Wednesday night, the World Champion Boston Celtics decided to add a bit more shooting and playmaking to their roster as they selected Creighton G/F Baylor Scheierman with the 30th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Despite heavy speculation that GM Brad Stevens would take back to accumulate more capital, he decided to make a 1st round selection for the first time since being given the job back in June of 2021.

Scheierman will immediately provide some shooting and depth for a team that is already the most talented in the league. He averaged 18/9/4 as a senior in 2023/24, flashing his offensive upside every step of the way. The easy comp that people are going to make is Sam Hauser due to his 3-point shooting ability (Scheierman shot 39% from deep during his college career) and off-ball movement skills, but I actually think that their games are quite different. Scheierman has shown that he is much more comfortable putting the ball on the deck than Sam ever has, and he even ran quite a bit of PG during his time at Creighton. Now obviously, he won't have the ball as often at the NBA level, but his ability to attack closeouts and make the correct pass should help him fit seamlessly into the Mazzula-ball offense.

Defensively, he will lack the foot speed to stay in front of some of the shiftier NBA guards, but at 6’6” 190 lbs, he does possess enough size to provide back-pressure on shooters coming off screens and could potentially hold up in certain switches. He is an excellent rebounder and will absolutely compete his ass off regardless of who he is matched up against on any given night. Will he ever be an All-NBA-level defender? Absolutely not. But he does have some physical tools that make it harder to pick on him than some of the other “slow-footed” guards in the league. 

We won’t really know more about how he will fit in with the Celtics until actual basketball is played, but I do like that they decided to go for a “win now” prospect with this pick. This isn’t someone who they think will work his way into the rotation 4 or 5 years from now. This is someone they expect to help them win games right away. Why draft for the future when you are the best team in the NBA right now? 

There is still a lot of work left to be done, but the Boston Celtics moved one game closer to banner-18 with a 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. The 18-point victory was largely the result of two massive runs by the C’s, a 14-0 run to increase their lead from 8 to 22 towards the end of the 3rd quarter, and a 44-14 run spanning the majority of the first half.

The biggest star of the night for Boston was undoubtedly Kristaps Porzingis. Playing for the first time since injuring his calf 38 days ago, KP came off of the bench and immediately gave Boston a spark. The aforementioned 44-14 Boston run was mostly the result of Porzingis brushing off mismatches on the offensive side, and providing elite rim defense on the other side. He scored 18 of his 20 points during that first-half, while also adding a pair of massive blocks and snagging three rebounds. Better yet, he did all of that on just 9 shot attempts in 13 minutes of action. Many people were calling his health the X-factor heading into the series, and after tonight it looks like he is more than healthy enough to spark the Boston attack. With only 20-minutes played tonight and two days off before Game 2, the Latvian big-man is in a great spot moving forward.

Next I have to give credit to Jaylen Brown. He scored a team-high 22 points on a very efficient 7/12 from the floor, but I was equally as impressed with his defensive prowess tonight. The Celtics used a team-attack to guard Luka for most of the night, but it was JB who got the first crack at him and set the tone of the game. Luka still finished with 30-points, but it took him 26 shots to do so. Furthermore, he only finished the night with 1 assist! Sure Dallas missed some good looks off of Luka passes, but the majority of his struggles were a result of good Celtic defense, and I think JB led the charge. I’m not interested in having the Tatum vs Brown debate that will inevitably lead the ESPN shows tomorrow, but it does seem like Jaylen has carved out a role as the emotional leader and tone setter. Whether it was an emphatic slam, several monster swats, or a deep “kill shot” 3, JB was constantly making the momentum plays tonight.

As for the other J, Tatum was good tonight, but far from great in my opinion. He only scored 16 points on 6/16 from the field, but I don’t really think that was an issue tonight. I thought Dallas did a good job of sending doubles his way to limit his scoring, and Tatum read the defense and made good plays out of that. My issue with Tatum tonight was his carelessness with the ball. Really from the jump it seemed like he was a bit sloppy with the ball in his hands when he was trying to attack the rim. This led to him either being stripped before the gather, or inaccurate passes when he’d try to kick it to 3-point shooters. He did get stronger with the ball as the game moved along, but you’d still like to see him valuing the ball much more as the series moves along, which he will.

All-in-all, I feel pretty damn good about the Celtics chances after watching this one. Maybe I’m wrong, but this felt like the type of game this team would’ve lost in previous years. After Dallas cut the Boston lead from 29 to 8 in the 3rd quarter, I think every Celtics fan around the country got an eerie feeling in the pit of their stomach, but the Celtics responded and got the lead back to 20 by the end of the quarter. It was a championship response that ultimately led to a 1-0 series lead.

There is still a massive mountain standing between them and the title, but after tonight it feels like this team is prepared to go toe-to-toe with anybody to reach their goal. Years and years of playoff shortcomings has led up to this moment, and after Game 1 it is hard not to feel optimistic about this group.

Game 2 will take place on Sunday night at TD Garden in Boston.

Jaylen Brown resuscitated the zombie-Celtics, and Jayson Tatum delivered the “kill shot” in a spectacular OT win over the Indiana Pacers in game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals Tuesday night at TD Garden. In what could only be described as a roller-coaster of a game, big time shot-making by Boston, and some terrible late-game execution by Indiana, ultimately helped the Celtics advance to 1-0. What ultimately matters is the result, but how we got there is the story of the night. Here is what I ultimately take away from tonight’s game.

Indiana absolutely pulled defeat from the jaws of victory tonight. Up 117-114 with 30 seconds remaining, ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS MAINTAIN POSSESSION OF THE BALL AND MAKE THEIR FREE THROWS!! Welp… an unforced errant pass in the direction of Tyrese Haliburton and a terrible decision on an in-bounds play gave Boston life. One Jaylen Brown 3 later and the game is tied. You did everything needed to win the game in regulation, and you blew it on two terrible late-game turnovers.

Every single member of the Boston starting-5 deserves a ton of credit tonight, but none more than Jaylen Brown. Not only did JB hit the game-saving shot, but he is also the one who forced the turnover on the aforementioned in-bounds play. Simply put, the Celtics are down 0-1 if not for Jaylen Brown. He finished the game with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on an efficient 10/20 from the floor. Now he only made one of his four 3-point attempts, but it was one that will go down in NBA history, so I think we let the 3 other misses slide for tonight.

Next for the C’s is Jrue Holiday. He carried the Celtics offense for big stretches tonight, scoring 28-points on only 16 shot attempts, including 4 huge hits from deep. Throw in his All-NBA level defense, his 7 rebounds, and his 8 assists, and I think we can officially call this his best game as a Boston Celtic. All season long he has taken a “back-seat” in the scoring department, but tonight he attacked at the perfect times from start to finish. Never forcing anything unnecessary, and making winning-play after winning-play.

Speaking of winning-plays, how about the combination of Derrick White and Al Horford?? Each of them scored 15-points, with Al doing a ton of damage early in the game, and came up with several key plays to help them seal it late. Sure it wasn’t the most efficient night for either, but you cannot overstate the little-things that both of these guys do to help win basketball games. D-White dished out a team-high 9 assists, and Al had really good closeouts on Indiana shooters in OT. These are things that will sometimes go unnoticed, but they always help win games.

Lastly, you have to give credit to Jayson Tatum for hitting the “kill shot” in OT. I’ve had to hear all season long that he can’t pull through in the biggest moments, and after missing a wide-open 3 late in the 4th it looked like we’d have to hear them again, but he shook that off and drilled a side-step dagger with just 42 seconds left to give the C’s control. He led the team with 36 points on 12/26 shooting from the field, including a pair of triples, and 10 of his 12 free throw attempts. You want to be mentioned as an all-time great and one of the best players in the NBA?? Deliver late in these big games and erase any doubt that people may have. Indiana has ABSOLUTELY NOBODY that can guard this man in space or in the post. This should be the type of series that vaults him to another stratosphere as a player. Whether he does that or not is up to him.

