Earth passing through the rubble trailing a comet or asteroid as it swings around the sun. This debris, which can be as small as a grain of sand, leaves behind a glowing stream of light as it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere. Meteor showers occur around the same time every year and can last for days or weeks. But there is only a small window when each shower is at its peak, which happens when Earth reaches the densest part of the cosmic debris. The peak is the best time to look for a shower. From our point of view on Earth, the meteors will appear to come from the same point in the sky. The Perseid meteor shower, for example, peaks in mid-August from the constellation Perseus. The Geminids, which occur every December, radiate from the constellation Gemini.

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Nice stretch ahead

SUNSHINE RETURNS After a soaking rain Monday, we are off to a dry start this morning. Any clouds will thin out as the sunrise gets underway. We are on our way to plenty of sunshine with highs in the low to mid 70s, right where we should be this time of year! We will hold on to this bright and comfy pattern, mornings will be cooler this week with 50s heading out early. WEEKEND WORRY Indications are that the weekend will have some rain threatening. Timing is all over the place in our model guidance, but it has our attention. Likely clouds moving in Saturday and rain Saturday night or Sunday. Stay with us as we update that forecast this week. © 2019 Cox Media Group

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Mass. communities declare snow emergencies, parking bans ahead of Sunday storm

MASS. — Communities across the state are getting ready for the first major snow of the season, and many towns have declared snow emergencies and parking bans ahead of Sunday’s storm. Belmont Parking ban from 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, January. 6 until further notice. Braintree Street parking will be off-limits starting at 9:00 p.m. and will reopen once snow removal has finished. Chelmsford Parking ban in effect beginning on Saturday, January 6 at 10 p.m. until Monday, January 8 at 8 a.m. Dedham To aid in the snow removal process Dedham has issued a parking ban that will be in effect beginning Saturday night/Sunday morning at midnight (12:00 AM) until noon on Sunday. Fall River Citywide parking ban from 12 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6 until further notice. Fitchburg Parking Ban in effect from 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2024, to 7:00 a.m. on Monday, January 8, 2024. Foxboro Parking ban starting Sunday, January 7th at 12:01 a.m. until further notice Haverhill Snow Emergency starting Saturday, January 6th at 11:59 pm and ending on Sunday, January 7th at 10:00 pm. Parking is prohibited on both sides of the streets along the Snow Emergency Routes Leominster A snow-related parking ban will be in effect from 6:00 PM Saturday until midnight Sunday into Monday. Lowell Citywide parking ban declared from 12 p.m. on Saturday, January. 6, begins at 6 p.m. until further notice. Manchester-By-The-Sea Parking ban from 10 p.m. on Saturday, January. 6 until further notice. Marlboro An emergency storm operations parking will be in effect from Saturday at 5 p.m. to Monday at 8 a.m. Methuen Methuen prohibits parking on any public way from Saturday into Sunday. Milford Parking ban from 6 p.m. on January 6 until further notice. North Attleboro Parking ban will be in effect beginning at midnight on Sunday, January. 7, until further notice. Plainville Parking ban from 6 p.m. on Saturday, January. 6 until 6 a.m. on Monday, January. 8. Salisbury All on-street parking is prohibited beginning at 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening. The ban will expire when snow removal finishes. Somerville Snow emergency effective 4 p.m. Saturday, January 6. Move cars to the odd-numbered side of the street by 8 p.m. on Saturday January. 6. Springfield Citywide parking ban as of 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2024 Waltham A snow emergency and parking ban will begin at 11:45 pm on Saturday, January 6th for all streets. Watertown Snow emergency effective 6:00 PM, Saturday, January 6, 2024. On-street parking will be banned Westboro Parking ban from 7 a.m. Sunday till 4 p.m. on Sunday. Worcester Winter parking ban beginning 10 p.m. on Saturday, January 6. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW ©2024 Cox Media Group

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There are more than 100K power outages in Mass.; heres where

