Le Journal

The Boston Celtics had every reason to lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, but they ended up grinding out an upset 117-115 victory instead. Everyone delivered for the C’s in this one, but one of the star performers in this game was third-year forward Jordan Walsh. With a slew of minutes opening up this season, Walsh has been one of the primary beneficiaries in the early going. Walsh has gradually begun to earn the trust of head coach Joe Mazzulla, which has led to him starting each of the team’s past eight games. Walsh isn’t necessarily the flashiest player, but he turned in the best game of his young career against the Cavs, as he scored 14 points and hauled in 11 rebounds in the win. However, there’s another key metric that highlights Walsh’s impact in this game. On the second night of a back-to-back, Walsh stepped up and led the team by spending 38 minutes and four seconds on the court in this one. Considering how both Derrick White and Neemias Queta were out for this game, too, that made Walsh’s contributions even more important. In his eight starts, Walsh is averaging 6.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. More importantly, though, is the fact that Boston has won six of those eight contests. Walsh’s ability to make contributions on both sides of the ball has stood out early this season, and he appears to be cementing his spot on the Celtics’ roster for the long-term future. Boston will be back in action on Tuesday night when they return to TD Garden to take on the New York Knicks. More NBA: Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Wants Jordan Walsh To Learn From Marcus Smart

The Boston Bruins have been one of the surprise teams this season, and a key reason why is their goaltending play. Boston has a tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, and both have gotten off to hot starts. After two months of NHL play, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger ranked the Bruins’ tandem of Swayman and Korpisalo the fifth-best goalie tandem in the NHL. “This is the Jeremy Swayman the Bruins hoped for when they signed him to a massive extension last offseason,” Granger wrote, in a piece published on Monday. “Few goalies can control a game the way Swayman does with his positioning and rebound control. Boston’s save percentage isn’t overly impressive, but the Bruins’ defense has been putrid, so the goals saved above expected tell the story better, and Swayman leads all goalies in that metric. “The structure of his game has been immaculate this season. His hands and feet all move in unison, keeping him connected and leaving no holes for the puck to get through. Korpisalo is off to a mediocre start statistically, but he has deserved better than his current numbers based on the eye test. He has been a victim of some unfortunate bounces and deflections while playing behind a defense that allows the most expected goals per 60 minutes in the NHL.” Swayman is 11-6-0 with a 2.62 GAA and a .915 SV% this season. Korpisalo, meanwhile, is 4-6-0 with a 3.59 GAA and a .875 SV%. The Bruins’ goalie tandem ranks behind the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche, and New York Islanders. Due to the success of Swayman and Korpisalo, Boston is off to a 15-12-0 and is in second place in the Atlantic Division. More Bruins: NHL Writer Tabs Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman As Vezina Trophy Favorite

The rich are looking to get richer in the American League East, and no, we aren’t talking about the New York Yankees. The news kids on the block to beat are the Toronto Blue Jays, who re-claimed the division title this year while on their way to winning the AL pennant and pushing the Los Angeles Dodgers to seven games in the World Series. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports the Blue Jays will use free agency to reload for another deep playoff run. Ready To Reload “The Jays have been linked to MLB’s consensus No. 1 free agent, all-around outfielder Kyle Tucker, despite no obvious need in the outfield, but pitching is their real requirement,” Heyman reported. “They’re also eying a top closer and are seen as a potentially serious player for Edwin Díaz, Robert Suarez or one of the other prime back-end bullpen pieces,” Heyman added. According to Masslive.com’s Sean McAdam, Toronto’s willingness to spend big during Hot Stove season doesn’t bode well for the Red Sox. Troubling Development “There’s been further speculation that the Jays could be big players for outfielder Kyle Tucker, considered the best position player on this winter’s market,” McAdam wrote. “All of which makes for an ominous development for the Red Sox. Blue Jays chairman Ted Rogers has decided to spend commensurate with the fact that his team occupies baseball’s sixth-bigger market, to say nothing of the fact that the Jays are the one MLB team with literally a national following,” McAdam said. “Thus, the Red Sox face the real possibility that they’ll enter the 2026 season with not one but two division rivals willing to spend upwards of $300 million in payroll,” McAdam concluded. As for the Yankees, they have been relatively quiet so far in free agency. Their only big move to date is outfielder Trent Grisham accepting the one-year qualifying offer. New York’s prime target on the open market is outfielder Cody Bellinger but the Yankees remain linked to Tucker as well. The 28-year-old Tucker is a four-time All-Star and could sign a $400 million deal in free agency. More Red Sox: Red Sox Are Trade Fit For All-Star Pitchers, MLB Insiders Say

