Marcus Morris Sr. praised the Celtics after the Cavaliers were eliminated in the playoffs

Morning Sports Update

“I think they are definitely capable of having a good race.”

Marcus Morris Sr. reacts to Celtics’ advance to Eastern Conference Finals: An expected thorn in the Celtics’ side in what ultimately was a Game 5 win (and series win) over the Cavaliers on Wednesday night was a name Boston fans undoubtedly remember.

Marcus Morris Sr., who played for the Celtics from 2017 to 2019, turned in his most prolific playoff performance since 2021 to help the injury-riddled Cavaliers. Morris finished the night with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting (including 5-of-6 from 3-point range).

Of course, that wasn’t enough to prevent Cleveland’s elimination from the playoffs, as the combined efforts of the Boston team overwhelmed Morris and the Cavaliers.

Despite the defeat, the former Celtic had nothing but praise for his ex-team in his post-match comments.

“A few years ago, being on this team, with a lot of guys that are still here now, they had some great players,” Morris told reporters, via Souichi Terada of MassLive. “They have friends. I think they are definitely capable of having a good race. If they get the big guy (Kristaps Porzingis) back, I think they’ll be a problem.

Morris was part of the Celtics team that advanced to the conference finals in 2018, falling (coincidentally) to the Cavaliers in seven games.

Assessing the current state of the Celtics, Morris likes what he sees from Jayson Tatum.

“I think it’s just more than this year,” Morris said of Tatum’s continued development, per Greg Dudek of NESN. “He was super aggressive. He is a leader. It’s just good to see him grow. Just having a relationship with him when he came in as a rookie and seeing how quickly things change.

Anecdote: The Celtics have now reached the Eastern Conference Finals three years in a row. This is the team’s longest such streak since five consecutive times between 1984 and 1988. Can you name the Celtics’ opponents during this streak in the 1980s?

(Answer at bottom).

Hint: They’ve played three teams in five years. Boston faced teams coached by Don Nelson and Chuck Daly twice each. The third team included Charles Barkley in his rookie season.

Scores and schedules:

The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 113-98 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the second-round series on Wednesday. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 25 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. Al Horford also had a big night, with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

Boston now awaits the winner of the Knicks-Pacers series (with New York trailing 3-2). The first game of the Eastern Conference finals will take place Sunday or Tuesday depending on the match results in the next two days.

The Red Sox lost to the Rays 4-3 on Wednesday. Both teams play again tonight at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.

Tomorrow, the Bruins will return to TD Garden for a crucial Game 6 of the second round series against the Panthers. Boston trails Florida in the series 3-2 and faces elimination with a loss.

And PWHL Boston awaits the winner of Friday’s game between Toronto and Minnesota to decide which team will be the opponent in the final.

More from Boston.com:

Al Horford’s Night: In addition to coming out of his shooting slump at the start of the series, and contributing…

Raccoon on the ground! During an MLS game Wednesday night between the Philadelphia Union and New York City FC, the game had to be stopped for a significant period of time in the first half when a raccoon entered the field.

This inevitably led to some comedy scenes (And social media posts) before the agile Philadelphian was apprehended.

And an update: The raccoon was released unharmed, according to the union.

That day: In 1954, Ted Williams – playing with a stainless steel pin in his shoulder after breaking his collarbone in early April – went 8 for 9 in a doubleheader against the Tigers. He finished with two home runs, a double and five singles, totaling seven RBIs.

Still, it wasn’t enough to save the struggling Red Sox, who lost both of their games against Detroit.

Highlight of the day: After beating the Revolution by four in a victory this weekend, the New York Red Bulls did it again on Wednesday in a 4-1 against DC United. The highlight of the evening came from Brazilian striker Elias Manoel, who hit the United goalkeeper from outside the box.

Quiz answer: Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons

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