Over 100,000 Massachusetts customers were without power Monday morning as a result of a strong storm that brought high winds and heavy rainfall to the state. According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), by 9:40 a.m., over 112,000 people across the state were affected by power outages. The worst outage was in Pepperell, where 95% of customers, or over 4,800 people, were without power at one point. Other places affected by big outages included Belchertown, Marlborough, Mendon, Foxborough, Carver, Weymouth, Quincy and Melrose. Over 100,00 Massachusetts residents were without power as a result of a storm with strong winds on Monday.Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency In general, Plymouth, Bristol and Norfolk Counties were the most affected by power outages, but major outages were also reported in Suffolk, Hampden and Hampshire Counties, as well as in southern Middlesex and Worcester Counties and northern Essex County. Read more: More than 100 flights canceled at Boston Logan Airport amid strong storm winds The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for most of eastern Massachusetts until 7 p.m. Monday, though peak winds are expected to cease around 2 p.m. Weather spotters across the state recorded 45 to 55 mph winds early Monday morning, according to the weather service. Gusts up to 63 mph were recorded in Goshen, while gusts up to 56 mph were recorded in Norwood.

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Blizzard Warning in Iowa Slows Campaigns as Race Barrels to a Close

Former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina canceled her town-hall events in Iowa that had been scheduled for Friday, citing what forecasters for the National Weather Service called “life-threatening winter weather.” Ms. Haley’s in-person events will be turned into “telephone town halls” instead. But Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Vivek Ramaswamy, the wealthy entrepreneur, said they would press forward with campaign events scheduled for Friday, for now. A Thursday evening forecast from the National Weather Service office in Des Moines said that widespread heavy snowfalls would begin Thursday and last through Friday night, accompanied by wind gusts of up to 45 miles an hour. The agency added that “travel may become impossible in rural areas by Friday afternoon into Friday night across central Iowa.”

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Hampton Beach residents allowed home after waves overtake homes, streets

Hampton Beach residents can return to their homes on Wednesday after heavy waves overtook the beach and flooded streets, prompting an emergency declaration. Hampton police told MassLive that the beach was “back to normal now,” and Ocean Boulevard was reopened after it was closed to “extremely high seas and flooding,” police said earlier in the day. The initial high tide came at 9:50 a.m., WMUR reported. The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration’s tide predictions anticipate another high tide to come at 10:35 p.m., bringing 8-foot tides to the shore. NOAA’s prediction was that the morning high tide would be about 10 feet. “We start getting concerned when we hear a 10-foot tide is expected,” Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno told Seacoastonline. “But the forecast was for an 11.7-foot tide. This was more than 13.8-feet.” Images from live cameras in the area showed the high tide washing over the paved lot and water filling the streets. The disaster prompted the town to send high-water vehicles to help residents escape their flooded homes in the morning until the tides recede in the afternoon, Hampton Town Manager Jamie Sullivan told MassLive earlier in the day. By noon, Sullivan said the tide waters had been receding and would pull “back into the marshes and has places to drain.” There were no injuries reported as a result of the heavy flooding, Sullivan added, though concerns might not be over, as the town gets in touch with the National Weather Service to plan for when the tide comes back.

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Bill Belichick, meteorology skeptic, not worried about snow forecast

Bill Belichick, who has taken plenty of shots at the accuracy of weather forecasts over the years, doesn’t sound too worried about the snowfall that’s predicted for Sunday’s game. Massachusetts is expected to be hit with a winter storm Saturday into Sunday ahead of the New England Patriots’ regular-season finale against the New York Jets. Belichick, though, doesn’t seem too convinced. “We’ll see what happens,” Belichick said. “Things can change quickly at this time of year. We’ll see how it goes. As the conditions get closer to game time, we’ll deal with them appropriately.” “Whatever it is, it is,” added later. In the past, Belichick has cracked jokes about the unpredictability of weather in New England -- and the lack of accuracy of meteorologists -- claiming weather forecasts are “almost always wrong.” So while most of the region prepares to hunker down on Sunday and get their shovels out, Belichick has not plans to go crazy preparing with a snow game. “I mean, we’re not going to create snow and get a snow machine in here, but we’ll, um, Depending on what the conditions are, we can certainly talk about it and show examples of what playing in different types of conditions is like.” Some of Belichick’s most colorful comments over the years have come at the hands of weather forecasts and those who work as meteorologists.: From 2014: “We played down in Miami two years ago and there was a zero percent chance of rain – zero – and it rained. I’m just telling you. If I did my job the way they do theirs, I’d be here about a week.” Also from 2014: “When you play in New England, you have to be ready for everything. I’d say based on the forecasts we’ve gotten so far this year, none of them have been even very close to what game conditions were. There was 100 percent chance of rain last week and the only water I saw was on the Gatorade table.” One more from 2014: “My experience of going with the forecast in this area two days before the game, I mean I’d bet a lot that they’re wrong, just based on history because they’re almost always wrong.” From 2019: “The Giants game was supposed to be the monsoon and everything here and like usual there was not one drop of rain.” From 2021: “If it rains, it rains.” From 2022: “I’m more worried about the Bills than the weather. I think the Bills are who we have to focus on and that’s who we have to beat. The weather is the weather.” We’ll see on Sunday whether Belichick’s skepticism is well-founded.

