NBA

Boston Celtics

(64-18)

1st in East

Jaylen Brown says playing nice in NBA playoffs is over: 'Embrace that villain'

With Brown, the Celtics have almost always been in the contending mix, though they have never won the ring he so badly wants.

Jay King99

Al Horford wakes up Celtics to take down Cavs, advance to Eastern Conference finals

Jared Weiss36

Dispatching the Cavaliers was a boon for the Celtics — even with the drama and doubt

Steve Buckley23

Wednesday's NBA playoff takeaways: Celtics eliminate Cavaliers; Mavericks push Thunder to the brink

The Athletic Staff61

Will home-court advantage continue to be a parquet problem for Celtics?

Jay King49

NBA Playoffs expert picks, odds for Wednesday's Game 5s: Cavaliers at Celtics, Mavericks at Thunder

The Cavs face elimination in Game 5 in Boston, while the Thunder managed to even up their series and look to extend their lead at home.

Hannah Vanbiber9

Are Celtics on easiest NBA Finals path ever? + Lakers coaching update, Steve Kerr's anniversary

Zach Harper and Shams Charania catch you up on leaguewide news.

Zach Harper and Shams Charania103

Defending the 3-point shot: How NBA defenses are doing it, other than just praying

The Athletic spoke to more than a dozen NBA coaches and players throughout the season about this phenomenon.

Law Murray33

Celtics' Game 4 win cemented by teamwork, execution between Brown, Tatum

During Monday's 109-102 Game 4 win, the synergy between Tatum and Brown helped the Celtics get one step closer to what they want most.

Jay King34

Celtics get their first crunchtime win of the playoffs, push Cavs to brink

The Celtics got a crunchtime win to take the 3-1 series lead back to Boston, as the Cavs couldn't keep up with Donovan Mitchell out.

Jared Weiss52

Cavaliers 'disappointed' with NBA officials after huge free-throw discrepancy in Game 4

Without two starters, Cleveland edged Boston in points in the paint. The foul line was a much different story.

Joe Vardon158

Monday's NBA playoff takeaways: Celtics fight off Cavaliers, Thunder complete comeback on Mavs

Jayson Tatum (33 points) and Jaylen Brown (27 points) combined for 60 of Boston's points.

The Athletic Staff87

LeBron James receives standing ovation from Cavaliers crowd at playoff game vs. Celtics

James, who was born about 40 miles south of Cleveland, played 11 of his 21 NBA seasons as a Cavalier.

Joe Vardon73

NBA Playoffs expert picks, odds for Monday's Game 4s: Celtics at Cavaliers, Thunder at Mavericks

Monday's NBA Playoffs slate features two Game 4s. The top-seeded Celtics lead Cleveland 2-1 while the top-seeded Thunder trail Dallas 2-1.

Dan Santaromita33

2024 NBA Draft order: Which teams pick when for all 58 selections

There are only 58 picks in this year's draft after the 76ers and Suns had to forfeit second-round selections for free-agent tampering.

Jenna West50

NBA mock draft 2024: Alex Sarr to Hawks in first post-lottery projection

Now that we know Atlanta has the top pick, we project what could happen in what many experts say is a weak class.

Sam Vecenie270

Jaylen Brown's pep talk fuels Celtics in Game 3: 'We're not here to play around'

"We didn't come to Cleveland for the weather, so let's go," says Jaylen Brown.

Jay King32

Of the Cavaliers' playoff losses, why did Game 3 have Donovan Mitchell most upset?

After Cleveland's loss to Boston on Saturday, it was Mitchell’s turn for the long stare. He called many of the mistakes "self-induced."

Joe Vardon75

Celtics' Jayson Tatum steps up big in Game 3 win even as his shots won't fall

Tatum is still struggling to bury his 3s, but he is stepping up in every other facet of the game to lead the Celtics.

Jared Weiss38

Saturday's NBA playoff takeaways: Mavericks take series edge, Celtics bounce back strongly

Mavs forward P.J. Washington continued his dominant play in the series, scoring a team-high 27 points on 11-of-23 shooting with five 3s.

The Athletic Staff102

NBA Playoffs expert picks, odds for Saturday's Game 3s: Thunder at Mavericks, Celtics at Cavaliers

Saturday's NBA Playoff games feature both No. 1 seeds going on the road after losing at home in Game 2.

Dan Santaromita13

The Celtics are the NBA's most confusing elite team, plus MLB's Paul Bunyan story

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Be nice to a Canes fan today. For much of the last three seasons, the Boston Celtics have been the best team in the NBA. They made the Finals in 2022 and have averaged 57 wins a year. Their East playoff seeds in those seasons: No. 2, No. 2, No. 1. So why is this group — winners of a league-high 64 games this season, by the way — so capable of producing playoff stinkers year after year? Last night, the nasty habit popped up again in a...

Chris Branch69

Don't count out the Cavs and Donovan Mitchell, who may have the Celtics right where they want them

Recently, when it seemed like the bottom would fall out on the Cavs' season, they've responded. It happened again Thursday.

Joe Vardon174

Celtics look ahead to Game 3 after blowout loss to Cavaliers: 'We don’t expect it to be easy'

This type of challenge is why Joe Mazzulla occasionally said throughout the season that he wanted the Celtics to experience difficult times.

Jay King48

Celtics lose Game 2 as Cavs' Donovan Mitchell cooks their 'unacceptable' defense

Jaylen Brown said the Celtics defense fell short. Mitchell got wherever he wanted. Now the series is tied going to Cleveland.

Jared Weiss41

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