The Celtics enter the postseason set up for one of their more impressive runs in team history
It’s healthy for the Celtics to begin this postseason with a challenge. The balance in the Eastern Conference made it clear there would be no cinches in the first round, even if the Celtics had faced troubled Orlando. The Magic’s size and physicality would have offered resistance.
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But coming off perhaps the best coaching job of his career, Joe Mazzulla will take the experience of last year’s playoff run, which ended abruptly in New York, and they won’t take this latest opportunity for granted.
“The fact that we’re in the playoffs is part of the responsibility we have to the Celtics,” Mazzulla said. “And whoever we play, we know we have to be at our best and we know they’re going to be at their best. Philly’s a great team as we saw throughout the season. To get to this point with all the injuries that they’ve had and to be where they are now is going to be a tough test for us. We have to be ready for it.”
These playoff moments should be cherished but it’s easy to take them for granted in Boston. The Celtics have reached the playoffs for 12 straight years, since Brad Stevens coached a team in his second season led by the likes of Isaiah Thomas, Jared Sullinger, and Avery Bradley to a 40-42 record and a first-round loss to LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
Only three times in the 12-year playoff run have the Celtics not advanced past the first round.There is a sense of motivation in Boston for multiple reasons, including the unexpected return of Tatum and a surprising season where a group of unheralded players combined for 56 wins and picked up the No. 2 seed despite the presence of the Knicks, Cavaliers, and Magic, who all projected to finish ahead of the Celtics.
This has a chance to be one of more impressive playoff runs in club history considering the circumstances.
“We want to be at our best by Game 1 but we also want to be in the mind frame of however long it takes, we’ve got to sit in this,” Mazzulla said. “We’re playing against a great team. I feel good about our team. They’re great players, great people, and they care about winning.”
Here’s a preview of every playoff series determined before Friday’s final play-in games, with a prediction. By the way, CELTICS in six over the 76ers.
Jalen Johnson and the Hawks played the Celtics even in the regular season, with each team winning two games.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
▪ EASTERN CONFERENCE
Hawks vs. Knicks
The most interesting series in the East because the Hawks have no fear of the Knicks and finished as one of the league’s hottest teams, winning 20 of their final 26 games. What makes the Hawks different from their Trae Young teams is the emergence of All-NBA candidate Jalen Johnson and Most Improved Player favorite Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Hawks also feature ace defender Dyson Daniels. But the Hawks lack physical center who can check the skilled Karl-Anthony Towns and rebounding machine Mitchell Robinson, which gives the Knicks the decided advantage in the paint. The question is whether Atlanta can harness scoring maven Jalen Brunson, who can also switch into a distributor in key moments. This should be an entertaining matchup because the Knicks have battled inconsistency in stretches and have to match the Hawks’ intensity. New York has championship-caliber talent and maybe they need this type of challenge to begin this postseason run. If the Knicks play up to their potential, they should win this series. But if they don’t … they could be fighting for their lives in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. KNICKS in 6.
Raptors vs. Cavaliers
An overlooked series because neither team brings real buzz into the playoffs, this could be an intriguing matchup depending on which Raptors team shows up. Is Toronto going to be content with just making the playoffs, or will it actually challenge the Cavaliers with its physicality and scoring ability? The trio of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett is beyond solid while Immanuel Quickley is streaky and Jakob Poeltl is a lunch-pail big man who can gobble up rebounds. The Raptors will need him against the duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen as the Cavaliers enter this postseason with high expectations after last season’s second-round flameout. The backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden will get its share of buckets and assists, but the Cavaliers haven’t been completely right this season, hence finishing as the fourth seed. Can Harden shake off his past playoff doldrums? The Raptors beat the Cavaliers in all three of their meetings this season, which is why apparently several players were cheering in their locker room while watching the Celtics beat the Magic to create this first-round series. RAPTORS in 7.
Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka led the Rockets to the No. 5 seed in the West.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
▪ WESTERN CONFERENCE
Rockets vs. Lakers
This is a battle between one of the league’s most disappointing teams (see, Magic) and a team that can’t stay healthy. The Rockets never found a point guard to replace the injured Fred VanVleet and suffered as a consequence. Meanwhile, coach Ime Udoka constantly challenging his team’s toughness and desire really hasn’t impacted winning. Houston’s core has stayed remarkably healthy this season — 38-year-old Kevin Durant played in 78 games — but they were unable to compete with the likes of the Thunder and Spurs in the West. Now they have a chance to dispose of the banged up Lakers behind Durant and Alperen Sengun. Yet there’s a doubt because of their maddening inconsistency and inability to score. The Rockets are one of the league’s worst 3-point shooting teams and James flourishes in situations where he and his team is doubted. Without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for at least the first few games of the series with injuries, this will be James’s opportunity to show he is still one of the greats. But he’ll need help. It’s about time players such as Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton lived up to their lottery pick status. This could be a far more interesting series than expected. LAKERS in 7.