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Does anywhere in Massachusetts have a white Christmas?

Massachusetts residents hoping for a picturesque snowy Christmas morning have another year to wait. Excluding a few pockets of drizzly rain and fog, Monday’s forecast called for drier weather and cloudy skies, the National Weather Service said. Temperatures hovered in the mid-40s in Boston and mid-30s in Springfield around 8 a.m. Monday. Massachusetts is not alone. Much of the United States is unlikely to see fresh snowfall on Christmas this year. Meteorologists expect temperatures in Massachusetts to rise to the mid-40s or low-50s under cloudy skies Monday afternoon, about 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. Overnight temperatures will likely stay above freezing across much of the region, a forecast from the weather service’s regional office in Norton said. Another cloudy day is on tap Tuesday with similarly warm temperatures in the upper 40s and low 50s, “an unseasonably mild late December day,” the weather service said. Wetter weather is expected to return mid-week. The weather service forecast calls for rain on Wednesday, possibly followed by periods of rain and light snow on Friday and Saturday. Drier conditions are forecast to move in by New Year’s Eve.

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Did you ask Santa for a white Christmas? Heres the forecast in Mass.

For those with visions of a white Christmas this year, the National Weather Service has some bad news. There is virtually no chance of it. However, there is a silver lining: it actually will be warmer than usual. The National Weather Service said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Southern New England will be mainly dry through next Tuesday before widespread rain returns by mid-week. A slight chance of showers is possible for Christmas Eve, but the weather service does not expect this to have an impact on those traveling for the holiday. The chances for precipitation across the state stand at 20-30%. Read More: First Night Boston 2024 will have everything from Sammy Adams to ice sculptures The weather service said these “hit-and-miss” showers lose their steam by Sunday evening, making way for clear skies on Christmas. Temperatures also have the potential to reach the upper 40s to low 50s Sunday into Monday — Christmas Day, according to forecasters. So perhaps the best gift we can expect this year from Mother Nature, is a serene and calm Christmas celebration with the family. Happy holidays to all!

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Timing out our next storm - Boston News, Weather, Sports

Good morning! It’s a cool to chilly start. Today will be mild with a lot of clouds. Scattered showers arrive later today ahead of a storm that will bring us heavy rain and strong wind. Here’s a look a the timing of the heavy rain and potential wind gusts. A trough will rotate in some energy to promote a few showers Tuesday. Temperatures will be in the upper 30s/low 40s the rest of the week. -Meteorologist Melanie Black

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Powerful Earthquake Strikes Eastern Philippines but Tsunami Fears Abate

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern parts of the Philippines on Saturday, leading to tsunami warnings across the region and as far as the southern part of Japan, nearly 2,000 miles away that were later lifted, the authorities said. After small tsunami waves were recorded, officials said that the threat had passed. The quake struck at about 10:37 p.m. local time in Mindanao, in the eastern part of the Philippines, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Property damage and power failures near the earthquake’s epicenter in Mindanao were reported, according to a Filipino television network. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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Powerful Storm Tonight - Boston News, Weather, Sports

