The Celtics Won 10 Of Their Last 12 And Just Locked In Their Path To Banner 19

The Boston Celtics looked dead in the water on March 22nd. They lost to Minnesota, watched their lead for the 2 seed shrink to just one game, and faced a choice: let the Knicks and Cavaliers pass them, or turn it on when it mattered most. They chose option two, and now they are running away with it.

Ten wins in their last 12 games. More specifically, 10 wins in their last 11 with Jayson Tatum in the lineup. Five straight wins against playoff teams, almost all of them blowouts. The only loss came on a back-to-back road trip. Right now, the Celtics sit three games ahead of the Knicks in the loss column and four ahead of the Cavs with just four games left to play. The seeding race is essentially over.

Tatum Is Playing Like a Championship-Winning First Ballot All-NBA Candidate

This should not be shocking. Jayson Tatum made four straight All-NBA First Teams before his Achilles injury. He's 14 games back from that devastating setback, and he is already operating at the level that won those accolades. He dropped another 20/5/5 game recently. Only Nikola Jokic has more 20-5-5 nights this season.

But the rebounds? That is the real story. Tatum is averaging 26/12/8 over his recent stretch. He already has nine double doubles in just 14 games back. This is playoff Tatum showing up right from the jump, the same guy who averages 30/10/6 every postseason. The efficiency is locked in too. Over his last five games, Tatum is shooting 57% true shooting. Over the last three, it is 60%. His pull-up three-pointer, the most important shot in the entire Celtics offensive system, is now at 48% over the last four games on a team-leading 6.3 attempts per night.

Health Is the Only Thing That Matters Now

The Celtics were not fully healthy until recently. Now both Tatum and Vucevic are in the lineup, and the team is playing some of its best basketball of the entire season. They are looking at 53-plus wins and a top-2 seed finish. The remaining schedule includes games against Charlotte, New York, New Orleans, and Orlando. That New Orleans game is a back-to-back, so expect load management with Tatum. Everything else is about staying healthy and getting rest when the Play-In rolls around.

The Celtics have turned a dangerous moment into a statement. Banner 19 is the goal, and right now, they are built to get there.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.