Cue the duck boats: Boston salutes Celtics’ record 18th NBA championship with parade
Copyright Source：
Yueke
Thu, Jun 27, 2024
PHOTO: Yueke
Cue the Duck Boats: Boston Salutes Celtics’ Record 18th NBA Championship with Parade
BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics entered the season vowing to turn recent playoff heartbreaks into happiness.
Eight months later, they toasted the franchise’s 18th championship in what has become the signature Boston celebration, joined Friday by a huge crowd for a duck boat parade to mark the 13th championship won this century by one of the city’s franchises in the four biggest U.S. sports leagues.
The Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, and Bruins have all commemorated championships by jumping aboard the duck boats — amphibious vehicles usually ridden by sightseeing tourists.
In Boston, firing up the boats for a slow cruise down city streets has become synonymous with its feeling of sports supremacy. Friday’s parade was the latest component of what has been a rolling salute to the Celtics since they clinched the NBA Finals on Monday night.
Starting at TD Garden, the procession lasted about 90 minutes, turning first onto Causeway Street in front of the arena, past City Hall, through Boston Common, down Boylston Street, and ending at Hynes Convention Center.
Along the way, there were plenty of moments for the city to salute a franchise that just broke a tie with the rival Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles in league history. Fans marked the moment by hanging on light posts, flashing homemade signs, or standing on subway entrances.
“It’s unbelievable. It still doesn’t seem true. But just trying to stay in the moment,” All-Star Jayson Tatum said during a pre-parade rally at the Garden.
Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck gave fans an early treat about 90 minutes before the parade began.
He was attempting to drive to the arena with the Larry O’Brien Trophy and newly made 2024 championship banner along with his wife, Emilia Fazzalari, and their daughter.
They couldn’t get through because of traffic and barricades. So they walked a half-mile down Causeway Street, passing by a sea of fans while carrying the trophy and banner.
Inside the Garden, the rally included players and their family members, members of the Celtics organization, arena staff, season ticket holders, and guests including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
After celebrating in the locker room Monday night by spraying Champagne and posing for pictures with the trophy, the team flew to Miami for a private party.
When the Celtics returned Wednesday, coach Joe Mazzulla took the party back to the people, allowing fans to see the trophy up close — and in some cases touch it — while he carried it through Boston’s famed North End.
“I drove all the way from Ohio (Wednesday) because we were coming for the parade,” Celtics fan Jason Hawkins said. “I touched the trophy, man. I got video of it.”
The golden basketball was on display for all to see Friday as players, flanked by Celtics personnel and members of their families, waved and interacted with fans.
The Celtics broke every huddle this season by saying, “Together.”
Jaylen Brown said Friday the theme for this year’s team was unity.
“Whatever it took for us to win, that’s what I was willing to do,” Brown said.
As much as the day was a celebration of that team-first mantra that Mazzulla championed this season, it was also the culmination of a mission that stars Brown and Tatum began after each was drafted third overall — Brown in 2016 and Tatum a year later.
The duo made it to four conference finals and one NBA Finals — a loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2022 — before finally reaching the league pinnacle. Brown earned Finals MVP honors, which he said also belonged to his “partner in crime.”
While the city had to wait nearly two decades for this celebration, the Celtics are in a solid position to try to become the NBA’s first back-to-back champions since the Warriors in 2018.
All five starters — Tatum, Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis — are under contract for next season. After having secured long-term extensions with Brown, Holiday, and Porzingis, the Celtics are expected to do the same with Tatum and White this summer.
Reserve Luke Kornet didn’t let fans forget the Celtics’ history of titles, leading fans on a count from one to 18 at the end of the parade route.
Their message to the city is clear: Keep the duck boats gassed up.
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AP NBA:
BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics entered the season vowing to turn recent playoff heartbreaks into happiness.
Eight months later, they toasted the franchise’s 18th championship in what has become the signature Boston celebration, joined Friday by a huge crowd for a duck boat parade to mark the 13th championship won this century by one of the city’s franchises in the four biggest U.S. sports leagues.
The Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, and Bruins have all commemorated championships by jumping aboard the duck boats — amphibious vehicles usually ridden by sightseeing tourists.
In Boston, firing up the boats for a slow cruise down city streets has become synonymous with its feeling of sports supremacy. Friday’s parade was the latest component of what has been a rolling salute to the Celtics since they clinched the NBA Finals on Monday night.
Starting at TD Garden, the procession lasted about 90 minutes, turning first onto Causeway Street in front of the arena, past City Hall, through Boston Common, down Boylston Street, and ending at Hynes Convention Center.
Along the way, there were plenty of moments for the city to salute a franchise that just broke a tie with the rival Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles in league history. Fans marked the moment by hanging on light posts, flashing homemade signs, or standing on subway entrances.
“It’s unbelievable. It still doesn’t seem true. But just trying to stay in the moment,” All-Star Jayson Tatum said during a pre-parade rally at the Garden.
Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck gave fans an early treat about 90 minutes before the parade began.
He was attempting to drive to the arena with the Larry O’Brien Trophy and newly made 2024 championship banner along with his wife, Emilia Fazzalari, and their daughter.
They couldn’t get through because of traffic and barricades. So they walked a half-mile down Causeway Street, passing by a sea of fans while carrying the trophy and banner.