A potent storm is on the way tonight and there’s very little “winter” with this one, after the last one dropped a foot and a half of snow in spots. That said, this one will have juuuust enough cold air to work with that it’ll start off as a brief period of snow in the higher terrain. There’s actually a winter weather advisory in effect for the higher elevations because it could drop a quick couple inches of snow and lead to slick travel. But it won’t last long, it’ll flip to rain and wash all that snow away and then some. The storm will generate a strong southeast wind that will pull in warm air and change this over to rain for everyone overnight, and a lot of it. Most of us should pick up at least 2″ of rain tonight with some spots knocking on the door of 3 inches. For that reason, combined with the melting snow, a flood watch is in effect for most of New England. That’s a lot of water in a short amount of time, so unfortunately we’ll likely see river, stream, poor drainage, street, and basement flooding. If your basement is susceptible to flooding, get that sump pump working tonight and move the snow away from your foundation. You might also benefit from digging a few “trenches” in the snow to encourage the water to flow away from your house. Also make sure the storm drain on the road in front of your house is free of snow and ice so the water can freely flow away. Like I said earlier, the rainfall alone is a lot of water, but there’s also water locked up in the snow that’s on the ground. There’s about 1-2″ of water in the snow that’s on the ground so add that to the water that needs to flow away overnight into Wednesday morning. This storm is more than just rain, it’s also bringing a lot of wind. There’s a high wind warning in effect for the Seacoast of New Hampshire, coastal Essex County, and all of Southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape and Islands. These areas will likely see wind gusts over 60 mph, which is enough for scattered tree damage and power outages. Make sure your generators are outside and working tonight and your devices are charged up. Boston and the rest of the area are under a wind advisory. Wind here will be slightly less, but still strong enough to cause isolated tree damage and power outages. Peak gusts are timed along with the heaviest rain and will peak after midnight into early Wednesday morning. As mentioned, power outages are possible everywhere tonight, but most likely closer to the water’s edge. The persistent onshore wind does increase our coastal flooding potential tonight and Wednesday morning, but thankfully the strongest wind is not times with high tide. We have a coastal flood advisory for the Wednesday morning high tide. It’s mainly for the shore and low-lying roads that typically see flooding, but you may see 1-2 feet of inundation tomorrow morning around high tide. High tide is between 9-10am so watch for flooding a few hours on either side of that, say 8am-noon tomorrow. Astronomical tides are higher than Sunday’s storm which is why coastal flooding is more concerning, but even looking at Wednesday morning’s high tide we’re still about 2 feet shy of minor flood stage (the 10.6′ assumes flat water, which we know won’t be the case with the wind mentioned above). But the extra 2 feet of water only gets us to minor flood stage, so nothing more than that is expected.

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weather

Why the Definition of Extreme Cold Is Different in Duluth and Dallas

With a mass of frigid Arctic air descending on much of the United States this upcoming week, meteorologists and public health officials are well aware that a North Dakotan and a South Texan are unlikely to agree on what amounts to “extreme cold.” As such, the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stress that there is no set definition for extreme cold, and the point at which forecasters will warn residents that the plunging temperatures are a danger to them is calibrated to the region’s prevailing climate. “Everyone’s extreme is a different level,” said Ketzel Levens, a meteorologist in the Weather Service’s office in Duluth, Minn., where the average daily temperature in January is a crisp 9.4 degrees. “Folks up north might have better protection. They might have a lot more clothes and layers. Our houses, our water infrastructure, they’re built to a different standard.” And so if you warned Minnesotans every time it is merely freezing cold, you would struggle to get their attention when it was dangerously cold. Ms. Levens’s office issues a wind chill advisory only when the temperature reaches minus 25, and a wind chill warning when it reaches 40 below.

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Massachusetts weather: What is the forecast for New Years Eve?

The weather for New Year’s in Massachusetts is shaping up to be drier and colder than the anticipated wet and foggy end to 2023, according to the National Weather Service. Inconsistent rain and fog is expected to plague Massachusetts from Wednesday until Saturday before things dry out for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. AccuWeather expects the weather to be nearly as good as it can get for outdoor New Year’s Eve celebrations across the United States, with no major storms or Arctic cold in the forecast. However if you have plans to spend New Year’s Eve outside in Massachusetts, you may still want to bundle up. The forecast for Sunday, Dec. 31, calls for mostly sunny skies with highs between 40-42 degrees statewide. Sunday night temperatures could drop to the high 20s, according to the National Weather Service. Monday, Jan. 1 will also be partly sunny with highs between 39-42 degrees across the state. Monday night could see temperature drops into the low-to-mid 20s, making for a rather chilly start to 2024.

