Just a short while ago, it was fair to question whether it was time to start worrying about the Boston Celtics.
For a team that won the championship last year and had made it clear they wanted to repeat, they looked out of sorts. At various points throughout the season, injuries hampered Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser and Jrue Holiday. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s shooting percentages had taken a dip. The team’s 3-point percentage was down from last year. Over a stretch from Dec. 7 through Jan. 10, they were 8-7, hovering just over .500.
The Celtics were losing games they should’ve won. Some NBA pundits were even questioning whether they had a shot at making the NBA Finals.
Those concerns now seem alarmist.
The Celtics have won five games in a row and nine of their last 10 contests. They led by as much as 27 points in a win over the New York Knicks on Sunday, a team which revamped their roster last summer in an attempt to be able to beat the reigning champions.
In that win, both Tatum and Brown shined, with Tatum finishing with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Brown adding 24 points and eight rebounds.
The Celtics, who are in second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41-16, are hitting their stride at the right point of the season, proving that they’re the team to beat in the East.
They even defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month, 112-105. On the season, they’re 2-1 against the Cavaliers and 3-0 against the third-seeded Knicks, showing that they can beat the other top two teams in the conference.
The Celtics are third in the league in offensive rating (119) and fifth in defensive rating (109.6). They’ve won all five of their last games by at least 13 points and, according to NBA.com, they only trailed their two games last week for 85 seconds.
Tatum is shining. Brown has found his groove. And heading down the stretch-run, the Celtics are making it clear that they’re the team to get through.
NBA POWER RANKINGS
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Boston Celtics
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Houston Rockets
- New York Knicks
- Indiana Pacers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Golden State Warriors
- Dallas Mavericks
- Milwaukee Bucks
- LA Clippers
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Brooklyn Nets
- Sacramento Kings
- Miami Heat
- Phoenix Suns
- Toronto Raptors
- Chicago Bulls
- San Antonio Spurs
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Charlotte Hornets
- Utah Jazz
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Washington Wizards
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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