At the end of the day it was only 1 game, but I have to think that Indiana is feeling pretty demoralized after that one. They threw their best possible punch at the Celtics tonight, and in the end it still wasn’t enough for them to steal a game. Obviously this series is far from over, but if I’m Indiana I can't’ but feel like now I am going to have to play well enough to beat the Celtics 5 times in 7 games, and I’m not sure that they have what it takes to do that.

Game 2 will take place on Thursday night at the TD Garden in Boston.

The second round of the NBA Playoffs is off to a great start for the Boston Celtics, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-95 in front of a terrific TD Garden crowd. The 25-point victory was the fourth-straight double-digit victory for the C’s, with 3 of those 4 being by at least 20 points. 

Jaylen Brown was undoubtedly the star tonight for Boston. He set the tone early, scoring 15 points in the first quarter, by constantly hunting the correct mismatches when going towards the rim, and then hitting virtually all of his jumpers regardless of the contest. By night's end he had 32 points on 12/18 shooting from the field, including 4/6 from deep and 4/4 from the free throw line. Throw in his 6 rebounds and stellar defense and it is easy to see why he is getting so much positive love after tonight’s performance. Just given the way that Cleveland has to defend Jaylen, he could potentially have one of the best playoff series of his career if he continues to play within himself.

Derrick White was also terrific tonight (per usual). He finished the game with 25 points while shooting 9/16 from the floor, including a marvelous 7/12 from three. It seemed unlikely that he would be able to top the 47.7% he shot from deep against Miami, and while there is still a lot of series left to be played, hitting 58% of his triples in game 1 is a great way to start. Since Kristaps Porzingis went down with a calf injury, D-White has stepped into a bigger offensive role and has given the Celtics a boost on the perimeter. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he was the best Celtic in the Miami series, and after tonight’s performance he has a great chance to go back-to-back with that honor. Derrick was good during last seasons playoff run, but if he continues to be GREAT like he has through the first six of this one, the Celtics chances of raising banner 18 get a whole lot better.

I also thought that the Celtics got really good contributions from both Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet off the bench tonight. Pritchard scored 16 points in total, but his biggest 3 were undoubtedly the ones that stretched the lead from 12 to 15 as the 3rd quarter buzzer rang. Up until that point it seemed like Cleveland was hanging around just within striking distance, but with the momentum that play created the C’s were able to go on a 10-2 run to start the 4th, essentially ending the game right then and there.

As for Kornet, he just continues to do the little things really well. He only scored 4 points, but he grabbed 10 boards and was a constant nuisance to the Cleveland offense. With Porzingis out it was crucial to get good minutes out of Kornet, and in both this game, and game 5 against Miami, he has done just that.

Lastly, I want to talk a little bit about the performance of Jayson Tatum. I know the box score ended up looking decent and the +18 plus/minus is really good, but something just seemed off about him tonight. I thought he was settling for tough shots outside of the flow of the offense far too often. That is okay when you are hitting those shots, and he definitely is capable of doing so, but tonight they simply weren’t falling for him. On nights when those ones aren’t falling, I’d love for him to resort to some easier looks within the offense to try to find a rhythm, and if those start to all, then you can go back to some of the tougher looks overall. At the end of the day he was still very productive and his team won by 25, but sometimes it feels like he makes it harder on himself than he has to.

Game 2 will take place Thursday night from the Garden once again. My only wish for the team is that they come out with good defensive intensity and move the ball for good shots on offense. If they do this and play to the standard that the have set for themselves, they should be able to go up 2-0 and be one game closer to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Celtics are now just one win away from advancing to the second round thanks in large part to a spectacular performance from Derrick White. The 102-88 win was their second consecutive road victory after being upset in Game 2 back in Boston. If the Celtics take care of business back in Boston during game 5 on Wednesday night, they will await the winner of the Cleveland vs Orlando series in the second round.

Delivering in big moments is nothing new for White, but his 38 points tonight in Miami set a new career-high for the 8th year man out of Colorado. He scored his 38 points on a very efficient 15 of 26 shooting, including hitting 8 of 15 shots from beyond the 3-point line. Stack on 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks and he is an easy recipient for the player of the game award. Having a player of his caliber as your 3rd or 4th option offensively is a luxury that no other team in the NBA has.

The biggest concern for Boston as they exit Miami is undoubtedly the health of Kristaps Porzingis, who left the game in the 2nd quarter with what looked like a calf injury. It is still too early to tell the complete extent of his injury as he will undergo more testing tomorrow back in Boston, but according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, it does look like complete disaster was avoided as there appears to be no damage to the Achilles. This is incredible news as anytime someone suffers a non-contact injury to the lower leg it is only natural to think the worst may have occurred. Even if there is no serious damage to his lower leg I would be pretty surprised if KP plays in game 5 with the Celtics holding a 3-1 lead.

Aside from White, the Celtics had a bit of a struggle on the offensive end, so I think it is important to give them credit for winning this game on the defensive side of the ball. They didn’t quite hold Miami to their game 3 total of 84 points, but holding them to just 88 points is nothing to ignore either. In fact, the only quarter in which Miami cracked the 25-point mark was in the 4th quarter when Boston was already nursing a substantial lead. I thought both Jrue Holiday and Derrick White were terrific at applying pressure to the Miami ball-handlers and forcing them into mistakes.As a team Miami only shot 40.7% from the floor, including an abysmal 27.3% from 3. If Boston does this well defensively in game 5, the series will be over right then and there.

Speaking of game 5, I think the key to the game for the Celtics will be getting out to a hot start and stopping Miami from dirtying up the game the way they like to. The Heat will do whatever it takes to win, we saw that tonight with Bam Adabayo’s dirty play in the 4th quarter against Jayson Tatum, so I think the Celtics need to jump out to a quick lead to take away some of the fight that Miami will bring. If they move the ball on offense and play with intensity on defense then they will be moving on to the second round.

The Boston Celtics got their 2024 NBA title pursuit off to a good start with a dominant 114-94 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon. Really from start to finish it was a resounding Celtic victory, with only brief stretches where the Heat looked competitive. With game 2 set to tip off later this evening in Boston, I wanted to dive into some of the key elements from game 1 and highlight what could change in game 2.

A confident Miami

The Celtics dominated the Heat for the vast majority of game 1, so I was pretty surprised after the game to see that many fans of both teams were talking about the confidence Miami may have gained during the 4th quarter. If you remember, Miami cut a 34-point 4th quarter lead all the way down to 14 at one point before Boston ultimately went on a run to close it out. So, will the 35-23 advantage for Miami in the 4th quarter translate in game 2? I don’t really think so.

I have a hard time believing that cutting a 34-point lead to a 20-point lead, while the opposition is barely giving an effort, will translate into a confident Miami team in game 2. Sure it must’ve felt nice for Tyler Herro to see a few shots fall in the 4th, but at the end of the day he knows that most of the success came once Jrue Holiday and Derrick White took their foot off the pedal defensively. The same could be said for Delon Wright and Nikola Jovic, who also found a bit of a rhythm during the 4th quarter on Sunday afternoon. The second Miami got within relative striking distance, the Celtics picked up the effort and closed the game on a nice run. Obviously I would’ve loved the C’s to dominate the 4th the way they did the rest of the game, but any Miami confidence is more “fools gold”, than an actual concern of mine.

3-point variance

I’m not too worried about Miami's confidence after their 4th quarter performance, but I am a bit worried about shooting variance hurting the Celtics in game 2. As a team, Boston hit 22 out of 49 shots from beyond the arc, an incredible 44.9%. All season long they have been a terrific 3-point shooting team, one of the best in league history as a matter of fact, but it still isn’t realistic to rely on them to hit 22 of them a night. Miami will undoubtedly make some changes to try to limit Boston’s success from the outside, so will the Celtics be able to adjust and find another way to beat the Heat? That is the ultimate question for Game 2.

