The Boston Celtics wrapped up the regular season at home with a win over the Charlotte Hornets, finishing the season with a 61-21 record. The Celtics reached the 60-win mark last Friday against the Hornets, marking the first time since 2008-2009 that the Celtics have won 60 games in back-to-back seasons.
With their exceptional play this season, the Celtics hope to become the first team since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 to win back-to-back titles. It’ll be difficult for the Celtics to repeat, as both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder have proven to be strong teams, finishing the season with a better record than the Celtics.
As we wait to see who the Celtics will play in the first round, let’s dive into the three takeaways from this year's Celtics.
1. No Championship Hangover from the Defending Champs
Typically, the team that wins the championship isn’t as successful in the following year, at least in the regular season. Whether it’s motivation, too much pressure to replicate championship-level success, or not having much rest, defending champions usually have a dip in their regular season performance, coining the term ‘championship hangover’.
The Celtics, however, didn’t have a championship hangover. Their play from last year continued into this season, finishing the year fourth in defensive rating (110.1), second in offensive rating (119.5), and first in most threes per game (17.8).
They’ve also remained relatively healthy, with Kristaps Porzingis being the only player to miss extended time. Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown were also both rattled with injuries, but both should be well-rested and good to go ahead for their next game.
Although the Celtics were in a slump in December and January, where they combined for an 18-12 record, they finished the season winning 27 out of their last 34 games and 14 of their last 16. One of their key contributors to this run has been Al Horford, averaging 12.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and shooting 37% from three in his last 13 games.