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Winter wants to stay after all

COLD BLOWING IN Behind the snow squalls of Sunday, bitter cold air moved in on gusty northwest winds. Those winds will calm down Monday morning, but the cold is going nowhere. Expect actual prolonged winter weather this week. Monday will be dry, but more snow is on the way. COUPLE SNOW CHANCES Tuesday, a storm coming out of the southeast U.S. will be quite a ways offshore. Still, we will get some light snow here. In fact, there will be enough to move around, with up to 4″ north and west of Boston away from the coast. Another storm will come off the coast Friday, but there is even more uncertainty with that one. Models range from a raging snowstorm to an absolute miss. So, let’s get through the first one Tuesday and we’ll keep Friday “on your radar” © 2019 Cox Media Group

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Mass. Gas Prices Tumble Four Cents With Arctic Blast On Horizon

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — With an Arctic blast of cold weather gunning for New England, AAA Northeast says Massachusetts' average gas price is down four cents from last week at $3.13 per gallon. Officials say there's been an uptick in energy demand as the temperatures continue to drop, though overall need has been lower than previous winters. Because of that, regional inventories of oil and gasoline have been seeing steady price decline. Still, the Commonwealth's average price for gas is seven cents higher than the national average. Read More: Cinema For All: Belmont World Film Fest Comes To Greater Boston “The national average for a gallon of gas is very close to a flat $3 a gallon and we’re not far behind here in the Northeast. But prices might waffle a bit on weather-related concerns and the potential for escalating tensions in the Middle East, which so far, have not had a lasting impact on oil prices,” said Mark Schieldrop, Senior Spokesperson for AAA Northeast. AAA Northeast's most recent survey found that the current national average is also down— one cent below last week at $3.06.

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Hochul Warns of Flooding Risks and Lingering Power Outages

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York cautioned residents on Tuesday evening about two major storm-related problems that were likely to linger after the system moved on: widespread power outages and the risk of flooding in certain parts of the state. In an interview with Spectrum News, a cable television outlet, Ms. Hochul said that 52,000 New York households — most of them in the western part of the state — were without power after heavy winds knocked out power lines. She predicted the numbers would rise through the night — and she was right. By 10 p.m., the number had nearly tripled, to about 143,000, according to data from the site poweroutage.com. Restoring power was no simple matter, she added, because the trucks needed to make repairs could not operate while gusts remained fierce. “We’re asking families look out for each other, check on neighbors,” Ms. Hochul said. The governor said she was also “very concerned” about the threat of flooding, especially in the Hudson Valley, where a huge rainstorm over the summer swept away cars and killed one person.

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Mass. weather: Which parts of the state could get 4 in. of snow Tuesday?

You may still have snow on the ground in your community as a result of Sunday’s snow squalls, but the real dumping this week is expected to happen overnight Monday and throughout Tuesday. A weak, coastal low pressure system is predicted to bring 1 to 3 inches of snow to Massachusetts, though some areas may receive more and others may experience more rain than snow, according to the National Weather Service. Berkshire County north of Great Barrington and northeast Massachusetts between I-95 and Route 2 could get up to 4 inches on Tuesday, according to the weather service. Most of the rest of the state is expected to receive 2 to 3 inches. Suffolk, Bristol and Plymouth Counties and eastern Norfolk and Essex Counties are expected to get 1 to 2 inches of snow, according to the weather service. The South Coast, Cape and Islands have the greatest chance of seeing the snow turn to rain, and are predicted to receive less than an inch of snow. Most of Massachusetts is expected to get 1 to 3 inches of snow as a low pressure system passes overnight Monday and throughout Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.National Weather Service The National Weather Service expects the snow to begin in some parts of the state around midnight overnight Monday and taper off Tuesday afternoon and evening. Most parts of the state have a slight chance of snow beginning at 3 or 4 a.m., and are expected to see precipitation stop between 8 p.m. and midnight. There is a chance of sleet, rain and freezing rain during Tuesday morning commute, and drivers should be wary, according to the weather service. The wind is not expected to be a hazard in this weather system. Skies are expected to be clear Monday before the snow amid highs in the upper 20s and low 30s across Massachusetts, according to the weather service. As clouds gather overnight, temperatures are expected to drop into the high teens and low 20s. As the snow comes down Tuesday, temperatures are predicted to reach the low 30s, according to the weather service. Lows overnight Tuesday are expected to dip into the mid to high teens. Read more: New England ski areas prepare for holiday weekend despite weather setbacks Skies are predicted to be mostly clear on Wednesday and Thursday amid highs in the low 30s and upper 20s, according to the weather service. Lows overnight are expected to reach the mid to upper teens overnight Wednesday and Thursday. The next time Massachusetts may see precipitation is on Friday, when there is a chance of snow.