The good news for Boston is that a huge majority of their 3-point makes in game 1 were considered either “open” or “wide open” according to NBA.com. I personally think Miami dared Boston to hit open jumpers, trying to use Game 1 jitters against the C’s, but Boston ultimately answered the call and hit several knockout punches from beyond the arc. I’d be shocked if Miami went with this same approach in game 2 as it is now obvious that Boston is capable of beating them in that manner. I really think this game could be decided by Boston's willingness to take what the defense is giving them, which I expect to be more open lanes to the rim.

A better Jayson Tatum

Yes, Jayson Tatum did have his first career playoff triple-double in game 1, but I actually think he will be even better in game 2. That isn’t me predicting he will have another triple-double or anything like that, but there were several things I saw in game 1 that I think will really help him as the series progresses.

First of all, I do think the Caleb Martin incident will have him fired up for this one. It is pretty rare that we get a super demonstrative Jayson Tatum, and while he didn’t get up and start a shoving match with Martin, the way he exploded off of the ground after his fall displayed that he means business in this series, and he isn’t going to let Miami’s dirty play stop that. There is a good chance that Martin is matched up on Tatum throughout parts of the game. I’d be absolutely shocked if Tatum didn’t try to exploit that mismatch.

Another thing I loved from Tatum in game 1 was his willingness to take the mid-range jumper. His 3-point shot wasn’t falling, hitting just 1 of his 8 attempts, so instead of forcing up more 3’s or barreling to the rim in hopes of getting a call, he took and hit several mid-range jumpers that really opened up parts of his game. I like that he has refined his game over the last several years to incorporate more 3’s and drives to the rim, but it doesn’t hurt to take the occasional “middy” when you have that shot going or the 3 isn’t falling. Shot variety is one of the hardest things to defend in the playoffs. If Tatum is going to be more willing to work out of the mid-range as well as out of the post, Boston is going to be incredibly difficult to beat.

Wednesday night in Philly the Celtics dropped their second straight game, losing to the 76ers by a score of 106-103. I understand what the final margin was, and I understand that the Celts had a chance to tie on the final shot, but the 76ers absolutely worked the Celtics tonight. The only reason this game came down to the final shot was the incompetence by Philly in the last two minutes. The truth of the matter is that the 76ers had complete control of this game from the start of the 2nd quarter until the last two minutes.

I have to admit that I’m a little concerned with this Celtics team. Not concerned in the sense that I don't think they’re title contenders still, but concerned in the fact that the first five games of this season may have been a mirage. Sitting at 5-0 it seemed like everybody was already prepared to crown them as champions, but the reality is that their 5-0 start came against some really weak competition. I would argue that the two best teams the Celtics have played to this point are the Timberwolvesand the 76ers. Minnesota outplayed them late, and Philadelphia kicked their asses up and down the court all-night tonight. The Celtics have played two teams that I’d consider to be real contenders, and both of those teams beat them.

Jaylen Brown was absolutely brutal tonight up until the game was out of reach.Two late 3’s made his box score look a touch better, but he still only had 11 points on 4/13 shooting from the field. Thrown in a 1:2 assist to turnover ratio and you have a really bad Jaylen night. Do I think this is something that is going to last? No. But, I will say that through seven games he seems to be the lone starter that cannot quite decipher what his role is going to be. Some nights he is slashing to the rim and getting loose in transition. And then other nights he is insistent on trying to dribble through traffic and taking bad pull-up jump shots. I don’t doubt that he will figure it out because he is obviously an excellent player, but it is something to monitor as the season progresses.

Jayson Tatum also didn’t play his best game tonight. It wasn't that he couldn’t make a shot, but he just didn’t take many of them. I love that Tatum seems to be one of the least selfish superstar players in the league, but he cannot have the third most field goal attempts. He is simply too good to sit around and watch others take shots.I do love the way that he impacts the game away from his scoring (he had 15 rebounds and 6 assists tonight), but the best version of this team is the version that has Tatum going for a 50-ball every night.

While you hate losing to a bitter rival in a game that could impact the standings, I do feel better knowing that the reason we lost is our two best players didn’t show up. Tatum and Brown are not going to have nights like this very often, so for the C’s I think they can sleep well at night knowing that they will still have a talent edge against anybody that they run into. Of course it is tough to drop two games in a row after such a hot start. But, you want to get these ugly losses out of the way now and be at your best in about 75 games or so.

I’m not even sure where to begin… I was certain the Celtics were going to be an excellent basketball team this season, but not even I expected them to start off this well. For most teams you would expect some growing pains as they insert two stars like Holiday and Porzingis in the lineup. Yet, through four games the Boston Celtics have looked like anything but “most teams”.

The latest exhibit of Celtics excellence came on Wednesday night when they absolutely obliterated the Indiana Pacers 155-104. It was a dominant performance on both ends of the court, the type of performance you dream about when you think about your favorite basketball team. Now I’m not going to pretend that the Pacers are a dominant team, and they were without star PG Tyrese Halliburton, but beating any NBA team this thoroughly deserves praise.

The starters lived up to their unbelievably high standards, combining for 92 points despite only playing the first three quarters. Unsurprisingly, the leader of that unit was superstar Forward Jayson Tatum, who finished the night with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists on 9/15 shooting. Perhaps even more impressive was his +36 on/off split in just 27 minutes of action. Tatum has looked the part of a serious MVP candidate and one of the three best players on the planet through his first 4 games. While his scoring average is a tough down, his efficiency numbers have been through the roof.

The combination of KP, Holiday, White, and Brown did more than hold their own in this one as well. While none of them had spectacular scoring nights (White had 18, Brown 16, Holiday 15, and Porzingis 13) every single one of them were very efficient from the floor and helped Boston build and maintain their lead. White and Holiday specifically proved to Indiana why they are the best defensive backcourt in the association, terrorizing Indiana’s Guards all night.

The bench unit was also spectacular in this one. Through three games I was a bit disappointed with their output, but on this particular night they played a massive role in the team's success. Pritchard and Hauser led the way for the unit, each scoring double-figures and perhaps most importantly found their 3-point shot. When those two are hitting their 3’s consistently this team becomes virtually unguardable.

Next up for the C’s is a road date with the Nets, followed by visits to Minnesota and Philadelphia. It is unreasonable to think this team will play as well as they did tonight over these next three, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all to expect them to keep playing winning basketball.

We are officially one week into the 2023/24 season for the new-look Boston Celtics and to be quite frank, they have exceeded my expectations. While I knew they were extremely talented, you never truly know what to expect from a team with this many changes. Obviously they looked terrific in the preseason, but the preseason is the preseason for a reason. The first true test for this team was always going to come on opening night and the several games that followed, and to this point I’d give them a solid A-.

Game 1 was a road test against a very formidable Knicks team in front of a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden. I do think that the Knicks are one of the four best teams in the East, but this matchup was particularly difficult for Boston due to the continuity of New York. Introducing two major pieces is never easy, but it could be particularly problematic against a team that is returning their seven best players from last season. And while the game was far from perfect, the way they were able to string together late buckets and defensive stops was a real eye-opener when you consider some of the late offensive lulls that have harmed this team in the past. By the final buzzer the score read 108-104 Celtics, a great hard-fought victory in game 1.

Game 2 was an Eastern Conference Finals rematch with Miami, and the home opener for the C’s. Miami has always brought out the worst in the C’s, but much like game 1 against New York, it was their late-game execution that secured the victory. Pulling away late against the Knicks is one thing, but out executing the dreaded Heat in the 4th quarter is a totally different story. Due to the big moves in the offseason Derrick White became the forgotten man on the team, but it will be pretty hard to forget about what he did to Jimmy Butler in this one. White blocked not one, but two Jimmy Butler dunk attempts, one of which coming with under 5-minutes to play. White mirrored his work on defense by carrying the offensive load for the C’s as well, scoring a team high 28 on the night. This game was a friendly reminder that the Celtics 5th offensive option is one of the 50 best players on the planet. The final tally in this one was Boston 119, Miami 111.

