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Watch out. They may be late to the party, but the Boston Celtics have arrived.
Coming on the heels of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance last year, Boston has had an underwhelming campaign, hovering around a .500 record and the eighth seed in the East standings for the majority of the season. They struggled with injuries, with Kemba Walker coming off knee surgery. Furthermore, like other teams in the league, they also went through a rough COVID-19 stretch, with franchise star Jayson Tatum contracting the virus and dealing with the long-term effects.
But after an outstanding run over the past couple of weeks, being winners of seven of their last eight, the Celtics now find themselves on the cusp of grabbing a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference. More importantly, they are finally getting their rhythm and rounding into top form with the regular season just about to wind down.
Their last three wins, in particular, have solidified the case that they have indeed risen from the grave and are once again legitimate threats out in the East.
The first came against MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic and the scorching Denver Nuggets, who had won eight in a row at that point. Denver led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter before Boston put together an insane 31-3 run to stop the hottest team in the league right in its tracks.
The next win came in a one-point win over the Portland Trail Blazers, edging out one of the most clutch players in the NBA in Damian Lillard. Dame Time looked to pounce once again down the stretch, but the Celtics managed to stave off a late-game Blazers run to secure the win. This victory definitely showcased Boston's poise and composure with the game on the line.
The most recent win came against their arch-nemesis, the Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, the defending champs still didn't have their two best players and the final score of 121-113 doesn't show it, but the Celtics showed complete dominance for majority of this game, leading by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter.
This recent stretch has definitely been an impressive showing for the ball club as a whole. Their success over these last couple of weeks has also been in large part due to the stellar play of star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum is averaging 27.5 points while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from 3 over these last eight games. This includes a masterful 53-point explosion to lead the Celtics to a 145-136 overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
Meanwhile, Brown has been just as excellent over this same stretch, averaging 24.8 points on a torrid 54.3 percent shooting from the field and 44.8 from deep. On Thursday against the Lakers, it was Brown's time to shine as he top-scored for the Celtics with a 40-piece on a ridiculous 17-of-20 shooting.
Apart from the individual greatness of their two All-Stars, the Celtics have also been playing much better as a team as of late, especially on the defensive end. Standing at No. 14 in terms of defensive rating for the season as a whole, per NBA.com, Boston has turned into a top-five defense over the last eight outings.
Since Brad Stevens took over as head coach, the Celtics have prided themselves as a top-notch defensive squad. With the way they've been playing on that end over these last couple of weeks, it seems like Boston is finally regaining its true form and identity.
Of course, teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat will undoubtedly be in the Celtics' way when it comes to a potential Finals berth. But with the way they are playing right now and with Evan Fournier in the fold once he can actually play, Boston can definitely hang with the best of them in the NBA.
