An Update on Boston Sports

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Jayson Tatum is rejected by Bam Adebayo in a game one loss to the Heat. Photo courtesy of The Associated Press.

It’s been just about three months since the return of sports following delays caused by the Coronavirus. Since then, Boston sports teams have been very active. As we head into October, the Patriots are the only ones still going, so here’s what has happened in the world of Boston sports.

RED SOX: Just two years removed from a World Series, the Red Sox completed their season with a 24-36 record in the shortened 60 game season. The season was lost from the beginning as a complete lack of pitching kept the Sox nowhere near the playoff hunt. One of the only positives that can be seen from this season is Alex Verdugo. Verdugo, who the Sox received in the Mookie Betts trade, had one of the best batting averages in baseball and provided energy when nobody else would. During the offseason, the Sox will have to look for a new manager after firing Ron Roenicke. Hopefully the Sox can rebound quickly for next season because a full 162 games of this would not be fun.

BRUINS: The Bruins were in first place in the NHL and the hottest team in the league when the pandemic hit. However, they could not recapture the same energy in the bubble. First, the Bruins lost all but one of their seeding games and then were eliminated in the second round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Goalie Tuukka Rask opted out of the bubble for personal reasons during the first round, but backup Yaroslav Halak was able to help the Bruins beat the Hurricanes in five games. Unfortunately, the script was flipped against the Lightning as it was the Bruins who lost in five games, the last one in a heartbreaking double overtime loss. Most of the team should be back for next season and the Bruins should still be among the best in the NHL, but Zdeno Chara’s days in Boston might be over and 2020 was definitely a wasted opportunity for the Bruins.

CELTICS: The Celtics ultimately had the best return out of the Boston sports, but also the most disappointing ending. After an easy series win against the 76ers, Boston was barely able to beat the Toronto Raptors in a close game seven that featured an insane Marcus Smart block. The Celtics also looked good in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, but after three games found themselves down two games to one thanks to multiple blown double digit leads. In game four, the Celtics trailed nearly the whole way and found themselves down three games to one. After a bounceback performance in game five, the Celtics seemed like they had a shot to come back. However, a downright disgusting performance in the fourth quarter of game six led to a disappointing loss and end to the Celtics season. Luckily, the Celtics core is young so they should be able to do even better within the next few years.

PATRIOTS: After 20 years, Tom Brady is gone. Nevertheless, the Patriots still seem like could be one of the top teams in the NFL. New quarterback Cam Newton has performed well so far and Bill Belichick’s defense will always be among the best. Having a good amount of players opt out before the season doesn’t help, and New England is still missing a deep threat at receiver, but in a still weak AFC East, the Patriots will be looking to win the division for the 12th consecutive time.