Game 3 was a blowout in the truest sense of the word. A 126-107 dismantling of the Washington Wizards in a game that wasn’t even as close as the 19-point deficit would reflect. Jaylen Brown was at another level from the initial tip in this one, putting up 36 points on 13/24 shooting, including 8/13 from 3. This was a night that Jaylen could’ve easily gotten 45 or 50 had it been a competitive game. While he did end up playing 32 minutes, about 30 of those came when the game was already over. Had this been a more competitive game I think Jaylen would have kept his foot on the gas throughout the 2nd half. Nonetheless, we got to see Jaylen flash his incredible ability while limiting the minutes on his body.

There will undoubtedly be some growing pains up the road, but as of right now the Celtics look like the best team in the NBA. They provide offensive versatility that cannot be matched by any other starting 5 in the league. Whether it is drive-and-kick basketball while they generate 3’s, or slashing to the basket and finishing with their athleticism, they will cause a multitude of problems for any defense in the league. As for their own defense, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are proving to be the best defensive backcourt every time they touch the floor. Not only do they give Guards hell when they’re matched up on-ball, but they provide legitimate rim-protection for the Celtics. Through 3 games Holiday has 6 blocks and White has 5. That is absolutely unheard of from the Guard position. Throw in the 7’3” Porzingis behind them and you have yourself one of the best defenses in the league as well.

My biggest concern at this point is the depth. Both Pritchard and Hauser have struggled early shooting the 3, and if that isn't falling then there really isn't a point in playing those two. It’s far too early to panic over their shooting struggles but it is something that I’ll be watching very closely over the next several weeks. As for the rest of the bench I think it has been pretty chalk. Al Horford is as steady as ever, but at 37 there is only so much that we can expect from him on the offensive end. O’Shea Brissett provided some really nice energy minutes during the Miami game, but I think it will be tough for him to make much of a difference come playoff time.

Aside from just the immense amount of talent from the starting-5, my favorite development has been the reintroduction of Jayson Tatum post-ups. Working out of the post was a tool he used often when he first entered the league but had disappeared over the last several seasons. That trend appears to be over now though, as Tatum has consistently hunted switches and punished smaller defenders at the basket. These post-up touches will be an extremely valuable tool to end any offensive lulls that they will experience come the postseason.

In my opinion Celtics-76ers is the best rivalry in the NBA. This may come off as a bit controversial to some, but the pure hatred between the two overpowers that of the Celtics-Lakers from what I see. There is a sense of mutual respect between Boston and LA due to the amount of winning between the two. When it comes to Boston-Philly, there is more of a pure hatred for the other. Philly hates Boston because they are jealous of them. Boston hates Philly because of the “little brother syndrome” displayed by the franchise and fans.

Over the course of NBA history, these two have squared off twenty-one times in the playoffs, with Boston holding a 14-7 edge in the series. Worst of all for Philly fans, the Celtics have won the last five contests between the two. The last time Philadelphia beat Boston in a playoff series was the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals when the 76ers beat the Bird-led Celtics in 7 games. The fact that the 76ers haven’t beaten their most bitter rivals in a playoff series in 41 years only adds to the series that we have ahead of us.

As much as I’d love to give a history lesson on the 76ers and Celtics, the reality is that the history is irrelevant when it comes to this series. Dr. J, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Kevin McHale, Allen Iverson, and Paul Pierce are all long retired. This series is about Joel Embiid and James Harden vs Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Two of the best duo’s in the NBA, all searching for their first championship, needing to go through the other to get there.

The teams squared off 4 times this season with the Celtics going 3-1 in those match-ups. Still, to accurately break down this series I think it is important to look at each game individually.

The first meeting of the season came on opening night when the Celtics cruised to a relatively easy 126-117 win. This game was all about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, scoring 35 points apiece and getting the Celtics season started off right. While this win was great for the C’s, it was so long ago that I'm not sure it is an accurate meaning stick for where the teams are today.

The second matchup of the season took place on February 8th when the Celtics defeated the 6ers 106-99. This was the most impressive of the three wins by the C’s due to the circumstances thrust upon them. They started the game with no Marcus Smart or Al Horford who were out with injuries, and then lost Jaylen Brown in the first half with an injury of his own. That means the Celtics were able to hold off a healthy Philly squad while down 60% of their starting lineup. I’d say that is confidence inducing if you’re a Celtic.

The third matchup took place on February 25th, the second game back from the All-Star break for the Celtics. This was a game that was largely dominated by Philly through the first 30 minutes, taking a 15 point lead early in the 3rd quarter. But, from that point on it was dominated by Boston thanks to a 45-20 run for the C’s. The game ended with a Jayson Tatum 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining, lifting Boston to a 110-107 victory on the 76ers home floor.

Lastly, the two squared off for a fourth and final time on April 4th in Philadelphia. Similar to the second matchup, the Celtics were short-handed with Jaylen Brown sitting this one out. Short one of their All-Stars, the Celtics put on a strong fight but ultimately fell short 103-101. This game was completely dominated by likely MVP Joel Embiid who finished the game with 52 points on 20/25 shooting. While it was great for Philly to get a win in the series, I’d argue this game did as much for the Celtics' confidence as it did for the 76ers. The Celtics, down their 2nd best player, nearly went into Philly and won a game where Joel Embiid was nearly perfect. If there are such things as moral victories, this definitely fits the description.

So, what does all of this mean for the series? I’m not sure. If you are a Celtics fan you are going to point to the fact that the only game Philly won this season was one in which Jaylen Brown was out. If you're a Philly fan you are going to say that the regular season is completely different from the playoffs and the 3-1 Celtics record is irrelevant. I for one think both answers are correct. The Celtics always enter a Philly series with immense confidence because they have owned this series over the last several seasons. But, this 76ers team isn't the same one they swept in 2020. They are a very talented group with a guy who will likely win the MVP (I’m writing this with the assumption Embiid is healthy enough to play). It should be a very competitive series that will come down to a few key plays.

I could really start this blog talking about how they nearly blew a 21 point lead to Cleveland just 6 days ago. Fortunately, they escaped with a 4 point victory so I’ll give them a pass. The stretch from hell started on Friday night against Brooklyn.

 The Celtics rocketed out of the gate, jumping to an early 51-23 lead against a Nets team that had lost four straight before the matchup. Everything was going well until the team decided to quit playing anything that even closely resembled defense. The Nets were running directly past Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for layups. Once they caught their rhythm at the rim, the threes began to fall. In the blink of an eye the Celts went from up 28 to down 16. By the time the final horn sounded they had lost 115-105. It was the most embarrassing loss all season for a team that has looked excellent up until recent.

“Okay, the Brooklyn loss was terrible but it was just one game right? I mean even the best teams of all time have had some horrible losses here and there.” “The Celtics will respond to the embarrassment and lay a beat down on the Knicks.” These were the kinds of things I was telling myself after the Brooklyn loss. Little did I know it was only going to get worse.

Sunday night it was the Knicks turn to beat up on the helpless C’s. Once again the Celtics looked like a competent basketball team for much of the first half, building a 77-63 lead midway through the third quarter. But once again the Celtics decided to blow a lead to a team from New York City. They would eventually lose the game 131-129 in double-overtime. A tough pill to swallow after the Brooklyn meltdown.