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Drier but colder week ahead - Boston News, Weather, Sports

After yet another soggy Sunday, drier weather is back in the forecast this week, but not without chilly December air. Temperatures starts seasonably mild on Monday, with a stiff breeze for the afternoon and a slim chance for a spot shower. Conditions look pretty good for holiday decorating outdoors midweek with less wind in the forecast, but you’ll probably need the jacket, hats, and gloves.

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Mostly clear skies over Boston area for Geminid meteor shower

Mostly clear skies over Boston area for Geminid meteor shower Share Copy Link Copy WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. NOW YOU CAN SEE THAT WIND IS GOING TO BE KICKING UP. SO THE WIND CHILL REALLY DOESN’T GET OUT OF THE 30S TODAY. SO THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT TO BE DRESSED FOR. HERE COME THOSE CLOUDS. MAYBE 1 OR 2 FLURRIES HERE ALONG THAT ROUTE, TWO QUARTER INTO THIS EVENING. AND THEN THE SKIES ARE GOING TO CLEAR OUT TONIGHT, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ANNUAL GEMINID METEOR SHOWER PEAKING TONIGHT. YOUR BEST VIEWING IS WHEN IT IS DARKEST. SO ABOUT 10 P.M. TO 2 A.M. YOU WANT TO FIND A DARK SPOT AND LOOK UP AND YOU MIGHT SEE UP TO ONE SHOOTING STAR PER MINUTE. AND THE GEMINIDS ARE KNOWN TO PRODUCE FIREBALLS. SO MAYBE CHECK THAT OUT TONIGHT IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT, SPENDING SOME TIME OUTSIDE TONIGHT, BE BUNDLED UP, IT’S GOING TO DROP DOWN INTO THE 20S BY TOMORROW MORNING. AND TOMORROW IS A CHILLY DAY, SUNSHINE. WE WON’T GET OUT OF THE 30S TOMORROW AND THAT BREEZE KICKS UP A LITTLE BIT. SO IT IS DEFINITELY FEELING COLDER TOMORROW, BUT IT DOESN’T LAST. HIGH PRESSURE IS GOING TO KEEP THE SUNSHINE GOING INTO LATE WEEK. AND AS IT SHIFTS OUT, WE’LL S GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Your Email Address Submit Privacy Notice

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What Boston meteorologists are saying about the incoming storm

COLD IS COMING… After the storm it will turn colder next week ▶️Arctic air dropping into the US now (-20s in Montana) ▶️Spreads south then east this weekend ▶️Airmass modifies so not as brutal as it arrives here next week (Highs in the low 30s with lows in the teens)#WCVB pic.twitter.com/0cmCjsAuEV

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Another Soggy Sunday - Boston News, Weather, Sports

With more rain expected from Ophelia, a dying tropical system over Virginia, Sunday’s forecast looks to be soggy. Although there may be a brief break in the action early Sunday morning, showers will persist on and off throughout the day with periods of mist in between. Winds will also pick up slightly from what we dealt with today, with gusts up to 30 mph along the coastline. Inland gusts will be less frequent throughout the day and may exceed 20mph. The storm finally exits Monday afternoon, with a prolonged dry stretch setting up into early October.

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Cold again tonight, then temps climb - Boston News, Weather, Sports

It was cold out there today! It’ll be cold tonight, before we begin a day-to-day temperature climb. Highs reach the 50s this weekend. Although it comes with a strong front that will bring heavy rain and gusty wind late Sunday into Monday morning. Temperatures started off in the teens and 20s. There were a lot of clouds that helped cap high temperatures in the upper 20s/low 30s. Our average high this time of year is 45° in Boston, so today was certainly a taste of winter! Overnight, temperatures fall into the low/mid 20s. Tomorrow might feel better for you with highs near 40°/low 40s. A warm front lifts through late Friday into Saturday. This will usher in more mild air. Highs will be near 50° for the first half of the weekend. It’ll be nice for the Army – Navy game. You might not need the thick coat! High temperatures Sunday reach the upper 50s late in the day. This comes ahead of a strong front that brings heavy rain and gusty wind. Rain will arrive later Sunday and continue through Monday morning. Rainfall totals are expected to be 3/4″ – 2″. Wind will be strongest early Monday morning with gusts 40-55 mph, stronger for Cape Cod. Behind this storm, temperatures will fall into the 40s, and it’ll stay cool for the rest of our 7-day forecast. -Meteorologist Melanie Black