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s holiday to-do list got shorter last week when he traded for St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray. Re-signing third baseman Alex Bregman would seem to be the next item on his agenda, but what if the Red Sox whiff on the three-time All-Star? That was the question posed to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey during an appearance on MLB Network. Her answer relied on Breslow’s previously stated desire to add some thump to the lineup. In The Mix “To us, that says they’re going hard after [Pete] Alonso. (Kyle) Schwarber in the mix as well,” McCaffrey said. “They’re pretty much gonna be focused on how are they gonna increase their offense? Be better at hitting home runs.They finished right in the middle of the league last year,” McCaffrey added. “That’s not good enough. And they talked a lot about that. Just watching teams in the postseason. You need home run potential,” McCaffrey noted. “They know that and I think that’s going to be the next big priority for them.” Also In Pursuit Problem is, the Red Sox aren’t alone in wanting one of free agency’s premier power bats. “The Orioles look like a potential winter wild card as they work hard to bounce back from a shockingly disappointing season,” The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported. “They are pursuing a frontline starter, closer and big bat. … The Orioles are among many pursuing Schwarber as he’s a nice fit for their 1B/DH need. “They also checked on Alonso, but that may be slightly less likely now that they’ve tendered Ryan Mountcastle a contract,” Heyman added. Baltimore signaled just how serious it is about free agency by signing closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract over the weekend. As for Schwarber and Alonso, signing them won’t come cheap. Both are projected to receive contracts worth in the neighborhood of $30 million per year. Schwarber, the Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter, led the National League last year with a career-high 56 home runs. Alonso, the long-time New York Mets first baseman, was second in the majors with 126 RBIs. He trailed only Schwarber and his 132 RBIs, which was another personal best for the lefty bat who spent part of the 2021 season with the Red Sox and helped Boston reach the American League Championship Series. More Red Sox: Red Sox Are Trade Fit For All-Star Pitchers, MLB Insiders Say

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots look to continue their momentum when the team faces the new-look New York Giants on Monday Night Football. The Patriots own a 7-5 all-time record against the Giants. The last game between the two franchises was in 2023. New England (10-2) has won nine straight games since September, beating the Bengals in their last game. On top of the AFC East once again, Maye has performed like an MVP. He has relied on RB TreVeyon Henderson and reliable weapons in Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry. MORE: How Soon Can Patriots Clinch AFC East? Here’s Clearest Path It’s been a long time since Eli Manning threw for the Giants (2-10), losers of six straight. Jaxson Dart is considered the future of the team, but the QB, like most of the offense, has been out due to injury. The Giants may once again have to rely on Jameis Winston to lead. Here is everything you need to know about Patriots vs. Giants, including TV and streaming options for Monday’s game. What Channel Is Patriots vs. Giants on in New England? Live Stream: ESPN Football fans can watch Patriots vs. Giants via ESPN. Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the new ESPN app. What Time Does the Patriots vs. Giants Game Start? Date: Monday, Dec. 1 Start Time: 8:15 p.m. ET The Patriots vs. Giants game is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 1. The game will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. New England Patriots schedule 2025 Here is the New England Patriots’ schedule for the rest of the 2025 regular season: WeekDateMatchupTime (ET)13Dec. 1vs. Giants8:15 p.m.14BYE——15Dec. 14vs. Bills1 p.m.16Dec. 21at Ravens1 p.m.17Dec. 28at Jets1 p.m.18TBDvs. DolphinsTBD New York Giants schedule 2025 Here is the New York Giants’ schedule for the rest of the 2025 regular season: WeekDateMatchupTime (ET)13Dec. 1at Patriots8:15 p.m.14BYE——15Dec. 14vs. Commanders1 p.m.16Dec. 21vs. Vikings1 p.m.17TBDat RaidersTBD18TBDvs. CowboysTBD