Of the three losses, this is the only one I thought coaching was the main cause. Once the game reached overtime, Head Coach Joe Mazzula showed a reluctance to make the necessary substitution to stop the bleeding. Knicks backup point guard Immanuel Quickley (Yes, Jalen Brunson, the Knicks starting PG and best player didn't even play… ugh I hate this) was absolutely torching the Celtics all game long. The worst of it was in overtime when he was viciously hunting a switch onto Grant Williams. Time and time again Quickley would get this switch and either race past Williams for a layup, or stop in the paint for a little floater or jumper. It was obvious what Quickley and the Knicks wanted to do, yet Mazzula refused to make a substitution and get Grant out of the game. It was a tough moment for everyone involved, specifically Mazzula and Grant, but hey at least it could get much worse for Grant, right?… 

That leads us to tonight, the third game in four days. It is only fair that I mention the Celtics were without Tatum, Horford, and Rob Williams in this one. Missing your entire starting front-court is no joke, so coming into the game I was just hoping the Celtics would play hard and execute if given an opportunity to win.

Much like the previous two games the Celtics looked great to start, racing out to a double-digit lead that ballooned to as large as 15 late in the third. The ball was popping, the defense was flying, and the shots were falling. They finally looked like they got their mojo back, but then the 4th quarter happened. The C’s, who did a good job on the defensive glass all night, were absolutely crushed in the 4th and eventual OT. They gave up double-digit offensive rebounds over that span, allowing Cleveland to claw their way back in the game and tie it with under a minute left. (Just an FYI, Mitchell was not fouled on that drive, the game shouldn’t have been tied in the first place…) That’s when the worst moment of this three game stretch occurred. Remember when I said it couldn’t get much worse for Grant Williams? Well, I lied. On a tip-in attempt with .8 seconds remaining Williams was fouled. He would head to the line with the game tied to shoot two. Make one of your two free throws and you're leaving with a victory…

Well I’m here typing this blog so you know how that story ends. Grant missed em’ and the Celts lost 118-114 in OT.  The Celtics have now lost three in a row, each in devastating fashion, and quite frankly aren’t playing like a good basketball team right now. This team desperately needs to rediscover their early-season self, and they need to do it quickly. 

It’s hard to believe, but there are only 16 games remaining in the regular season. That gives the C’s 16 games to figure it out. The one-seed dream is likely gone, but if they can find their rhythm I still believe they can make a run. They have the best roster in the NBA. I know they CAN win the title, I’m just not sure they’ve put themselves in a position to actually do it.

The four point final deficit isn’t really indicative of how well Boston played tonight. The last time Boston trailed Cleveland was with 10:25 remaining in the 2nd quarter when Cleveland held a 31-28 lead. From that point on it was a dominant Celtics showing, building a lead as large as 21 at one point and a lead of 13 with just 1:15 remaining. The 4 point final margin was a result of several late 3’s by Cleveland, but at no point did they have a chance to tie or take the lead. 

Jayson Tatum was undoubtedly the best player on the floor tonight. He finished with 41 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists on 13/21 shooting, including 4/6 from deep. It was a much needed masterpiece by Tatum who has struggled a bit since the all-star break. The 40 point game was the ninth 40 point night for Tatum this season, tying him with Larry Bird for 2nd in Celtics history. He needs three more 40 point games to break Bird's single-season record of 11, a feat that is definitely within reach. 

While his scoring was incredible, I was most impressed with his passing. He finished with eight assists, but he easily could’ve had 12-14. I’ve watched virtually every game of Tatum's career in Boston, so believe me when I say that he has dramatically improved his playmaking this season. He is making rim-reads better than ever, often kicking the ball out to wide-open shooters in the corner. This makes everyone else on the floor better by giving them the option to shoot a clean look, or drive the closeout and keep the defense in rotation. The iso-heavy game that Tatum relied on for his first several years is long gone. He is a real-deal primary creator in the NBA.

The other Celtic that really stood out tonight was Al Horford. He scored 23 points on 8/10 from the field, including knocking down his first 6 three point attempts. The steady handed veteran is still proving to be as good as he’s ever been, providing floor-spacing at an elite level while also being a defensive anchor. It is amazing that at 36 years old he is still able to have such a steady impact, but he continues to be one of the best players in the Boston rotation.

The C’s have two more at home before they hit the road to ironically face Cleveland again. It is important the Celtics continue to play good basketball and keep the pressure on Milwaukee, who has now won 16 straight games. I still believe the Celtics can claim the one-seed, but they can’t afford many slip-ups.

Making a wishlist isn’t always easy, it’s particularly difficult when your favorite team is a league best 42-17. They are already a really good basketball team, so if you’re hoping to read a blog about the team making major changes or bringing in a big name as a free agent then this isn't the blog for you. This is going to be about tightening up the little things that could lead us to banner 18. That all said, let's take a look at the list.

A Clean Injury Report

This is probably the top thing on every contenders list. If the Celtics want to win the title, keeping guys healthy will be the number one priority. Before the month of February, the C’s have had a relatively clean injury report outside of the preseason injuries we already knew about (Think Danilo Gallinari and Robert Williams III). This allowed them to quickly gain the best record in the NBA, a spot they haven’t relinquished all season. For this to continue it is important to stay relatively injury free over the last 23 games.

As I mentioned above, February has been the worst month in terms of health for the C’s. Marcus Smart missed most of the month with an ankle injury, Jaylen Brown missed several games with a facial fracture (I wonder if JT ever bought him a car like he said he would?), and nearly everyone on the roster missed time at some point with a non-Covid illness. Even Derrick White, the most durable Celtic, had an issue with his ear that caused him to miss the flight home from Milwaukee, although he never missed a game with that issue. Fortunately, the all-star break gave them a chance to heal up all the bumps and bruises and prepare for the stretch run. More than anything else, health will determine how far the C’s can go.

The Impressive Play of The Role Players to Continue

This one can easily be tied to the injury report. While the Celtics were battling injuries before the break, they were still able to win the majority of their games and be competitive in the losses. If you wanted to look for a reason why, look no further than the improved play by the role players.

With Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart missing time, we got to see the best version we’ve ever seen of Derrick White. From Smart’s injury on January 21st up until the break, White averaged 19.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on 48/43/87 shooting splits. During this time he was also awarded the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week on February 13th, very impressive stuff for the Celtic’s 4th or 5th offensive option. His raw numbers will surely drop with a full lineup, but if he can continue to pour in 12-18 points and 3-5 assists on efficient splits, while also being one of the best defenders in the league, the Celtic’s will be set up very nicely moving forward.

Sam Hauser is the other Celtics role player that found his groove just before the break. It has been well documented that after a blazing hot start from 3, Hauser saw his role begin to diminish as his shot stopped falling for most of December and early January. Those struggles seem to be behind us however, from January 23rd to the break, Hauser shot 46% from three on 5.4 attempts per game. If he is able to provide this elite level motion shooting for the remainder of the season, he will definitely carve out a very important role come playoff time. 

Tighten up the Defense

I want to make one thing very clear, I am not criticizing the defense here. They currently have a defensive rating of 110.6 according to NBA.com, 4th best in the NBA, so they are by no means a bad defensive team. That said, I still feel like they have the personnel to go up a level. Tatum, Brown, Smart, Brogdon, White, Horford, and both of the Williams are all terrific defensive players. There is no reason this team can’t be even better defensively over this stretch run considering they have the ability to roll out eight terrific defenders each night. When this unit plays its best, there is nowhere for the other team to attack.

The best trend for the defense so far this season is they’ve addressed the issues that probably cost them a title last year. The Warriors dominated the Celtics in fast-break situations during the Finals due to the Celtics turnover issues, but so far this season they have given up only 13 points per 100 fast-break opportunities, 9th best in the NBA. If you want to look at points off of turnovers, they give up 15.5 per100, 5th best in the NBA. This improvement of last season's fatal flaw can be attributed to paying closer attention to detail in those scenarios, but mostly due to an improvement on the offensive end.  They have the 6th best turnover percentage in the NBA at 13.3%. It is quite simple, when you don’t turn the ball over good things tend to happen, and the Celtics have been one of the league's best at that.

