The Boston Celtics are rolling.
They blew out the Philadelphia 76ers last night by 48 points, setting multiple records in the process. They’re on a nine-game winning streak and have won eleven of their last twelve outings. During those twelve games, they’ve held their opponents to an astounding 93.1 points per game while posting a net rating of 21.9—a figure that blows every other team out of the water. They’re also the first team in NBA history to win three straight road games by 30 or more.
This domination hasn’t been against the NBA’s worst, either. In addition to their blowout win against the 76ers, the Celtics beat the first-seeded Miami Heat by 30 points and won a close contest against the Denver Nuggets and the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic. They’ve also picked up solid wins against probable play-in teams like the New Orleans Pelicans, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Atlanta Hawks.
Teams that go on a stretch of play this incredible aren’t usually the sixth seed in their conference. They don’t usually come into January as the eleventh seed or enter all-star weekend without home-court advantage.
Even so, the Celtics look like a contender.
For the past three weeks, they’ve put together an elite defense and a surging offense. Jayson Tatum is clearly past his early-season shooting struggles, averaging 27.7 points per game and shooting 38.3 percent from three over his last twelve games. Jaylen Brown can also score in buckets, as his 26-point first half against Philly showed last night. What’s more, the Celtics’ defense has been amazing. The team is switchable, lengthy, and disciplined. The players are buying into Ime Udoka’s defensive scheme, and enjoying themselves in the process.
After adding Derrick White and Daniel Theis ahead of the trade deadline, the Celtics have only improved. White is an excellent defender at the guard position and looks to add more playmaking at the offensive end. So far, the fit seems great:
Theis, returning to Boston after brief stints with the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets, will be the versatile big man Celtics fans remember—hitting open threes, setting tough screens, and making the occasional defensive stand.
I wrote a couple of weeks ago that the Celtics seemed to have turned a corner. In truth, they didn’t turn a corner—they rounded it at 100 miles-per-hour. The Celtics are ready to win right now. They have a reliable supporting cast, bolstered by trade deadline acquisitions. They are led by two of the NBA’s brightest young stars and one of the best defenses in the league. Most importantly, they are finally playing their best basketball.
Not many saw this turnaround coming so quickly—I certainly didn’t. What matters, though, is that the Celtics saw it coming. As it turns out, Jaylen Brown was right:
