Morning sports update: Tom Brady said Patriots have to ‘earn’ turnaround after consecutive defeats
"I realize that the hard work has to be done and you have to do the right things on a daily basis in order to put yourself in that position."
The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers on Monday night, 110-88. Gordon Hayward returned after a month away with a broken hand, scoring 14 points. Kemba Walker led the team with 22 points.
Also on Monday, the Bruins lost to the Senators, 5-2. Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk scored for Boston.
Today, Liverpool face Red Bull Salzburg in the final round of Champions League group stage games at 12:55 p.m. Aside from Liverpool needing a point to secure qualification for the knockout stage, the game is notable for the presence of Jesse Marsch. In his first season as Salzburg’s manager, he became the first American to ever manage in a UEFA Champions League game earlier this season.
Tom Brady’s thoughts on dealing with losses and the Patriots’ mindset: A day after the Patriots’ second consecutive loss, Tom Brady was asked to compare the difficulties experienced by the 2018 and the current version during his weekly interview with Jim Gray on Westwood One Sports.
“We ended up figuring out a few things and we got better as the season went along,” said Brady of the eventual Super Bowl champions. “We lost a couple of games last year, and after that we learned and played a lot better when we needed to. Everyone obviously hopes that’s what their team does.
“Would I love for that to be our team? Absolutely, but it’s got to be earned,” Brady added. “It’s not given, and it’s not predicted. So I realize that the hard work has to be done and you have to do the right things on a daily basis in order to put yourself in that position. That’s what we’re going to try to do. And that’s what we’re working toward.”
As for how he’s dealt with two straight losses, Brady said he still loses sleep.
“I definitely struggle after most games, and I certainly struggle after losing games,” Brady admitted. “It hasn’t been a lot of sleep lately, but that’s just the way it is during football season. You deal with the little bumps and bruises, you deal with some sleepless nights, and I think you realize you care a lot when you’re still losing sleep over football games because I keep my life in perspective with how blessed and fortunate I am. I wish I won every football game that I took the field on but I also know that’s never the reality for anybody, so you take the good with the bad. You realize you’re going to have some tough losses, and you’re also going to have a lot of wins. I think for me it”s about trying to be the best I can be for my teammates and they can trust me that I’m giving everything I can to help us try to win the game.”
Trivia: Jayson Tatum is currently averaging 21.1 points per game as a 21-year-old. Who is the only Celtics player to average at least 20 points per game for a whole season at such a young age?
(Answer the bottom).
Hint: He won championships at both the NCAA and NBA levels, though the latter didn’t come with the Celtics.
More from Boston.com:
- Jimmy Garoppolo picked a terrible time to suddenly look like Tom Brady
- Pete Frates dies after ‘courageous and public battle’ with ALS
- Read the Patriots’ statement on the latest videotaping allegations
- Red Sox discussed trading Jackie Bradley Jr. to the Mets
- 3 takeaways from the Bruins’ 5-2 loss to the Senators
- Patriots notebook: What’s the mood in Foxborough?
- ‘He changed the world’: How the sports world reacted to death of Pete Frates
- Patriots admit to violating NFL rules by shooting video of Bengals’ sideline
- A look inside the Revolution’s new $35 million training facility
- Scott Zolak’s most enthusiastic calls from Patriots-Chiefs
- Why Kevin Garnett almost didn’t star in ‘Uncut Gems’
Tom Brady saluted Pete Frates
:
The only thing greater than his impact on ALS research was his impact on our community. Thank you for your strength and courage under the toughest circumstances. We lost a great soul yesterday, Rest In Peace, Pete. https://t.co/UabuDKarqY
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) December 10, 2019
Grant Williams, 0-25 shooting threes in his young NBA career, made one on Monday:
Grant Williams for three!!! pic.twitter.com/i5HES4y4fa
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 10, 2019
Megan Rapinoe was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year:
This year, Megan Rapinoe was a galvanizing force on a team that is now looked up to by any woman who doesn’t want to be told she’s come far enough, who’s taking matters into her own hands.@JennyVrentas on the 2019 #Sportsperson of the Year: pic.twitter.com/r3eawSnPYg
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 9, 2019
On this day: In 1935, Boston baseball experienced a momentous day at the annual Winter Meetings. The Braves, then still based in Boston, were awarded the 1936 All-Star Game, which would be played at Braves Field on Commonwealth Avenue and Babcock Street (now the site of Nickerson Field).
Yet the main story was that the Red Sox had acquired Jimmie Foxx in a trade with the Philadelphia Athletics. Foxx, then 28, was one of the best hitters in the league. He would go on to smash 222 home runs over seven seasons in Boston, including 50 in 1938 (a team record that would stand until David Ortiz hit 54 in 2006).
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, a lack of pitching (aside from 36-year-old Lefty Grove) left Boston unable to compete in 1936. The team finished a disappointing 74-80.
Daily highlight: Chris Paul had Rudy Gobert a little confused.
Chris Paul: 1
Rudy Gobert: 0 pic.twitter.com/chySve4m6O— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 10, 2019
Trivia answer: Antoine Walker.
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