The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.
Good morning! Make a half-court shot today.
Coronations: Boston’s unshaken Big Two
The Boston Celtics won the NBA title last night, and on the surface, that’s a rather boring result. The team that entered this season as the title favorite then won the most games and the rings. So … expected.
And yet these lasting effects are anything but dull:
- No one can ever again say the pairing of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown doesn’t work. Even after this team made the NBA Finals two years ago, the murmurs were palpable. Now Brown, always the odd man out in those conversations, is a Finals MVP. Consider the discussion closed. In this age of player movement, the Celtics stuck with homegrown talents Tatum and Brown, two guys they drafted at No. 3 in consecutive seasons (2016 and 2017), and it worked.
- Has any coach been more successful under duress than Joe Mazzulla? It’s easy to forget that Mazzulla took over as interim head coach just days before the 2022-23 season began (after the team suspended Ime Udoka, who’d led the Celtics to that 2022 finals berth). In two seasons, Mazzulla has 121 regular-season wins. In his first season after removing the interim tag, he won a title. Not bad.
- You can argue these Celtics never faced a worthy foe in the playoffs, but they are now one of the best teams in NBA history. Only 13 other teams have won 80 combined games in a season, and not all of those teams finished with titles (sorry, Golden State). Boston, which now holds the most championships in NBA history (18), has hit 80 wins just two other times. The 2023-24 team walloped everyone in its path. That earns banners and lore. Nothing else really matters.
As for last night’s 106-88 Game 5? That was kind of boring. Tatum had 31 points, and Brown added 21, all while a stifling Boston defense allowed 28 to Luka Dončić and largely shut out the rest of the team. Kyrie Irving — ironically on the floor for the first Celtics title since 2008 — had just 15 points.
Boston’s just the better team. As Steve Buckley wrote, these Celtics were more than their dynamic duo:
- Al Horford has a ring, his first in 17 NBA seasons.
- Jrue Holiday is a two-time champion, winning another after Milwaukee decided it needed Damian Lillard more than him.
- Derrick White chipped a tooth. Worth it.
- And Payton Pritchard, a beloved reserve, has a halftime buzzer-beater to remember forever:
PAYTON PRITCHARD NAILS THE HALFCOURT HEAVE 🔥
Celtics lead by 21 points at half.
🎥 @espn pic.twitter.com/KbSZ73akEB
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 18, 2024
We’ll have plenty more this week on the butterfly effects of this title. But the NBA offseason waits for no one, and we could see some free agency moves … today. Our friends at BetMGM have next season’s nearly identical Celtics roster as the early favorite to repeat, at +310.
News to Know
McIlroy takes a break
Fresh off Rory McIlory’s uncharacteristic exit after Sunday’s U.S. Open collapse, he issued a statement yesterday congratulating Bryson DeChambeau on the victory. McIlroy also said Sunday was “probably the toughest day” of his 17-year career, adding that he plans to take a few weeks off before returning next month at the Scottish Open. His full statement is worth a read. Also: DeChambeau still won’t be on the U.S. Olympic golf roster.
Aiyuk, 49ers on thin ice
In a TikTok video, San Francisco wideout Brandon Aiyuk told Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels the 49ers “don’t want me back” as the team and WR continue negotiating a contract extension. Aiyuk led the team in catches (75) and yards (1,342) last season and is clearly frustrated, even though 49ers brass has repeatedly said they expect him back with the team. (Daniels was Aiyuk’s quarterback at Arizona State.)
Advertisement
Yes, that Bell
Texas landed a commitment from five-star quarterback Dia Bell — son of former NBA guard Raja Bell — yesterday, an update that should hearten Longhorns fans and make the rest of us feel old. The younger Bell is the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 class, per 247, and had offers from Florida State, Penn State and others. Read his scouting report here.
More news
- Germany’s pink Euros kits are the fastest-selling away jersey in team history.
- Klay Thompson will train with Team Bahamas this week, but he’s not expected to be cleared to play for the team in its upcoming Olympic qualifiers or beyond.
- Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo could miss up to six weeks with an arm fracture. Tough break for the surging Yanks.
- Les Miles is suing LSU over vacated wins that prevent him from College Football Hall of Fame eligibility. Messy. Sigh.
Blood and Upsets: The biggest upset in Euros history
Euros 2024 is off to a smashing start, literally. Quick update from yesterday:
- In an early match, Slovakia beat Belgium 1-0 in what is likely the most shocking upset in this event’s storied annals. FIFA ranks Belgium No. 3 in the world; Slovakia entered yesterday at No. 48. It was a supremely frustrating day for Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who missed multiple chances and had two goals overturned by VAR. The Belgians are far from elimination, but combine this with a group-stage elimination at the 2022 World Cup and it’s a troubling trend.
- In the late match, France unsurprisingly beat Austria 1-0, but it came with a price: Kylian Mbappe’s nose, which he fractured while tied up with Austrian defender Kevin Danso in the 86th minute. Despite a bloodied jersey, Mbappe will continue to play in the tournament but wear a Richard Hamilton-esque mask to prevent further injuries.
I love this event. Read Oliver Kay’s full roundup of the day’s matches here, including more on Romania’s big day. I also wonder if Landon Donovan is going to fix his hair for his next on-air appearance.
Watch This Game
Euros: Portugal vs. Czechia
3 p.m. ET on FOX
Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is on this roster at 39 years old. The team is stacked, and there was a discussion on the legend’s inclusion, but he’s here — and I can only assume he scores today.
NHL: Oilers at Panthers
8 p.m. ET on ABC
For a second straight night, a home team can clinch a title in a Game 5. Let’s just hope this one is more competitive than last night’s blowout in Boston.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Nyjah Huston has already done nearly everything in the skateboarding world. Accolades, riches and even a signature Nike shoe. What he is missing: Olympic glory.
A truly disgusting story: The Seine river might not be clean enough to swim in during the upcoming Olympics.
Bookmark this: Our Copa America edition of The Radar, a comprehensive guide to every player in the tournament along with a slick design.
We have a new 2024 NBA mock draft out. Is Alexandre Sarr still the front-runner at No. 1?
George Mikan, the NBA’s “Mr. Basketball,” would’ve turned 100 this year. His influence on the game is still felt today. The history here is really interesting.
I loved Brendan Quinn’s story on how the USGA and Pinehurst officials pulled off a U.S Open in which the course was the biggest star. So, so much work.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Brody Miller’s story on Rory McIlroy and the U.S. Open he’ll never escape. So good.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Rankings for all 29 MLB City Connect jerseys. Some real stinkers in there.
Sign up for our other newsletters:
The Bounce 🏀 | The Windup ⚾ | Full Time ⚽ | The Athletic FC ⚽| Prime Tire 🏁 | Until Saturday 🏈 | Scoop City 🏈
(Photo: Grace Beal / Getty Images)