Inside the Garden, the rally included players and their family members, members of the Celtics organization, arena staff, season ticket holders, and guests including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
After celebrating in the locker room Monday night by spraying Champagne and posing for pictures with the trophy, the team flew to Miami for a private party.
When the Celtics returned Wednesday, coach Joe Mazzulla took the party back to the people, allowing fans to see the trophy up close — and in some cases touch it — while he carried it through Boston’s famed North End.
“I drove all the way from Ohio (Wednesday) because we were coming for the parade,” Celtics fan Jason Hawkins said. “I touched the trophy, man. I got video of it.”
The golden basketball was on display for all to see Friday as players, flanked by Celtics personnel and members of their families, waved and interacted with fans.
The Celtics broke every huddle this season by saying, “Together.”
Jaylen Brown said Friday the theme for this year’s team was unity.
“Whatever it took for us to win, that’s what I was willing to do,” Brown said.
As much as the day was a celebration of that team-first mantra that Mazzulla championed this season, it was also the culmination of a mission that stars Brown and Tatum began after each was drafted third overall — Brown in 2016 and Tatum a year later.
The duo made it to four conference finals and one NBA Finals — a loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2022 — before finally reaching the league pinnacle. Brown earned Finals MVP honors, which he said also belonged to his “partner in crime.”
While the city had to wait nearly two decades for this celebration, the Celtics are in a solid position to try to become the NBA’s first back-to-back champions since the Warriors in 2018.
All five starters — Tatum, Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis — are under contract for next season. After having secured long-term extensions with Brown, Holiday, and Porzingis, the Celtics are expected to do the same with Tatum and White this summer.
Reserve Luke Kornet didn’t let fans forget the Celtics’ history of titles, leading fans on a count from one to 18 at the end of the parade route.
Their message to the city is clear: Keep the duck boats gassed up.
___
AP NBA:
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — singled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, lifting the Los Angeles Angels over the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Friday night in against his old team.
The Angels won in extra innings for the first time this season, after losing three previous times.
“It’s awesome,” Ward said. “You just never know with us. Just got to keep fighting.”
Ohtani hit a two-run homer with two outs in the fifth that put the Dodgers ahead. He was 2 for 2 with two walks but to end the eighth. The Dodgers managed just three other hits.
“I just made a bad pitch,” Angels reliever Matt Moore said. “The guys came back really good so I just washed it away. It’s very hard to win here. Our team did a really good job of playing all the way to the end.”
Ohtani left Anaheim for the Dodgers last December, signing . He’s homered in four of his last six games and has scored a run and driven in a run in six straight games, a team best.
“He’s playing really good baseball and tonight we just couldn’t support him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Many of the young Angels in the lineup didn’t play with Ohtani before he departed and some of the veterans who did, like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, are injured.
“We all know who Shohei is — superstar,” Angels manager Ron Washington said before the game. “This is the Dodgers and when you play against the Dodgers you got one thing on your mind, you want to win because then it might put you on the map.”
Jo Adell started the 10th at second base and was sacrificed to third by Nolan Schanuel. Dodgers closer Evan Phillips (0-1) came in and retired Luis Rengifo on a groundout before Ward singled to left.
The Dodgers couldn’t produce in the bottom of the inning. Cavan Biggio started at second and took third on Jason Heyward’s groundout, but struck out Kiké Hernández and Gavin Lux to end the game and earn his 14th save.
Luis García (2-0) got the win with two innings of relief.
Ohtani’s 455-foot shot — his NL-leading 22nd homer of the season — into right-center off Moore scored Austin Barnes, who singled, and snapped a scoreless tie. It was Ohtani’s seventh homer in his last 11 games.
“Best player on the planet,” Estévez said. “Still amazing to see how hard he can hit the ball.”
Dodgers relievers hit four batters in two innings. Ryan Yarbrough became the club’s first pitcher to plunk three in one inning — a career worst for him — since Carl Doyle on June 8, 1940.
The Angels tied the game in the sixth, when Yarbrough hit Rengifo leading off. Ward singled before Logan O’Hoppe got hit to load the bases. Yarbrough then plunked Zach Neto to force in a run. followed with a groundout to second that scored Ward and tied the game, 2-2.
“He’s a guy that typically we count on for command,” Roberts said of Yarbrough. “He just didn’t have command. He just wasn’t sharp.”
Angels starter Patrick Sandoval departed with left forearm tightness after walking Ohtani in the third. He will have an MRI on Saturday. “Really painful,” he said. “Something I never really felt before.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: RHP José Soriano (abdomen infection) was scratched from the lineup and placed on the 15-day IL. ... Utilityman Brandon Drury was scratched for the second straight game because of illness. ... 3B Anthony Rendon (left hamstring) joined the team in LA and worked on the field.
Dodgers: 3B Max Muncy (oblique) was moved to the 60-day IL. ... LHP Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) will throw four innings in his second rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Oklahoma City at Reno.
UP NEXT:
RHP Zach Plesac (1-0, 4.50 ERA), coming off a 5-3 win over Milwaukee earlier in the week, starts Saturday for the Angels. RHP Tyler Glasnow (7-5, 3.00) makes his team-high 16th start for the Dodgers in the series finale.
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AP MLB:
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