BOSTON — Alex Cora’s fandom for the Boston Celtics is no secret. The Red Sox manager makes his appearances courtside at TD Garden when his team is not on the field in his own way of supporting the city.
Cora knows what it takes to win in Boston, earning a World Series title with the Red Sox as a player in 2007 and as the manager in 2018. He sees similarities from both of those championships.
Regarding the 2018 title, the Red Sox steamrolled through competition with 108 regular-season wins before going 11-3 in postseason play to win the World Series. The Celtics went 64-18 in dominant fashion to secure the NBA’s best record in the regular season and after Wednesday’s Game 3 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Boston has gone 15-2 in the playoffs.
“They’re very similar to us in ’18 with everything they went through,” Cora told reporters Thursday. “Head coaching is part of it, right? Joe being there last year but not having his staff. I think it was kind of like an obstacle for him. He got the right people. They got the right coach. Brad (Stevens) is one of the best (executives) out there.”
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With a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals, Cora reflected on his feelings as a player when the Red Sox were up 3-0 against the Colorado Rockies before finishing the sweep in 2007.
“Just being anxious,” Cora remembered. “Don’t let them come back, especially in our sport. In that sport, we all know what’s gonna happen in the last five minutes. We know where the ball is going to go. It’s about executing. Star players are going to have to make (the plays).”
Cora hopes Boston can finish the job when the Celtics take on the Mavericks in Game 4 on Friday night. The Red Sox even moved up their start time to better plan for those watching the Celtics on the verge of a title.
Featured image via Peter Casey/USA TODAY Sports Images