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How Texas Kept the Lights On in the Recent Deep Freeze

So far, they’ve been right. In areas of Texas where temperatures dipped the lowest, it has been frigid but sunny. Solar power performed well and, overall, provided a small share of total electricity generated. In Texas, winds die down in winter and aren’t expected to contribute as much to the energy mix as in the summer, energy experts say. On Monday, for instance, wind at its highest-performing level of the day was about 28 percent of the energy mix, compared with gas at about 48 percent. In the early morning hours, however, wind was barely more than 7 percent. “We still rely a lot on natural gas,” said David Spence, a professor of law and regulation at the University of Texas at Austin. Texas is a major oil and gas state, but is also a national leader in renewables. Two years ago, the state generated 26 percent of all wind-sourced electricity in the United States, leading the nation for the 17th year in a row, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Wind power first surpassed nuclear energy in Texas in 2014 and passed coal power in 2020. In 2022, Texas installed nearly as much new energy capacity from wind alone as California did for wind, solar and battery storage combined, said William Boyd, a professor of environmental law at the University of California, Los Angeles. Last year, solar made up 7 percent of the state grid’s power mix, up from nearly nothing five years before. “We can look at Texas as a red state that may have a lot of people in power who are climate deniers,” Mr. Boyd said. “But if you look at the state’s investments in clean energy, Texas dominates.”

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School closings and delays in Massachusetts for Monday, Jan. 8

Big Oil faces a tiny foe on the streets of Asia and Africa. The noisy, noxious vehicles that run on two and three wheels, carrying billions of people daily, are quietly going electric — in turn knocking down oil demand by one million barrels a day this year. In Kenya and Rwanda, dozens of start-ups are vying to replace oil-guzzling motorcycle taxis with battery-powered ones. In India, more than half of all new three-wheeled vehicles sold and registered this year were battery-operated. Indonesia and Thailand are also encouraging electrification of motorcycle taxis.

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Dry today, tracking next storm - Boston News, Weather, Sports

Thousands of gallons of untreated sewage flowed into Greenfield’s rivers on Monday afternoon as the rivers, unable to take the heavy rains, rose beyond flood stage in the city. The city of Greenfield declared a state of emergency as of 12:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon after hours of heavy rainfall flooded the Green River and the Deerfield River, with those waters still rapidly rising as of 2 p.m. Untreated sewage and waste had been overflowing from a sanitary sewer since 10:30 a.m. into those two aforementioned bodies of water, the officials previously announced. The Connecticut River in Deerfield, Montague and Sunderland was also impacted from the overflow. This isn’t the first time this has happened this year in Greenfield. During flooding in July, sewage overflows happened twice in one week in Greenfield. More than 230,000 gallons of untreated sewage flowed into Greenfield rivers during those two events. Though drinking water has not been affected, officials said the sewage is discharging at a rate of 366 gallons per minute, and have advised the public to avoid contact with the waters until notified. As of 12 p.m., officials stated the overflow would likely continue for “much of the day,” and said the city would provide an update in the evening “or when the overflow has concluded.” The city’s police department posted a video of the Green River underneath the Colrain Street bridge as of 1:49 p.m. on Monday, which showed the flood waters reaching all the way up to the overpass and lapping the concrete structure. The city’s Riverside Drive was closed for flooding as of 1:19 p.m. as the river rose over the banks and was still rising, police said. The water was getting close to the buildings at that time, which will be voluntarily evacuated. Read more: Flights grounded at Logan Airport as storm batters New England The Green River had also crested over Kimball Drive, police said, and Barton Road from Bernardston to Severance Street was closed due to flooding. The department had previously shared several photos of the flooded area by Colrain Road and at Riverside Drive and Woodard Road, with several vehicles including a large truck and a construction vehicle submerged past tires.