No team in the Eastern Conference has caught fire to the levels the Celtics have, but even their red-hot streak isn’t enough for the team to give itself a well-deserved pat on the back.
The Celtics packed their passports — and their four-game winning streak — en route to Toronto, leaving with a fifth consecutive 121-113 victory on Sunday to maintain the longest active win streak in the East. It took surviving a last-minute surge from the Raptors, but defeating the Raptors gave Boston sole possession
of the No. 3 seed, marking an extraordinary leap from the team’s previous No. 10-seeded position just two weeks ago.
In any other season over the past eight years, this would be considered ‘business as usual’ for the Celtics. This season, however — initially viewed as a ‘gap year’ rather than a true contention push — a five-game winning streak, leaving them just 1½ games behind the Knicks for the No. 2 seed, is more than impressive; it’s remarkably unusual for a team missing three of last year’s starters, including superstar Jayson Tatum.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, meanwhile, isn’t letting the locker room get ahead of itself.
“No, it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t show you anything,” Mazzulla said at Scotiabank Arena. “There are ebbs and flows along the way in the league. At the end of the day, 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. And when you don’t, how quickly can you get back? We’ve got a big practice coming up on Wednesday, and that’s the next big test — how we can approach that day. It’s the only thing that matters.”
Regardless of the level-headed focus Mazzulla hopes will spread amongst his team, the basketball they’ve been playing lately is worth a closer look.
Unprecedented is the only word to describe what the Celtics have become over the past few weeks. They’ve won 10 of their last 12 games, ranking second in the league in scoring (122.8 points) behind the Nuggets, first in field goals made (45.3), first in 3-pointers made (17.4), and first in fewest turnovers (12.1). Boston has dialed in on the finer details to make up for the loss of star power that made them an afterthought on Opening Night.
From afar, it’s easy to dismiss a five-game winning streak — or 10 wins in 12 games — as a fluke. Then again, that would also be a misrepresentation of everything the Celtics have built thus far. Role players, many of whom weren’t considered difference-makers months ago, have suddenly become just as vital as the team’s stars: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard. Inexperience hasn’t held the team back; it’s motivated everyone to make the most of their opportunities, and it’s starting to give Boston’s unproven roster every reason to be confident moving forward.
Jordan Walsh, Hugo González, and Josh Minott haven’t been lost among the pine trees of Maine this entire season, and that’s because they’ve been vital in helping the Celtics find their groove.
“We’re getting contributions from everybody,” White said. “Every person that checks into the game is really helping us, and we’re all going for the same goal. So we continue to all play the right way, celebrate each other’s successes, and just be there for one another — we’ll do a lot of special things.”
Walsh has transformed from a developmental defensive piece into a scoring threat, pouring in a career-high 22 points against the Wizards, followed by 17 points versus the Lakers on a combined 18-of-19 shooting over consecutive games. González, who struggled for playing time last year with Real Madrid in the Liga ACB, has become a defensive menace with a still-evolving ceiling. And Minott, who hadn’t recorded a single career start through three seasons with the Timberwolves before arriving in Boston, has helped fortify the frontcourt with his athleticism, defensive prowess, and a sneaky offensive arsenal.
There’s no telling what this means in the grand scheme for the Celtics, as their overperformance raises the question: Is it time to re-evaluate Boston’s expectations, or is it still too early?
For the rest of December, Boston is scheduled to face the Bucks, Pistons, Heat, Raptors (again), Trail Blazers, Pacers (twice), and the Jazz — and among those opponents, only Detroit owns a better record than the Celtics. Four others (Milwaukee, Indiana, Portland, and Utah) are currently seeded No. 10 or lower.
Favorable? It certainly seems so. However, nothing about this stretch is going to cause the Celtics to ease off the gas or abandon the principles that have been fueling them.
“Just keep going. Just keep getting better, stay humble,” Brown said. “Just one game at a time. Just keep growing, getting better, and having fun — and smiling.”
Brown added: “It’s more fun when you win. I’ll tell you that.”
