After a brutal home loss to the Brooklyn Nets that dropped the Celtics to 8–8 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, Boston suddenly found itself staring down what could reasonably be called an early season-defining stretch.
Eight games in 14 days, including an exhausting five-games-in-seven-nights across four different cities, and six games in nine days across five cities. Those games included:
- The Orlando Magic, who are 10-4 in their last 14 games and had won six of seven heading into their game against the Celtics.
- The East-leading Detroit Pistons, who walked into TD Garden riding a franchise-record 13-game win streak.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves, who were sixth in the loaded Western Conference.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had the second-most home wins in the Eastern Conference at the time and were sitting inside the top six of the Conference.
- The New York Knicks, who are second in the Eastern Conference and came into their matchup with Boston riding a four-game winning streak, having outscored opponents by a combined 72 points.
- A pit stop in Washington to take on the Wizards.
- The Los Angeles Lakers, who were unfortunately a shell of themselves due to poor scheduling by the NBA.
- The Toronto Raptors, who entered Sunday afternoon 15-9, in third place in the Eastern Conference and tied for the second-most wins in the Conference.
This slate, featuring seven games against teams above .500, could have been a harsh reality check for a Celtics team that was inconsistent and just 3-6 against teams with winning records. Instead, it became a resounding statement.
The Celtics won seven of the eight games, including a clean 6–0 sweep against the East, with their only loss coming against Minnesota.
Just two weeks after that embarrassing defeat to the Nets, Boston now holds sole possession of third place in the Eastern Conference, has won an East-best five games in a row, and owns an NBA-best nine victories against teams .500 or better.
“It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean anything. Doesn’t show you anything,” Joe Mazzulla told reporters after beating the Raptors. “There are ebbs and flows along the way in the league. At the end of the day, I’d say we have a clear identity of who we are. And the season presents opportunities and challenges and tests of how long you can stay the best version of yourself.”
Mazzulla may be right. It’s not even Christmas yet, so it’s far too early to get caught up in the standings. But did anyone expect this team to be sitting third in the Eastern Conference — especially after a gauntlet full of teams in the top eight of their respective conferences?
The answer is no.
And while their place in the standings may not mean much yet, the way they got there certainly does.
The growth and evolution of this team are clear. For a squad with five new faces (eight counting the two-way players), success wasn’t going to come overnight. But as the roster settled into their new roles and players learned to play off one another, early growing pains gave way to cohesive, high-level basketball, evidenced by these eight games, during which the Celtics outscored opponents by 90 points and every player left their mark.
The most encouraging contributions came from the starting backcourt. The Celtics needed more steadiness from Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, and both have delivered. White averaged 22.1 points (49.1% FG, 41.7% 3PT), 5.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds over the seven games he played during the stretch, while Pritchard posted 18.3 points (47.1% FG, 36.1% 3PT), 5.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds, playing in all eight. They are a big reason the Celtics lead the NBA with 142 threes, shooting 41.6% (second-best mark in the NBA) over these eight games.
Other players stepped up as well. Sam Hauser, who started slow, has made 21 of his last 47 shots (44.7%) from beyond the arc, and Anfernee Simons continues to look more comfortable, averaging 12.4 points and 2.4 assists on 46.1% shooting from the field and 40.5% from three.
Jordan Walsh has emerged as a defensive stopper, setting the tone night in and night out while contributing on offense.
The other young wings — Josh Minott, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez — have stepped up, making meaningful contributions on both ends, while Neemias Queta has been remarkably consistent.
And anchoring this run at an All-NBA level was Jaylen Brown. He scored 30 points or more in six of seven games and recorded a triple-double in the one game he fell short of the 30-point mark, while leading the team in assists in five of those contests.
The Celtics have found their rhythm. Guys understand their roles, have built a shared team identity, and are showing they can compete with anybody.
Across the board, they’re firing on all cylinders, ranking second in offensive rating (122.0), allowing the third-fewest points per game (110.6) on the fourth-lowest opponent shooting percentage (44.6%), and boasting the fifth-best point differential in the league. They’re playing as a unified, well-oiled unit, with everyone buying in and contributing selflessly.
This stretch was probably meant to humble the Celtics. Instead, they’ve shown they can compete with anyone. It’s time to reset expectations and take them seriously.
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