So when I say tighten up the defense, more than anything I mean buff out any scratches. On personnel alone they can be the 4th best defense in the league, so let’s see them put together a 23 game stretch where they stand head and shoulders above the rest. 

Lock up the number 1 overall seed.

I am still of the belief that seeding is extremely important. Don’t believe me? We can look back just one season for an example. Remember the final night of the regular season when Milwaukee decided to run from Brooklyn and punt on the 2 seed? Well that same night the Celtics played their starters and put a whooping on Memphis, giving them the 2-seed and a date with the Nets. They didn’t run from anyone and it gave them a higher seed than Milwaukee, allowing the C’s to have game 7 in The Garden. Who knows if the C’s advance if they have to play a game 7 in Milwaukee. So yes, I think seeding is very important.

The C’s currently have the best odds to land the one seed, but it isn’t going to be easy. They are tied with Milwaukee in the loss column and only up .5 games overall. This means that they can’t mess around and lose a game that they should win. With only one game remaining against the Bucks, a March 30th game on the road, the C’s cannot waste any opportunity to lock in the top seed in the East.

As for the top overall seed, the only major threat from the Western Conference is Denver. The Nuggets are currently 41-18, only one game behind Boston. Obviously you have to get through the East to even get to the Finals, but if they do I would much prefer playing 4 of the possible 7 games in The Garden, than having to travel to one of the toughest places to play in Denver. I’m from Colorado, I’ve seen the affects the elevation can have on a visiting team, so it would be best to eliminate the possibility of a home-court disadvantage in a possible Finals series.

The good news is of those three teams, the Celtics have the easiest remaining schedule according to Tankathon.com, with the 10th easiest in the NBA. The bad news is the Bucks sit just behind them with the 11th easiest remaining schedule in the NBA. As for Denver, they have the 20th easiest, or 11th hardest depending on how you want to look at it. So while Denver probably has the toughest road, it is basically still anybody’s game for that top-seed. That means it is time for the C’s to buckle down and play their best 23 games of the season. Everything is set up for them to make a run, now it's time to execute.

Before I jump into the list it is important to note that this is all opinion based. I may love a specific uniform that you hate, while I may hate one that you love. The best way to look at this list may be as an overview of every Celtics uniform, just presented in my personal favorite order.

I think it is also important to note that I am not from Boston. Sure, I am as big a Celtics fan as you will ever come across, but the whole purpose of the City Edition uniforms is to connect the team with their city. So there may be certain aspects of these uniforms that someone from Boston may appreciate more than myself.

With that out of the way, let's jump into the rankings.

6. 2020/21: Banner Uniform

It may be a bit controversial to put the banner style uniform in last place because we all know how important the banners are to the Celtics organization, in fact they’re everything. But from a uniform perspective I thought they were a bit too basic for my liking. I don’t like all of the lettering on the front of the jersey, it looks crowded and out of place. The banners look amazing hanging from the rafters, so let’s agree to just leave them up there from now on.

5. 2021/22: NBA 75th anniversary uniform

For the NBA’s 75th anniversary a number of teams decided to do a 1946 inspired design for their city edition uniform and the Celtics were in on the trend. There are several elements of this uniform that I love. Including every retired number in Celtics history on the bottom right corner of the jersey is fantastic. Also paying homage to Red Auerbach by including a smokey look on the shorts striping, a nod to his cigar that he famously lit at the end of each victory, was a fantastic addition. 

I love a lot of the subtle details in this uniform, but when it was all pieced together I didn’t love the execution. I understand the use of the 1946 Celtics wordmark on the chest, but I personally don't love how it looks. This isn’t a bad unifrom by any means, just not one of my favorites.

4. 2018/19: White/Green/Yellow Uniform

I wasn’t even sure what to name this uniform because I don't think they followed any particular theme. I actually love this uniform, the yellow outline on what is essentially the standard home white uniform is beautiful. The reason I don't have it ranked higher though is because it doesn’t really feel like a city edition uniform to me. This uniform looks more like an alternate jersey, much like the black, green, and white statement jerseys they wear throughout the season. If I were ranking these with no City Edition context they would be higher, but as they are this is the best I could do. 

Side note: These also get unfairly punished in my book because my most vivid memories of this uniform are with Kyrie Irving. Anything that makes me remember Kyrie’s time with the C’s loses points.

3. 2017/18: Gray Parquet

The first ever Celtics city edition uniform came in the form of a gray based uniform featuring a subtle parquet design. I think I liked these uniforms more than most. A lot of Celtics fans were scarred from a gray uniform due to the hideous sleeved uniforms they wore in 2014, but when you separate the two uniforms I actually think the City Edition one is quite nice. I’m a sucker for the parquet, throw that pattern on anything and I’ll be a fan. So I may like these uniforms more than many others, but this is my list so they crack the top-3.

2. 2019/20: Irish Pub Style

If the last one didn't ruffle some feathers then this one certainly will. From the moment these uniforms were released it seemed like people either loved them or hated them, no in between. I happen to fall on the love side of the spectrum. Of the six City Edition uniforms, I feel like this one leaned most heavily into the city of Boston rather than the Celtics franchise.

 No large city in the United States has a higher percentage of people claiming Irish ancestry than Boston does, so the “Irish Pub'' style lettering across the front of the jersey was a beautiful touch in my opinion. I also just love the shade of gold used on this uniform. Typically when teams use “gold” it comes off as yellow to me (I’m talking to you Lakers fans), the gold used in this uniform is an actual gold that really pops on the green base. Of the six City Edition jerseys, this is the only one I personally own. Many of you will disagree, and that’s fine, but I think this uniform is spectacular.

1.2022/23: Bill Russell Edition

The most recent City Edition uniform is also the best, and I don’t think it’s much of a debate. Red Auerbach aside, no individual is more responsible for the Boston Celtics being the best franchise in NBA history than Bill Russell. This uniform pays homage to Russell with a “Champions of Gold” theme. It features 11 gold diamonds running down the sides to commemorate the 11 Championships he won with the C’s. It has the number “6” with eleven diamonds encompassed on the front of the shorts in honor of his legendary number 6 that is now retired across the entire NBA. Most importantly, the “Champions of Gold” is an homage to Bill being “The Gold Standard” both on and off the court. He broke barriers as the first black head coach and a member of the first all-black starting five in NBA History, and he was a key contributor in the Civil-Rights movement across the United States. 

Bill Russell was a beautiful human, and the Celtics honored that by creating a beautiful uniform in his honor. The City Edition uniform is supposed to be a one year creation, but much like the 11 banners he hung in the Garden and the impact he left around the world, I wouldn’t mind if these lasted forever.

In the future I’d love to see more uniforms inspired by Celtics greats. Who wouldn’t love to see a uniform inspired by legends like Larry Bird, John Havlicek, or Paul Pierce? I’d also love to see them dive more into the city of Boston. There may not be a more historic city in the country than Boston and the Celtics shouldn’t shy away from that.

Either way I look forward to expanding upon this list for years to come. Nothing will ever top the traditional green and white sets they’ve been wearing forever, but the City Edition is a fun way to get creative and think outside of the box. You never know what they’ll come up with next.

Marcus Smart had missed the seven games prior to tonight with an ankle injury, so it was no surprise to see him ruled as “Out” on the Celtics pregame injury report. What was a bit surprising was seeing both Al Horford and Robert Williams ruled as questionable for tonight’s game, Rob with an ankle sprain and Al with right knee swelling. When both were ruled out shortly before tipoff, it seemed the Celtics may be doomed. It's never good to lose both of your starting big-men, but it’s particularly bad to lose them against MVP candidate Joel Embiid. To compound the issue even further, Jaylen Brown exited the game just before halftime after a collision between he and Tatum resulted in a facial injury, he would not return.

