The Celtics are officially going to the NBA playoffs. While that wasn’t necessarily in doubt with the C’s maintaining their No. 2 seed in the East, they made it official Sunday.
The C’s blew out the Hornets in Charlotte despite missing multiple rotation players, improving their record to 50-24. Jayson Tatum also put together his best game of the year, scoring a season-high 32 points.
This postseason will mark the 12th straight season the Celtics will be in the playoffs. That’s the longest active streak in the NBA currently. Not only that, but the C’s have hit the 50-mark for the fifth straight season.
“It’s just a testament to the alignment of our organization and to the players,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said of the 50-win streak, via the NBC Sports Boston broadcast. “We’ve shifted players over the last five years a bunch of different ways. But winning still remains the most important thing. It’s a minor milestone. I wouldn’t say it’s a true definition of success, but it’s a definition of consistency.”
The Celtics are still in a battle for the No. 2 seed in the East. They’re unlikely to catch the No. 1 Pistons, but the No. 3 Knicks could still overtake them ahead of the playoffs. New York has clinched the tiebreaker over Boston. But the Celtics victory Sunday put them two games ahead of the Knicks for the time being.
Jaylen Brown savored Sunday’s victory, though he’s missed the last two games due to left Achilles tendinitis. Brown took to social media to share his thoughts: “50 wins in a gap year.” The C’s had muted preseason expectations with a reshaped roster and Tatum expected to be sidelined for the majority of the year.
Instead, the Celtics have been one of the best teams in the NBA. They’re once again a potential favorite to come out of a wide-open East. The Pistons have enjoyed a breakout season and the Knicks are in win-now mode. But ultimately, the C’s boast playoff experience, plus they have Brown and Tatum leading the way.
“It’s a culture thing,” Payton Pritchard said. “Everybody shows up. Not going to have every guy play every game, so that means you need a whole roster. And every guy shows up every game ready to compete and help winning. It’s definitely a culture we’ve built here.”
Brown has enjoyed a career-best season, averaging a career-high 28.6 points per game. He’s seen his name thrown around in MVP conversations with the Celtics near the top of the East standings. Other contributors have emerged throughout the season, whether that’s been Neemias Queta, rookie Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman and more.
While the Celtics will be tested in the playoffs, it’s been a stellar season in Boston. A playoff berth has felt like a certainty for fans this decade, but it’s also shown how consistent the Celtics have been in recent years.
Story by Souichi Terada, masslive.com