Few expected the Celtics to be here.
With a 124-109 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, the Celtics head into the All-Star break 16 games above .500 at 35-19 with sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference.
A team whose preseason win total was set at 41.5, its lowest since 2014-15, is now on pace for 53 wins. They are tied for the fourth-most victories in the league and need just a 15-13 finish to reach 50 wins.
“I think we have a clear understanding of who we are as a team,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “From a tactical standpoint, from an identity standpoint, from a mindset standpoint. I think we’ve played more times than not to the best version of ourselves.”
That clarity has translated into consistency, as Boston has built its identity around being the harder-playing, smarter, tougher team night in and night out, evident in how they control games on both ends of the floor.
The Celtics rank second in offensive rating at 120.2, 10th in defensive rating at 112.6, and third in net rating at +7.5. They are third in point differential at +373 and have 21 double-digit wins, including 10 by 20 or more points and four by at least 30.
The All-Star break arrives at an unusual point. The true halfway mark of the season came 13 games ago, nearly a month back, but the pause still offers a natural opportunity to reflect.
Not long ago, some wondered whether the Celtics should tank. Others expected mediocrity at best.
Instead, led by champions Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser, Boston has leaned on its experience and internal standards. They have upheld the principles Mazzulla demands while young players have taken collective steps forward, embracing defined roles and elevating the group.
The Celtics deserve the credit they’ve earned. They have been a very good team, climbing toward the top of what many consider a wide-open Eastern Conference. And while it will be nice to unplug and reflect on a successful first half, there is an understanding that the real challenges are still ahead.
“The challenge is, can we maintain that? But then, can we also take it to another level?” Mazzulla said. “Whether we’ve won or lost, there have been games this year where teams have exposed what we need to work on and where we need to grow. So how do we take advantage of that? And I think that starts with the guy’s ability to come into a film session regardless of the result, and say, okay, whether we won this by 20 or lost by one, this team exposed something that we can work on, and we just have to get better at it.”
Wednesday night’s 124-109 win over the Bulls, in which Boston led by as many as 33, is the latest reminder that there’s no reason to doubt their momentum heading forward.
Newcomer Nikola Vucevic recorded his second double-double in just three games with Boston, finishing with 19 points (7-of-12 FG, 4-of-5 3PT), 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. He also posted a team-best +26 in 26 minutes.
“Much more comfortable today,” Mazzulla said. “His pick-and-roll positioning defensively was good, really good, just the reads. And then offensively, the reads were good, spacing, understanding where he is, the early offense reads, offensive execution, just felt much more comfortable out there. It’s always good to get out and practice and be able to do that, and he values the details and wants to get it right. So, he has put a lot of preparation into it, and it looked much better tonight.”
With that growing comfort level, it’s becoming increasingly clear that his passing and post scoring add a new offensive dimension.
“I love playing with Vooch. It’s great. Every time he catches the ball, I’m just cutting, and he’s looking every time. It’s great,” Jordan Walsh said. It’s super good to have a guy to facilitate and also stretch the floor and do so many things.”
Walsh added, “I think that everybody has an understanding that he’s a guy we can throw the ball to in the post, and it gives us an opportunity to attack switches differently. Rather than just hiding someone out on the perimeter, we can throw it into him, and he makes plays because the defense has to collapse. He draws so much attention. In the first game, we didn’t really see it because we hadn’t been there. We haven’t played with each other.”
Meanwhile, Payton Pritchard has reclaimed his sixth-man role in dominant fashion, scoring a team-high 26 points with eight assists and five rebounds. He has now scored at least 24 points in four of his five games off the bench, averaging 21.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds. His 21.8 points per game since being moved to the bench lead all reserves.
Boston has also benefited from contributions across the roster, with steady production from role players alongside consistent efforts from Brown, White, and Queta in the starting lineup.
What the Celtics will be come playoff time remains to be seen. Of course, the potential of adding a five-time All-NBA selection (including four consecutive first-team) player in Jayson Tatum, who reached a major milestone in his recovery process by practicing with the G-League team earlier this week, changes the calculus a little bit.
For now, as the Celtics hit the break, it’s a good time to appreciate the success they’ve had this season, while understanding that they have the depth, experience, and talent to stake a serious claim in an Eastern Conference that could go in any direction this spring.
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