So with Smart, Horford, Williams, and Brown all out of the lineup, the Celtics heavily relied on scoring contributions from White, Hauser, Brogdon, Grant Williams, and Blake Griffin. We all know that each of those guys have contributed to winning throughout this season, but only Brogdon has been asked to heavily contribute in a scoring role. This made it extremely encouraging seeing the others step into that role against one of the best teams in the league. Brogdon and White had 19 each, Grant and Blake had 15 each, and Hauser had 14. That’s a combined 82 points from five guys that usually come off the bench. If you’re wondering about Tatum, the lone starter remaining, he only had 12 points. Basically the full strength 76ers just long to the Celtics reserves. 

My player of the game goes to Derrick White. I love Derrick White on this team, partly because he is from my home state of Colorado, but mostly because he is just a damned good basketball player. Derrick White deserves to be strongly considered for an All-Defensive Team selection this season. He is a legitimate rim protector at the shooting guard spot. That is unheard of at the NBA level. No matter who the Celtics are facing on a given night you can count on White taking a tough defensive matchup while also providing 3-point shooting and drive and kick ability on the offensive end. The play of the night was his chasedown block in the second-half preventing a Philly layup and stifling a miniature scoring run.

I’d also like to give a ton of credit to Blake, Grant, and Luke Kornet tonight. They stepped up massively with the starting bigs out and helped hold Joel Embiid to 28 points, 6 points under his average. Many have speculated GM Brad Stevens would look to add more depth down-low before tomorrow's trade deadline, and while he still may look to make a move, those three proved they have the ability to manage one of the games best Centers. The C’s don’t win tonight without this trio, so major props to them.

Lastly it looks like Sam Hauser is out of his shooting slump. After being blazing hot coming out of the gates, Hauser had cooled off drastically throughout the middle part of this season. These struggles made many, myself included, question whether or not he’d be able to stick in the regular rotation. But to Coach Mazzula’s credit, he never lost faith in Sam and it appears to be paying off. He has been blistering hot from deep over the past several games including 4 for 4 from deep tonight.

The Celts host Charlotte on Friday night. If you remember correctly this is the team Jayson Tatum dropped 50 points on in mid-January. Perhaps he will respond to his 12 point game by having a big scoring night against a team he has had a lot of success with in his career. 

With Marcus Smart still recovering from an ankle injury and Jaylen Brown missing tonight’s game with a non-covid related illness, tonight became a prime opportunity for some of the other guys to step up and make an impact. 

Starting in place of Brown tonight was Sam Hauser. This came as a bit of a surprise as typically we would see Payton Pritchard starting at point with Derrick White moving to the two-guard. But Coach Mazzula felt it was time for Sam to get his shot in the starting lineup and he did not disappoint. Hauser scored 15 points, all of which came on 3-point shots, and provided a much needed scoring boost.

After a red-hot start to the season, he cooled down a bit over the last several months and saw his roll begin to diminish. That made it particularly surprising when he got the nod to start, but also made it very encouraging to see him find his shooting rhythm. Sam provides a movement-shooting element to this team that no one else provides. It isn’t a coincidence that the offense was at its best when he was thriving early in the season.

Derrick White was also terrific tonight. The often overshadowed White doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves for his contributions on a nightly basis. He is one of the best defenders in the NBA and he may be the best rim-defending Guard in the entire NBA. Regardless of what the C’s ask of him he is usually able to provide it, and tonight they needed scoring. D-White scored 23 points on 8/17 from the floor. He also added a team-high 7 assists just for good measure. It’s such a pleasure knowing that anytime the Celtics need him to step into a scorer role he has the ability to, but also is unselfish enough to accept a smaller role when the scoring isn’t needed.

The 111-99 victory certainly wasn’t the most impressive win of the season but hey, a win is a win. The Celtics are now 37-16 with a matchup with Philadelphia coming on Wednesday. This is their first time facing off with their rivals since opening night and a win could really help either team in their pursuit of the coveted one-seed. It should be a highly contested battle between two of the league's best teams.

Lakers vs Celtics always has a special feel to it. It is far and away the best and most storied rivalry in the NBA, right up there with Yankees vs Sox, Duke vs Carolina, and Auburn vs Bama as the best in all of American sports. Saturday night the longstanding rivals went to battle on The Garden’s parquet. Lakers being led by familiar foe LeBron James; Celtics led by the Jays. When the dust settled we were greeted with a Boston win and a storm of controversy. What will forever be an iconic moment in the most iconic rivalry.

I would type out a full game recap here but let's just face it, no one cares about anything that happened before the 4th quarter. For Boston that may be a good thing as they looked quite lethargic through 3, but nevertheless let’s get to the good stuff.

Jaylen Brown was phenomenal down the stretch and silenced any doubter he may have had leading into this one. Remember, just two nights ago JB missed two free-throws late in a loss to the Knicks that likely would have given the C’s the win. He was highly criticized after the loss and promised to be better next time he was in that situation. That situation came just two nights after, and to his credit he answered the bell and took over the game late. 

Everyone will remember the Tatum “block” on Lebron, but the biggest play of the game for Boston was the JB “AND-1” he converted down 3 with under 10 seconds remaining in the 4th. As I mentioned before, just two nights after blowing both free throws against the Knicks, JB stepped up to the line with a chance to send it into OT. SWISH. Never a doubt.

The JB show continued through overtime. He scored 11 points in the five-minute period including multiple tough mid-range jumpers and a beautiful pull-up three in transition that nearly set the net on fire. He was the best player on the floor late in the game and he undoubtedly deserved to be the player of the game. He finished with 37 points and 9 rebounds, a perfect redemption game for JB.

Malcolm Brogdon was also huge in the win. Coming off the bench as usual, Brogdon scored 26 points on 8/15 shooting. He hit multiple clutch 3’s late in regulation to help the C’s crawl out of seven point deficit midway through the 4th quarter. Most impressively he held up guarding Anthony Davis on the defensive end. You don’t often see a Point Guard stopping a Center in the low-post but that’s exactly what Brogdon did against Davis.

Finally, as for the “block” by Tatum. He 100% fouled Lebron James. But I am sick of seeing Lakers fans online acting like there is some sort of deeper conspiracy against them perpetrated by the NBA. That’s complete nonsense. 

Over the course of NBA history no franchise has benefited more from “questionable” calls than the Lakers. There was the phantom foul call on Bill Laimbeer in the 1988 NBA finals, allowing the Lakers to steal the finals from Detroit. What about game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals? Where the Sacramento Kings were robbed by numerous atrocious calls allowing the Lakers to steal the victory. That’s not enough? How about game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals where the Lakers had a 37-17 free throw advantage over the Celtics.

 All of these are examples of “questionable” calls in huge moments benefitting the Lakers. Why would the NBA fix games to make their most popular team and most popular player miss the playoffs? They wouldn’t! Do you really think the NBA would rather have the Utah Jazz or Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs over LeBron James and the Lakers? You’re delusional if you think that’s the case.

The reality is that being an NBA official is a really hard job. They aren’t given the benefit of slow-motion replay from a million different angles. They have to make huge decisions in real-time, and for as much criticism as they get (from myself included) they usually get it right. Saturday night they missed a huge call, it happens, but will all you crying Laker fans please stop screaming conspiracy? It’s nonsense and you’re making us NBA fans look bad.

 Besides, there is no guarantee LeBron makes one of those free throws. Jaylen Brown is a better free throw shooter than LeBron, and as I mentioned earlier he just missed two in a row to the Knicks two nights ago. So, does LeBron probably make at least one of the two? Sure. But would you have bet your life on it? I’m going to guess not.

The Celtics now have a few days to rest-up and get healthy before they host Brooklyn on Wednesday night. I haven’t seen any updates but I’d expect to get some news on Marcus Smart’s ankle early next week to determine when we will see him return to the lineup.

Until then, hop online and smile at the complaining Laker fans. And remember, It's Boston Celtics: 17,  Los Angeles Lakers: 12, and Minneapolis Lakers: 5.

