Much of the Celtics’ season has unfolded in ways few saw coming.
Even those who expected a competitive season could not have foreseen the dominance the Celtics have displayed or how quickly they reached this level.
They’ve racked up a series of impressive wins. Their 14 victories against teams at or above .500 rank second in the Eastern Conference, reflecting both consistency and credibility. Still, Wednesday’s 114-93 win over the Houston Rockets stands apart as their most impressive yet.
On the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics were shorthanded in just about every way imaginable. Jaylen Brown was out with left hamstring tightness and right knee soreness. Sam Hauser was sidelined with a right thumb strain. Neither Anfernee Simons nor Nikola Vucevic was available as their trade is being finalized. Boston dressed just 10 players.
None of it mattered.
The Celtics went into Houston against a Rockets team that entered the night 17-4 at home and ran them out of the gym, handing them their biggest loss of the season with a 21-point win, a game in which Boston led by as many as 29.
“It was a lack of fight, toughness, and effort. We looked like the team that played on the second night of a back-to-back. They had some players that just out-hustled us, out-toughed us,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said. “Overall, as a coaching staff, we should be embarrassed. The players out there on the court should be embarrassed.”
That, in many ways, defines the Celtics. Night after night, they find ways to be the smarter, tougher, harder-playing team, no matter who is in uniform. It’s a culture that starts at the top with Joe Mazzulla and a standard the roster has fully embraced.
Wednesday night was a perfect reflection of that identity.
Ron Harper Jr., making his first NBA start, finished with career highs across the board, posting 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Alongside Baylor Scheierman, who recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, Harper helped spearhead the defensive effort that held Kevin Durant to just 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
“I thought both of those guys, Ron and Baylor, their attention to detail on the scout and what we were trying to do from a tendency standpoint, I thought they executed that, “Mazzulla said. “I thought those two guys’ attention to detail was really good on the defensive end.”
The Celtics’ big men dominated the game on both ends. Neemias Queta stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks, two assists, and two steals, while Luka Garza added a season-high 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Both were relentless with their physicality, creating extra possessions and challenging every shot. Garza finished with six deflections.
“I thought Luka and Neemi were great tonight,” Mazzulla said. “Neemi was kind of the best version of him, and even though he only went three-for-four [shooting], you just felt his presence. And I thought Luka’s ability to make things difficult on Sengun and then help us on the offensive end. I thought those guys were great.”
Everyone made an impact. From Derrick White’s 28 points and eight assists to Payton Pritchard’s 27 points and seven assists off the bench, to the meaningful minutes provided by Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez, the Celtics got contributions across the board.
As a team, the Boston dominated the margins, finishing a +8 in shot attempts, +8 in three-point makes, and +19 on the boards. They hauled in 20 (!) offensive rebounds, netting 27 second-chance points and posting a season-high 46.2% offensive rebounding percentage.
Defensively, the Celtics imposed their will from the opening tip, disrupting Houston’s rhythm and holding them to just 93 points, marking the fourth consecutive game an opponent scored under 100.
“We’ve got to execute,” Mazzulla said. “We’ve got to be the tougher team every night. And when we’re not, we’ve got to get back up and try to do it again. And I thought the guys did that tonight.”
As 8.5-point underdogs, the Celtics were not supposed to win on Wednesday night. Yet, their scrappy toughness turned the improbable into reality.
That has been the defining theme of this Celtics season. They are playing to a clear identity, and it has propelled them to the top of the Eastern Conference, a level of buy-in and consistency that ties directly to Mazzulla and the culture he has built.
After Wednesday’s win, the Celtics boast the league’s most efficient offense, posting an offensive rating of 120.7. Defensively, they sit just outside the top 10 in efficiency (11th) but allow the second-fewest points per game (108.6). Their net rating of +8.0 ranks second in the NBA.
The numbers tell the story. But performances like Wednesday’s, with the buttons Mazzulla pushed and the way the team executed, are a reminder of why he should be the favorite for Coach of the Year. He continues to get the best out of every player on the floor, no matter the circumstances, and it has resulted in the Celtics emerging as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
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