BSJ Weekend Briefing 11.02.18: Celtics make a statement, Sox making rounds, GB-NE gets closer

Good morning! 

A few random thoughts while I contemplate the weather the local high school athletes will have to play in today as fall playoffs roll on...

• Nice win for the Celtics over the previously undefeated Bucks as the reformulated lineup rounds into form.


• Boston made a team-record 24 3-pointers, which seemed to be making up for some of the spotty shooting from the previous games.


• Really good look at Gordon Hayward from B-Robb.


• Pretty cool that the Red Sox were honored last night at the Celtics game (figure we'll see them Sunday night too — and Steve Pearce, a huge Pats fan, is going to be amped). Loved everything except the owners coming out after Alex Cora and ahead of the players. Robert Kraft was offended by their hogging of the spotlight. Just let the coaches and players have their moment.


• Counting down Packers-Patriots aka Rodgers-Brady. I'll have some thought on the Patriots a little later plus a chat this afternoon. Tomorrow I'll share my thoughts from covering both quarterbacks.


• The Raiders are absolutely putrid. Niners aren't good either and they dusted them last night. Just think, before this season, the Bay Area was pumped for Jimmy G and Gruden. Now they're cellar dwellers.


• Big measuring stick game for the Bruins on Saturday night in Nashville. Should be fun to watch.


• RIP Dr. Z. Had the opportunity to spend some time with him over the years, and obviously learned a lot from his writing. Just a total original. Loved this quote from Phil Mushnick about Paul: “He never left you guessing what he was thinking. He wrote for the readers, not for the subject, and he didn’t write to curry favor.’’ In a lot of places in this business, we've lost a lot of that over the years.