Two years ago, the Boston Celtics lost the 2022 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors in heartbreaking fashion. Today, the league’s greatest franchise is back where it belongs: on top of the NBA world. Last week, the Celtics clinched their record 18th championship, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in dominant fashion on their home court and surpassing their historic rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in titles.
Over the last few seasons, the Celtics have been through it all, from blowing a 2-1 lead in the 2022 Finals to coming back from down 3-0 against the Miami Heat in last year’s conference finals, only to come up short in Game 7. This pattern of coming up short led many to give up on the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. As a longtime Celtics fan who never stopped believing in them, I have never been happier to write a season recap than right now.
The Celtics dominated throughout the season, finishing with a 64-18 record and claiming the top seed in the league. Their postseason run was no less impressive, as they lost only two games on their way to the Finals. That said, the Celtics’ run was made easier by a string of injuries to opposing players. In the first round, they faced a Miami Heat team without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, defeating them handily in five games. In the conference semis, they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, also in five games, with Donovan Mitchell missing the last three. They swept the dynamic Indiana Pacers in the conference finals, with all-star Tyrese Haliburton missing the last two games. While the Celtics were helped by these absences, the ease with which they cruised to the Finals left no doubt that they were the best team in the Eastern Conference. Furthermore, did it all without star center Kristaps Porziņģis, who had to sit out with an injury himself.
After losing the 2022 Finals, Jayson Tatum shared one particularly memorable quote: “If you win a championship, they can debate a lot of things, but they can’t debate whether or not you’re a champion.” This is particularly relevant today, as many fans and pundits argue that the Celtics’ title run was unimpressive because their opponents were shorthanded.
The Mavericks’ run to the Finals could not have been any more different. In round one, they faced a powerhouse in the Los Angeles Clippers, taking down the Big Three of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden in six games. (Although Leonard missed several games due to injury.) In the second round, they defeated the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in another hard-fought six-game series. In the conference finals, they faced the tough Minnesota Timberwolves, who were coming off a seven-game series against the defending champion Denver Nuggets. The Mavs won in five games, with superstar Luka Dončić draining a game-winning three-pointer in Game 2.
Going into the Finals, many sports analysts favored the Mavericks, claiming that they were more “battle-tested” and better prepared for the big stage than the Celtics, who had breezed through their side of the bracket. On top of that, the health of Porziņģis was in question, as he would have to play limited minutes for most of the series.
It did not take long for the Celtics to prove them wrong. In Game 1, Porziņģis put on a show, scoring 20 points in a blowout win for his team. Game 2 was hardly any different, with the C’s firing on all cylinders to take down the Mavs yet again. Game 3 seemed like it would go the Mavs’ way when they cut a 21-point Celtics lead to just one point late in the fourth quarter; however, the Celtics rallied in the last few minutes to take home a clutch-time victory and an insurmountable 3-0 lead. After an unusually poor performance in Game 4 that extended the series, the Celtics wasted no time in securing the title on their home court in Game 5. As confetti filled TD Garden from top to bottom, Tatum lifted his arms into the air and yelled, “We did it!” echoing the relief and ecstasy felt by Celtics players and fans around him in a manner reminiscent of Kevin Garnett’s iconic “Anything is possible” in 2008.
So, after years of coming up short, how did the Celtics finally get it done?
1. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
Going into the Finals, many argued that the duo of Dončić and Kyrie Irving was superior to the Celtics’ duo of Tatum and Brown. However, as the series progressed, Irving struggled offensively, while Dončić could not hold his own on the defensive end. Tatum and Brown, on the other hand, proved consistent on both ends of the floor.
Tatum, who made the All-NBA First Team this year, has expanded his game significantly since his disappointing performance in the 2022 Finals. He led the Celtics in points, assists and rebounds throughout the playoffs, a feat only accomplished by legends such as Tim Duncan and Nikola Jokic. Brown, who disappointed in last year’s playoffs after Tatum suffered an ankle injury in the conference finals, also elevated his game substantially, winning both Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP.
2. Depth
The Celtics are among the most balanced teams the NBA has ever seen. Apart from the unstoppable force of Tatum and Brown, opponents have to reckon with the seven-foot Porziņģis, who can kill teams both in the post and as a spot-up shooter, as well as guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, who both made All-Defensive teams and dominated in the clutch all season. On the bench, the Celtics feature shooters like Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, the latter of whom made two buzzer-beating half-court shots at the end of quarters in the Finals, as well as the reliable veteran Al Horford. Unlike most other teams, the Celtics have no defensive liabilities or offensive weaknesses, making them nearly impossible to beat.
3. Coaching
Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla took over the reins last season in unprecedented fashion when the previous coach, Ime Udoka, was forced to step down due to inappropriate behavior in the workplace. Mazzulla’s heavy reliance on three-point shooting and analytics left many doubting him after his team disappointed in last year’s playoffs. However, it was that very strategy that brought the Celtics their latest banner. Only a week into the offseason, teams around the league are already making moves to try to match up with the Celtics. The Los Angeles Lakers hired new head coach J.J. Redick, who is expected to employ Mazzulla’s methods of analytics and three-point shooting; the OKC Thunder brought in guard Alex Caruso to improve their perimeter defense; and the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges to improve their depth and chemistry.
Over the last few years, the Celtics have set a precedent for what a well-run organization looks like, making all the right trades, trusting their system and playing as a team. It will be interesting to see how teams attempt to replicate their success in the coming seasons.
I got the Celtics, Knicks and Thunder as my main title contenders next season. Leave your predictions in the comments below!
