The Boston Celtics struggled to find any sort of rhythm or consistency through the early part of the season, continuously floating around .500. For a long period of time, they weren’t even a play-in team.
According to Al Horford, it was the New Year’s Eve win over the Phoenix Suns that marked the turning point for this group. Since Dec. 31, the Celtics have had one of the best mid-season turnarounds in recent memory. In that time span, Boston has the best record in the East and the second-best in basketball at 27-9.
6 factors behind the Boston Celtics incredible turnaround
Everything began to click for Boston, as they have become a force on the defensive side of the ball. For many, this was the expectation for the Celtics at the start of the year, and now it’s finally coming to fruition.
They lead the NBA in almost all defensive categories – first in defensive rating, first in opponents’ field goal percentage, first in opponents’ points per game, first in opponents’ assists per game, and first in scoring margin.
The only major defensive categories the Celtics are not first in are blocks and opponents’ paint points per game – and they are second in both of those. In addition, the team is fifth in rebounding.
Boston has lost only three of their last 21 games and has won 20 of their last 24. And most of those games have been against other playoff teams, too.
Only falling in just three of their last 21, this Celtics team has won 20 of their last 24 with most of the wins coming against playoff teams. So, with how great the team has been playing, should they be considered title contenders? Here are some reasons why the answer is yes.