By Tiffany Williams –
The Celtics didn’t just beat Orlando on Sunday night — they detonated them. Boston’s 138-129 win was a neon-lit offensive explosion, the kind of stat-sheet firestorm that leaves the opponent wondering what hit them. The Celtics dropped a season-high 138 points, shot a season-best 60.2 percent, and racked up 80 first-half points, something the franchise has done only 10 times in its long, trophy-stuffed history. It was their highest-scoring first half since March 17, 2024, at Washington (81 PTS), and just for fun, they tied their season low with only five turnovers.
Jaylen Brown? He went full supernova. A game-high 35 points, eight assists — a season high — plus four boards and a steal in 37 minutes. It’s his 31st career game with 35+ and his fourth this season. Josh Minott came off the bench like someone lit a fuse under him, pumping in 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting with 12 in the second quarter — his best scoring quarter ever — and tying a team-high +15. Anfernee Simons sliced Orlando for 23 in 22 minutes, his fourth 20-point game of the season and second straight. Sam Hauser dropped in 14 and crossed the 2,000-career-point mark in the third.
Boston walked into TD Garden with rhythm, swagger, and buckets pouring out of every jersey. But New England’s weekend victory parade didn’t stop on the parquet. Because down in Cincinnati, the Patriots kept their own roll alive — and this one came with history attached.
The Patriots beat the Bengals 26-20, hitting the 10-win mark for the 28th time since 1970, tying Pittsburgh for second-most behind Dallas. They stayed perfect on the road at 6-0, and extended their win streak to nine straight, something they’ve done only three other times — including the legendary 2003 and 2007 runs. Marcus Jones put on his personal “torment the Bengals” routine again, turning a second-quarter interception into a 33-yard pick-six, the second pick-six of his career — both against Cincinnati.
Drake Maye set a career-high with 294 passing yards, crossing the 3,000-yard mark for the season in the third quarter. Hunter Henry rolled to his third 100-yard game of the season — a personal best — while grabbing his 41st reception of the year, extending his streak of seasons with 40+ catches to five, second-longest ever for a Patriots tight end. Kicker Andy Borregales was pure ice, drilling a career-high four field goals, including a 52-yarder under two minutes. New England also welcomed back Rhamondre Stevenson, Kayshon Boutte, Christian Elliss, and Austin Hooper from injury while shuffling through in-game injuries on the offensive line. None of it mattered. The Patriots walked out with their streak intact and a growing sense that this thing is starting to look real.
But the New England football dominance didn’t end with the pros. Over in Kingston, Rhode Island turned Senior Day into a coronation. No. 10/9 URI smashed Hampton 38-10 to clinch its second straight CAA Football title and complete a perfect conference season. The Rams didn’t waste a single second. After forcing an opening three-and-out, Antwain Littleton Jr. ripped off a 65-yard touchdown run that set the tone for the entire afternoon. Minutes later, after another defensive suffocation, Brendon Barrow sliced through for a 28-yard touchdown following a 31-yard strike from Devin Farrell to Greg Gaines III.
By the end of the first quarter it was 21-0 and Hampton was basically being held underwater. URI never let them up. The Rams punched their ticket to the FCS playoffs with authority and kept streaks piling up like firewood: sixth straight win, undefeated in league play, 15-1 in the CAA over the last two seasons, and 14 straight wins at Meade Stadium. The offense racked up 613 yards, second most in program history.
Littleton rumbled for 148 yards and two touchdowns and cracked the 1,000-yard mark for the season — the third different Ram in four seasons to pull that off. Garth White set a new program record for points by a kicker in a single season with 85 and counting. Farrell went 12-for-17 for 154 before injury, while Connor Kenyon finished the job with 258 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-32 passing. Gaines snagged eight balls for 139 yards, Marquis Buchanan pulled in eight for 86, and Aboraa Kwarteng added seven for 57. Omari Walker turned his lone catch into a 61-yard touchdown. The defense locked Hampton down to a brutal 1-for-12 on third down, with Rohan Davy and Mitchell Garner leading the tackling. The Rams now wait for their postseason path on the FCS Selection Show.
And in Durham, New Hampshire kept the Musket and kept their season roaring. No. 25 UNH beat Maine 33-27, extending its win streak to five and keeping control of the Brice-Cowell Musket, a rivalry trophy that’s practically taken up permanent residency in Durham. Nick Reed was the hero of legends, drilling four field goals, including a school-record 55-yarder, breaking the previous mark of 54 from 2009. Matt Vezza threw for a touchdown and ran for another. Cohen Cook picked off his first career pass and matched a career high with 1.5 tackles for loss.
Chase Wilson hauled in a touchdown, Caleb Burke ripped off a 63-yard catch, and Myles Thomason totaled 171 all-purpose yards including a 64-yard punt return — UNH’s longest return of the season. The defense snagged two interceptions, recorded six tackles for loss, and shut down Maine when it mattered. UNH has beaten Maine four straight, 13 of 15, and 20 of 23 dating back to 2003. Eleven of the last 12 in Durham. Reed’s kick, Thomason’s return, Cook’s picks — it was the kind of chaotic, gritty, rivalry-day cocktail UNH thrives on. Now they wait for their own playoff fate when the bracket drops.
So in one hypercharged weekend, New England sports delivered a full buffet of dominance — hardwood fireworks, NFL milestones, and college football ascensions. The Celtics look like they’ve reignited their offensive weaponry, dropping numbers usually found in video games and reminding the East that when Brown detonates and the bench shows teeth, Boston becomes a problem no one wants. New England football fans, meanwhile, watched the Patriots stay spotless on the road with a defense that scores, a quarterback rewriting his rookie résumé weekly, and a kicker calmly walking into pressure and kicking it into submission.
Then the region’s college programs stepped up and matched the pros punch for punch. Rhode Island walked into its conference finale and turned it into a victory parade, leaving no doubt they belong in the FCS title conversation. New Hampshire, locked into a rivalry blood feud with Maine, delivered just enough firepower and just enough defensive steel to extend its streak and position itself for postseason football.
Three different levels. Three different stages. One message across all of them: New England spent the weekend taking care of business — loudly, decisively, and with a flair for the dramatic. And now the Celtics surge forward, the Patriots hunt for seeding, Rhode Island and UNH wait for playoff brackets, and the region rolls into Thanksgiving week with something it hasn’t had in a while: momentum everywhere you look.