After a crushing loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last May, Wyc Grousbeck decided he had enough of his team falling short. He knew it was time to shake things up and break the cycle of disappointment –so he did just that.
In the days after the loss, Grousbeck organized a meeting with President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and head coach Joe Mazzulla. Together, they faced the stark reality that just being close was no longer good enough, sparking a commitment to a new direction for the team.
Less than a month later, and just a year after falling short in the NBA Finals, Stevens and the Celtics began a significant roster overhaul. In a blockbuster deal, they traded Marcus Smart, affectionately known as the “Heart and Soul” of the Celtics, for Kristaps Porzingis, shaking the NBA world.
They weren’t done there.
When Jrue Holiday was sent to Portland as collateral damage from the Damian Lillard trade, the opportunity came for Boston to swing another blockbuster, and Stevens was all over it, sending a massive package that included Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, and two first-round picks to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Holiday.
Amid all these changes, the foundation remained intact. The Celtics reaffirmed their commitment to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the pillars of their success. Despite constant criticism and the narrative that they couldn’t play together or didn’t get along, the Celtics stood by their star duo, inking Brown to a $304 million supermax extension, and the Jays rewarded them for it – sending Boston to the NBA Finals.
Boston’s star duo delivered in the Eastern Conference Finals. Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jaylen Brown averaged 29.8 points on 51.7% shooting, with 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game – his highest scoring average in any playoff series.
Brown’s efforts were highlighted by a game-saving corner three in Game 1, a 40-point performance in Game 2, timely buckets and defense in Game 3, and a monster second half in Game 4, which featured the steal and assist that sent the Celtics to the NBA Finals.
The other half of Boston’s star duo, Jayson Tatum, averaged 30.3 points — just shy of his career-best playoff series mark of 30.6 — on 46.3% shooting, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 steals.
Tatum’s series was highlighted by scoring 10 points in an overtime win in Game 1 and a monster Game 3, in which he became the first player in league history to register at least 35 points, ten rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and a steal without committing a single turnover.
Tatum totaled 121 points in the series, moving into second place on the NBA’s all-time under-27 playoff scoring list last night – passing LeBron James. Tatum (2,600) needs just 95 points to pass Kobe Bryant (2,694) as the all-time leader.
In Game 4, it was the efforts of the Jays in the fourth quarter that sent the Celtics to the NBA Finals.
After Andrew Nembard gave the Pacers their largest lead of the night at nine points with 8:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, Tatum and Brown stepped up when Boston needed them most, combining for 14 points between the 8:57 and 2:40 to tie the game at 102 apiece.
Over the final 8:56 of the game, Tatum and Brown scored or assisted on six of Boston’s seven makes. The All-NBA duo also came up with big defensive plays, combining for two steals and a block.
The block came from Brown with the game tied and a little over a minute remaining, and it led to his assist on Derrick White’s game-winning shot.
With the win, Tatum and Brown improved to 11-5 in elimination games as a duo.
“We’re a different team than we were last year and the year before that. I know everybody wants to continue to kind of pigeonhole us to what’s happened in the past, but we’ve had a different team every single year,” Brown said.
“Different coaches. We’ve had like three coaches in the last five years, and still, people want to just make it seem like it’s the same, it’s the same, it’s the same. Time has gone by, experience has been gained, and I think we are ready to put our best foot forward.”
In their seven seasons together, the Jays have had three different head coaches, played alongside 71 different teammates, and experienced sustained success—and now, they are on the doorstep of doing what many thought they couldn’t: win a championship together.
This season presents their best chance yet. Equipped with the lessons learned from past challenges, they’re now hitting their peak in their careers. With the added support of players like Holiday, White, Al Horford, and Porzingis, they have all the tools to succeed.
The pairing of Tatum and Brown is the envy of other teams. A duo of such remarkable talent and consistent success is a boon for the Celtics and their supporters. Now, they stand on the brink of making their mark and fulfilling the long-awaited dream: bringing an NBA championship back to Boston.