data-mm-id=”_j2qyt4ckv”>The Boston Celtics were on the verge of going 3-0 on the defending champion Toronto Raptors. Kemba Walker made the play of his career with a no-look pass to Daniel Theis to put his team up two with half a second remaining. Then O.G. Anunoby snuck to the corner, Kyle Lowry dropped it in the breadbasket, and Anunoby hit an ice-cold game-winner to keep the Raptors in this series. It could be a playoff-changing play. Game 4 will come on Saturday evening. Toronto is officially back in the series after the Celtics looked far and away like the better team for the majority of the minutes to that point. But losing a game with less than a second left on the clock, a mere moment away from an insurmountable deficit, is the definition of a back-breaking development. Jaylen Brown called his blown coverage on the play a "f—ing disgrace." These Celtics have championship hopes. They looked the part during the playoffs so far. Game 3 was the first playoff game they lost, and frankly they hadn't come very close to losing to that point. Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker take turns carrying the load offensively, Brown has been an elite two-way player, and all of their other pieces are falling into place perfectly. But talent only gets you so far. Mental toughness is a huge part of going the distance in the NBA playoffs. Boston has exhibited some of that mental toughness. They came back from 12 points down in Game 2 on the back of Marcus Smart's five straight three-pointers. Frustration was evident ini several of their first-round matchups with the Philadelphia 76ers. But every time, they persevered, as great teams do. How great this team is will be defined by how, or more appropriately if, they bounce back in Game 4. That sort of devastating loss has completely derailed championship contenders before. Boston also doesn't have a ton of experience in these spots to lean on; Tatum and Brown are already playoff vets but this is their first time going into a game as the team to beat, rather than underdogs. Walker is in the middle of his longest playoff run ever. The Raptors, on the other hand, know precisely what they need to do in order to end up with a ring at the end of the playoffs. Back-breakers like Anunoby's shot happen to all teams. The Celtics are not special in that regard. But the line between pretenders and contenders is razor-thin. It's made up of little things like being able to come out and play to their fullest ability even after a brutal loss that has everyone declaring the series isn't over. Boston has the talent to make a deep playoff run. But all that talent is for naught if they can't bounce back. Tonight will tell us all we need to know about this Celtics squad.
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Thibaut Courtois says Belgium s players are hungry to get their hands on a first-ever World Cup in Qatar next year.
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Roberto Martinez s side started their qualification campaign for next year s competition with a 3-1 win over Wales, though they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Czech Republic on Saturday.
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The Real Madrid goalkeeper desperately wants to add the World Cup to that haul and he is in no doubt his team-mates share his desire.
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Knowing that they need to pick up maximum points on Monday evening, West Brom will host rivals Wolves from behind closed doors at The Hawthorns.
West Brom
Starting with the hosts, while West Brom might have been moments away from another crucial victory last weekend, it was late heartbreak on the road for Sam Allardyce s side. Watching Midlands rivals Aston Villa snatch a last-gasp point thanks to a costly mistake at the back, The Baggies find themselves on the verge of being hit with an immediate Championship return. Although the one-time England boss might have seen his side enjoy a recent boost since returning from the international break, they do open Monday s meeting sat nine points adrift of safety. With it appearing that their t…
Roberto Martinez confirmed he has taken charge of Belgium for the final time following their World Cup exit, but he does not believe this is the end for the country s golden generation .
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That was my last game for the national team and it was emotional. I can t carry on, sorry, a visibly moved Martinez said at his post-ma…
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Wales manager Ryan Giggs will face trial on January 24 after being charged with assaulting two women.
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The 47-year-old is alleged to have assaulted the two women in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on November 1 last year.
He was also charged with one count of coercive and controlling behaviour.
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I had 11 years at the club, and even if it was a hard road for me, and I suffered through my time at Arsenal, today I am happy and I tried to show young goalies how work pays off.
When you work hard, you are not going to be happy the whole time, you are going to have frustration, bad times in life.
They all understood at Arsenal and they support me for my decision. The Arsenal fanbase were always there for me, I felt their love.
Even when Bernd got injured this season, I received loads of messages like we trust in you , you are our goalie . That made me confident, made me win games and made me the keeper I am today.
They understood my story and they love the way I worked in the club. I am so glad to be part of the Arsenal family for 11 years.
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