In the last 24 hours, here’s what happened in Boston sports: the Bruins fired their coach, the Celtics punctured the Cavaliers, the Red Sox secured an extra draft pick and Drake Maye continued to secure his place as a Patriots cornerstone. On some level, all of these things are important.
OK, so maybe it wasn’t exactly 24 hours, because Maye obviously played his best game as a pro on Sunday. But everything else took place in the span of slightly more than five hours yesterday – November 19, 2024. Between roughly 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., all four Boston teams should have occupied at least space space in your consciousness, albeit at varying degrees. The Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox all made news albeit, again, at different degrees. And the Patriots? Well, they are always on your mind now, which makes Maye arguably the most important athlete in the city.
Admittedly, I’m stretching a little here. And I admit it. But the truth is that days like yesterday don’t happen all that often, even in a place like Boston, where sports probably dominate too much of the time. (No one ever said we were well-adjusted.) But then, the beauty of the spring and fall here are that all four engines can sometimes fire simultaneously, which leaves us with plenty to discuss and/or analyze. And when it comes to Nov. 19, 2024 … well … let’s just say that the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots have all given us at least something little to chew on – and in some cases something relatively big.
So let’s start with hockey …
Jim Montgomery is gone, so who’s next?
TORONTO, ONTARIO – AUGUST 05: Assistant coach Jay Pandolfo of the Boston Bruins handles bench duties during the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in an Eastern Conference Round Robin game during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff at Scotiabank Arena on August 5, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre/Ringuette/Getty Images)
Right around 4 o’clock yesterday, Montgomery was finally fired, which was hardly a surprise. The real question is what happens next, both on the Bruins bench and in the front office. If the Bruins continue at their pace, they will miss the playoffs and conclude one of the worst seasons in recent memory. That may very well turn the focus on president Cam Neely and general manager Don Sweeney, much to the delight of Bruins fans who have been lamenting the state of the Bruins talent pipeline for years.
For now, the Bruins have named Joe Sacco as the interim coach, the team saying that Sacco would be granted every opportunity to retain the position depending on how the season goes. Do you believe that? I don’t. Sacco has been here as an assistant for 11 years. The Bruins have now fired three coaches during his tenure. He already has head coaching experience. Something suggests that Sacco already would have been permanently elevated if the Bruins wanted him to be. which raises the next question:
Who’s the next guy?
Look, I’m not in the business of predictions, but I am in the business of speculation. That said, don’t rule out someone like Jay Pandolfo, currently the head coach at Boston University. A Boston-area native (Winchester) and former Bruins player and assistant coach, Pandolfo became the head coach at Boston University two years ago. There’s no way of knowing who else may become available in the coming months, but rest assured that the Bruins already have candidates on their radar. The firing of Montgomery has been debated for months. This wasn’t a surprise.
The Celtics will need Kristaps Porzingis to win another championship
BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 16: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics smiles as he warms up before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on November 16, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Of course, there are no certainties. But if you watched the game between the Celtics and Cavaliers last night – a 120-117 Boston win – somethings should be obvious. First, the Celtics played probably their best game since the season opener, though they did nearly blow a 21-point, second half lead. Second, the Cavaliers should be taken seriously. Third, Boston’s inability to defend the paint is a problem in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, whose value to the team is greater at the defensive end of the floor.
Make no mistake – Al Horford (18 points and a team-leading +20) was terrific last night, but we all know that the Celtics need to manage his workload and that the 38-year-old understandably wobbled some last spring. The Celtics aren’t likely to get the same east road through the playoffs that they did a year ago, and Porzingis’ absence looks glaring on night like last night, when the Cavs outscored the Celtics by a 60-36 margin in the paint. The Celtics have been one of the 10 worst defensive teams in the league in the paint this season – 10th worst in the restricted area, fifth-worst beyond the restricted area – which is something the Cavs, among others, can exploit.
I know, the Celtics play the game on the perimeter. But what really makes them good is their ability to play defense outside and in, and they need Porzingis for that.
A nod of approval for Craig Breslow
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 27: Nick Pivetta #37 of the Boston Red Sox acknowledges the crowd after being relieved during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on September 27, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
It may feel like a small thing, but the ramifications might be more considerable than you would guess. When former Red Sox pitcher and current free agent Nick Pivetta rejected his qualifying offer yesterday, the Red Sox secured a compensatory draft pick that will come in the second round. (Chris Smith of Mass Live has a good summation here.) This is a win for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, whose decision to make Pivetta a $21.05 million qualifying offer seemed a little risky. Had Pivetta accepted for one year at $21.05 million, Pivetta would have consumed a great deal of Boston’s available off-season budget.
As Smith pointed out, Red Sox prospects Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell were both compensatory draft picks. Now the Sox have another one coming, which means they may be more inclined to make a trade involving a key prospect this offseason. Back when the rules were a little different and Theo Epstein was general manager, the Sox exploited the compensation system to amass draft picks while simultaneously spending on free agents, working the system like they were bouncers at a Boston bar. One in, one out. Now it feels like they’re doing the same – as much as they can under the current rules – which is a good sign.
Drake Maye certainly looks like the real thing
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 17: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Before Maye threw his final pass against the Rams on Sunday – yes, it was intercepted – his passer rating for the day stood at 113.3, which would have been his best for the season. (His performance against Jacksonville now stands as the best, but subjectively, this game was better.) In the past two weeks, both Sean McVay and Rex Ryan have called Maye a “stud,” no small thing given the credentials of, especially, the former, who has won a Super Bowl. (Ryan’s opinion also should not be marginalized given his defensive acumen.) For large stretches, Maye controlled Sunday’s game with his arm and with his head, make quick, decisive throws that were on the money and kept the Patriots moving.
Was the game perfect? No. But he’s made just six starts. For those of us who questioned the Patriots’ decision to start him almost two months ago, he’s not just surviving. He’s actually starting to thrive.