 When you care about a team so passionately you tend to take these things to heart. You try to explain this to non sports fans and they look at you like you’re crazy; “You mean you really let a team you have no control over affect your mood?” Yes… Yes I do!! That’s what being a fan is all about. You celebrate the victories and you feel sick after defeat. Is it right to feel this way? Well, I’m not too concerned with that because I can’t fight the fact that I do. 

 After games 4, 5, and 6 of last year’s finals, followed up by the C’s horrible showing against the Warriors in December, it became increasingly obvious we needed to get a win over this team. Not for the standings, not for Jayson Tatum’s MVP chances, but for every one of us that wear Celtics’ green. You can try to downplay it and say it’s just another game, but for me it felt like much more than that.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown deserve a ton of credit for this win. Not because they were terrific all night, but because they weren’t, and yet they still found a way to carry us home down the stretch. Jaylen Brown took over the game late in the 4th and throughout overtime. After only scoring two points through three quarters, JB checked into the game with just over 8 minutes remaining and couldn’t be stopped the rest of the way. He scored 14 points in the 4th quarter and overtime including the biggest shot of the night when he tied the game with just 18 seconds remaining to force OT. To win a championship you need your best players to hit the biggest shots; and Jaylen Brown is proving that ability.

Jayson Tatum struggled shooting the ball tonight, only going 9/27 from the floor, but he also saved his best play for late. He hit the second biggest shot of the night, an overtime dagger 3 over Draymond Green. This was a superstar player making a superstar shot. His finals statline was 34 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists, and maybe most importantly 12/12 from the free throw line. Critics are going to point to 9/27 and say he wasn’t very good, but that just shows me how good he really is. If he can drop 34 and 19 on his “off nights”, the rest of the NBA is doomed.

I also need to give respect to Al Horford and Marcus Smart. They felt like the only guys who weren’t playing tight through the entirety of the game and really carried the offense when both Tatum and Brown were struggling. That is why these two are so much more important than their numbers might reflect. Horford is an ever calming figure on the floor. And Smart, regardless of what you think of him, never shies away from the moment. And the Celtics lose this game tonight without those two guys. The two of them combined for 38 points of 15/29 shooting. An excellent night for both that shouldn’t fly under the radar.

This win doesn’t avenge their loss in the 2022 finals, but nothing ever will. It does however help remove doubt about the ceiling of this team. This team is capable of winning the championship even if they were to face Golden State in the finals, I truly believe that and after tonight I think the players believe that too. That is why we needed this win.

The Celtics will now carry their 8 game win streak and league best  34-12 record north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. This is a big test for Boston as I’d like to see how they respond coming off of this highly emotional game tonight. We will either get a highly confident team that feels like they can take over the world, or they will come out looking like zombies after such a draining win. Either way I can’t wait to see it.

Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on tonight’s game.

51 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists on 15/23 shooting, including 7/12 from three, while also knocking down all 14 of his free throw attempts. That was Jayson Tatum's statline in this Monday matinee masterpiece. Boston controlled most of the game, building up a 16 point lead when Tatum checked out of the game towards the end of the 3rd quarter. By the time JT checked back in at about the 8:30 mark in the 4th quarter, the Bostons' lead had shrunk to just 2 and they were in jeopardy of dropping a very winnable game. That is when Tatum took control and ended any chance at a Charlotte win. From the time he checked in, up to the final buzzer, Tatum scored 18 of the Celtics final 27 points. It was an utter dominance from every spot on the floor. Driving to the rim for easy dunks, baiting helpless defenders into fouls, and nailing three point jumpers over anybody in his path. The MVP candidate wasn’t going to lose under any circumstances tonight helping the C’s secure the 130-118 victory.

This was the 5th career regular season 50 point game for Jayson Tatum, passing up Larry Bird for the most in franchise history. No, that is not a typo. Jayson Tatum has more career 50 point games then Larry Bird. At just 24 years old, JT is starting to really etch himself in Celtics lore. As we all know part of being a Celtic is hanging banners, and JT has yet to do that, but it’s impossible to ignore some of the things he is doing at this point in his career. On top of passing Larry Legend for career 50 point games, Tatum is also on pace to average more points this season than any Celtic in franchise history as well. Tatum is average 31.1 ppg this season, a whole point more than Birds current record of 29.9 ppg averaged during his 1987/88 season. Now I’m not saying JT is on the Bird level in terms of all-time Celtics, that would be ridiculous. But it may be time to start recognizing that Tatum does have the talent to get there, and at only 24 years old the sky is the limit on what else he can accomplish in this uniform.

As for the team, the Celtics get two days of rest before a monstrous home date with the defending champion, Golden State Warriors, on Thursday night. As we all remember, Golden State defeated the C’s pretty handily on their home court back in early December so this will be another chance for the Celtics to enact a bit of revenge once again. I will really be watching closely at how they handle this moment. It was pretty obvious during the earlier meeting between the two that Boston was pressing so hard to beat the Warriors that they pressured themselves into bad shots and turnovers. If the Celtics can just take a deep breathe and play their brand of basketball they are better than any team in the NBA including the Warriors. 

    Okay, saying it was a battle entirely of “the other guys” is a bit unfair. After all, the Celtics still had their MVP candidate in Jayson Tatum and Brooklyn still had Kyrie Irving on the floor, but as the game unfolded it really was on the Celtics role players to carry them tonight. Tatum had himself a rare off-night scoring the ball, “only” pouring in 20 points on 7/22 shooting from the floor. With Brown out and Tatum struggling, much of the scoring burden would be picked up by Smart, Brogdon, and White tonight. That trio of Celtic guards combined for 47 points, really showing a scoring burst that we don’t see very often when both Tatum and Brown are on the floor.

    The Guard depth this season has been one of the most encouraging signs if you’re hoping for a championship run by these Celtics. In last year’s Finals I think the Celtics biggest weakness, other than inexperience, was their lack of a scoring punch from the Guard spot off the bench. This issue has been completely eliminated with the offseason acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon. Brogdon has been excellent from day one, selflessly coming off of the bench and providing a much needed scoring punch when he easily could have gone to another team and earned a bigger role. Brogdon is a legitimate 6th man of the year contender this season, and when you combine this with Smart’s passing and Derrick White’s unreal ability to protect the rim, you see one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA. All of this is without even mentioning Payton Pritchard, who legitimately might be the best player in the NBA who doesn’t crack a team's regular rotation. Anytime the Celtics need an energy boost Payton seems to provide it. I've never seen a player his size come up with more key offensive rebounds leading to second chance buckets. He is a true gem that doesn’t get regular minutes.

    I couldn’t type out this blog without also giving a shoutout to both Grant Williams and Luke Kornet. Through much of December Grant seemed to struggle a bit on the offensive end. A usually reliable three-point shooter, Grant seemed to be hesitating on the catch rather than letting the shot fly, resulting in tough situations where he was getting trapped with the ball in the corner. Lately however he has been much better. While he still hasn’t been shooting the three great, he has shown huge growth attacking the rim this season. If you would have told me three years ago that Grant Williams was attacking closeouts and finishing strong at the rim I would’ve called you crazy. But that is exactly what Grant is doing lately, scoring 12 points tonight.

    As for Kornet he seems to just get better and better. He appears to have developed a real chemistry with Tatum on the offensive end. He always seems well positioned to clean-up a Tatum miss or throw down one of his lob-passes. It remains to be seen what Kornet's role will be in the playoffs, but his 11 points off the bench tonight were just what the Celtics needed in the second game of a back-to-back.

    The Celtics now hold a three game lead in the Eastern Conference and are riding a five game winning streak. Next on the docket are back-to-back games in Charlotte with the 11-32 Hornets. On the surface it appears these should be easy wins for the C’s but we’ve seen this team struggle with some of the NBA’s lesser teams. I’m really excited to see what version of the Celtics we get. If we get the version we got tonight, we will likely be riding a seven-game win streak when Golden State rides into Boston on Thursday night.