It’s not always the case that the box score matches the eye test, but when looking over the numbers from the Celtics’ 124-104 win over Philadelphia, the story is clear:
- A 15-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double for Jayson Tatum.
- 28 points off the bench from Payton Pritchard behind eight three-pointers, matching Phildelphia’s total as a whole.
- A 16-point, 10-rebound double-double for Derrick White.
- 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists from Jaylen Brown.
- 17 points and four rebounds for Kristaps Porzingis.
- A game-high +20 and three made threes from Al Horford.
- Six points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks from Luke Kornet.
- As a team, Boston dished out 33 assists on 43 makes and knocked down 24 threes, triple the amount of Philadelphia.
After a week-long break, there was no rust to be found from the Celtics as they cruised to their league-leading 15th 20-point win of the season.
“The rest was nice. Mentally, just to kind of reset, lock back in, and understand that we’ve got 27 games left of the regular season, and then, playoffs – how long that takes,” said Pritchard. “We wanted to set the tone right away with this game.”
The individual performances were impressive. The Celtics got contributions from all over the roster, highlighting one of their biggest strengths: their depth. It didn’t matter who was on the court—Boston played with a strong sense of connectivity. Every player who stepped on the floor made an impact, with a collective team effort powering the blowout win.
Heading into the All-Star break, the Celtics made it a point to finish strong, and they did, winning seven of their last eight games. They picked up where they left off on Thursday night, earning their fourth consecutive double-digit win.
“I think we just picked up where we left off,” Kristaps Porzingis told NBC Sports Boston after the win. “We were kind of heading into the break playing pretty good basketball, and tonight we came out, threw the first punch, and just really took over the game.”
Boston has now won nine of its last 11 games, the best mark in the league over that stretch. They’ve rediscovered their shooting touch, hitting 18.3 three-pointers per game at a league-best 39.3% over that stretch. Defensively, they’ve returned to their consistent dominant form, holding opponents to 106.8 points per game over that span—the second-fewest in the NBA.
If there was any lingering doubt about this team’s form, the eight-week midseason slump is officially in the rearview mirror. Now, it’s about continuing to build off the habits they’ve reinforced in recent weeks, with an eye on the postseason.
Throughout their up-and-down stretch, the Celtics repeatedly emphasized the importance of not peaking too early. It seems they’re finally ready to shift into high gear.
Post All-Star break is when teams start to ramp up, and if Thursday night was any indication, the Celtics are locked in and ready to close the remainder of the season strong.
“We left plenty on the table to get better,” Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “It’s a healthy balance of having an understanding that yeah, we played pretty good, but this is one of those situations where, whether you win or lose, there’s 10 to 12 possessions that you’ve gotta get better at if you want to get to where you want to get to. We’ll work on those. We played well, just gotta continue to get better.”
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