The second-seeded Boston Celtics just got upset by the seventh-seeded 76ers, yet we just witnessed them do something that we have never seen before. They’ve made the playoffs for the eleventh straight year.
They’ve played Philly four times over that time frame. We’ve seen Boston in the postseason many times before. What’s crazy is how they ended up here this time.
Throughout the entirety of their storied history, the Celtics have never had a more erratic year than this. One year ago the defending champs were locked in a second round playoff battle with New York.
Boston dropped the first two games in odd-defying fashion, and when it seemed like the series couldn’t get any worse, Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles. The roster that brought Boston their eighteenth banner was then torn apart in the offseason in an effort to stay below the salary cap and avoid the newly implemented second apron.
Just like that, the C’s went from contenders to a lottery team in a matter of weeks. NBA.com’s preseason projected them to finish 24th and, like many other sources, anticipated the Celtics stalling until Tatum’s return.
The Celtics outperformed expectations this season
Fast forward just a few weeks into the season, however, and they weren't playing like the sixth-worst team in the league. They looked like the Celtics we knew, powered by an All-NBA season from Jaylen Brown.
Players like Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta stepped their games up and were taking advantage of a hobbled Eastern Conference. Even when things were stable heading into the All-Star break, Boston was dealt more adversity when Anfernee Simons and his 14 ppg were shipped off at the trade deadline.
Joe Mazzula navigated the situation perfectly, though, like he had all season, and with sixteen games left to the season, Jayson Tatum made his miraculous return. The Celtics defied all odds and somehow found themselves in the postseason just a year after what seemed like their imminent collapse.
The Pacers and the Bucks were in the same position as the Celtics
While this alone is a crazy timeline, comparing it to the season the Pacers had makes it even crazier. The Pacers were three quarters away from a title when Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles. Their chaos continued when Myles Turner departed in free agency, but many were optimistic for the coming year.
Role players like Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith showed promising flashes, and a year without their star would force them to improve their game to fill the void. Both the Celtics and Pacers lost their best players to Achilles injuries and key starters to free agency.
A year later and Boston was still contending in the east while the Pacers endured a 19-win season, securing the best lottery odds. The Bucks also experienced a meltdown of sorts after they lost Damian Lillard, which drastically altered their status as a team at the top of the league.
The Celtics should have been among the teams competing for a top pick. Instead, here we are. In short, the Celtics lost Tatum, parted ways with Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford, and traded away their best bench scorer at the trade deadline.
They got Tatum back and were favored in a playoff series. All in one year. That is wild. So while they did give up a 3-1 lead, their season was truly remarkable.
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