The Celtics have been doing business like this for 55 years. In a 2-2-1-1-1- series, they take ownership of Game 5. Game 5 is a mini-7. Teams that win Game 5 in a 2-2-1-1-1 series go on to win the series 83 percent of the time. A very disproportionate percentage of that 83 belongs to the Boston Celtics. Game 5 is damn near as important as any Game 7. Ask Larry Bird, who used to conduct annual seminars on the subject. Monday night’s outcome was the one any serious student of both Celtics and NBA history would have expected. Final score: Boston 101, Philadelphia 85. But this was no wire-to-wire butt-kicking. No, no, no. Continue reading below This was a weird one. With 3:49 remaining ... Continue reading →
John Connolly/Globe Staff/file Bob Hewitt excelled at doubles in the ’60s and ’70s. NEWPORT, R.I. - Visitors to the International Tennis Hall of Fame find centuries of the sport’s history at their fingertips - interactive tributes to 220 stars such as Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf, Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson. When they reach a touch-screen display honoring South African tennis legend Bob Hewitt, they learn he was one of the most “enduringly elegant’’ doubles players of all time. There is no mention of Hewitt’s purported secret life. Missing is any reference to the nearly dozen women on three continents who last year accused him of sexually abusing them between the 1970s and early 1990s when he was their coach and they were underage. Mike ... Continue reading →
He is only 25 years old, but Koby Clemens has the look of a journeyman. The son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens occasionally may flash his father’s trademark smile, which seems to exude cockiness and confidence, but after years of toiling in the minors, and listening to endless inquiries about allegations swirling around his father, Koby’s grin more often than not indicates humility and sincerity. “I’ve had a very blessed life,’’ said Clemens. “I’m enjoying every opportunity I get. I’m lucky to be where I’m at right now.’’ Continue reading below Drafted in 2005 by his hometown Houston Astros, Clemens has been everywhere from Lexington, Ken., to Waipahu, Hawaii, in pursuit of a dream that seems to be slipping away. BARRY CHIN/GLOBE ... Continue reading →