Trail Blazers vs. Spurs
Portland has been one of the better-kept secrets in the NBA because it garners very little national television attention, and its roster is filled with players who aren’t exactly household names. Deni Avdija epitomizes that theme, as he’s one of the best players in the NBA that most fans never heard of. He led the Trail Blazers to their surprising play-in win over the Suns. With the likes of Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant, and Toumani Camara, the Trail Blazers can provide some type of resistance to the dominant Spurs, but not all that much. San Antonio, behind MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama, is primed for a deep playoff run and they have enough talent to make this a quick series to prepare for a potential second-round matchup with the Nuggets. San Antonio is healthy, coming off a stellar regular season and deep with Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, and Devin Vassell joining Wembanyama as primary scorers. The only chance Portland would have in this series is if it catches the Spurs off guard in Games 1 and 2 and takes home-court advantage. But those odds are slim. The Spurs should roll. SPURS in 5.
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets
This could be one of the more fascinating series of the first round because of the teams’ brewing rivalry and Minnesota’s success against Denver in the past. The Timberwolves knocked out the then-defending champion Nuggets in the conference semifinals in 2024 and they aren’t afraid of Nikola Jokic and his crew. Anthony Edwards missed several games toward the end of the season with knee issues, and this Timberwolves team is wildly inconsistent, but it has enough raw talent to compete with the Nuggets and force a long series. The question for Denver is whether it has enough besides Jokic to outrun the Timberwolves. Jokic averaged a triple-double for the second consecutive season and Jamal Murray is an All-Star, and their supporting cast has been strong, when healthy. The key to the series could be the combination of Peyton Watson and Cameron Johnson, both of whom are plus defenders and canrelieve the pressure off Jokic. Minnesota is going to need an All-NBA caliber performance from Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert to return to his dominant defensive days for the Timberwolves to take this the distance. They are likely to fall just short. NUGGETS in SIX.
Caitlin Clark’s Fever played the Sun at a sold-out TD Garden last summer.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
NOT PROMISING
WNBA’s Engelbert talks Sun move
When asked about the likely move by the Connecticut Sun to Houston, still likely because it’s yet to be approved by the WNBA board of governors, commissioner Cathy Engelbert continued to reiterate that interested owners in Boston should have applied for an expansion franchise, and that would have placed them in the same line to acquire a relocated franchise.
Engelbert insisted there were no interested parties for expansion in Boston but the question is whether those potential owners had any idea the WNBA would allow teams in Connecticut and Boston. The reality is the WNBA would rather have Boston as an expansion franchise when it decides to return to the Northeast.
And it’s still uncertain how good of an idea is to return to three previous cities — Portland, Detroit, and Cleveland — that lost WNBA teams hoping time and development made them a better market, meanwhile leaving Boston out in the cold.
“Let me address the Connecticut situation, as you know, coming off a significant expansion process for WNBA, we had 13 cities bidding on, remember, what we thought was one team that we would grant,” Engelbert said. “Obviously, we’ve now announced Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia in ’28, ’29, and ’30. We did not receive a bid from the Boston market or the New England market, obviously with the Connecticut team there. The Mohegan Tribe then hired a banker to represent them in the potential sale. I think it started with a variety of options, a partial sale, a minority sale. Ultimately, they did reach agreement that you’ve read.”
Engelbert would not say when exactly Houston agreed to acquire the Sun or whether there were other cities involved. We do know Tilman Fertitta, owner of the NBA’s Rockets and lined up to bring the WNBA back, was livid that Houston was left out of the group of expansion cities, and the Sun, who were put on the market by the Mohegan Tribe, were interested in moving the team quickly.
“Obviously, Connecticut has the opportunity under the sunset season,” Engelbert said. “So I would say to the fans, support the Connecticut Sun this season. And it’s a great basketball state, obviously, for women’s basketball. Some would call it the center of women’s basketball with how successful UConn’s been over so many years. I would say stick with us. Stick with the WNBA. We know that fandom won’t go away.”
Engelbert offered few details about the location despite the league knowing about the possibility of this move for months. The hope for any fans hoping for an WNBA team to align with the Celtics is to bank on league success and a new wave of expansion. But five new teams beginning is 2026 is rapid growth, and how the new boosted salaries will impact league economics remains unknown.
But the deal for Fertitta to acquire the Suns needs to be explained more in depth because besides resuscitating the Comets, the league’s first dynasty, there is little sense to making a move that leaves the Northeast without a team.
“I know they’re working through transition agreements,” Engelbert said. “I know this year they will play their games at Mohegan [Sun Arena]. I’m sure whenever there’s a transition like that, there’s transition service agreements in place. I’m sure they’re talking a lot about management and GMs and coaches and things like that, both in Houston and Connecticut. Again, we don’t have a ton of visibility as they finalize that agreement and it comes to us for a vote.”
Anfernee Simons played at TD Garden this season with the Celtics and against them, following a trade to the Bulls.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
The removal of Marc Eversley and Arturas Karnisovas leaves a major void in the Bulls’ front office but also could mean the end of the Billy Donovan era in Chicago. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf is an admirer of Donovan, who was voted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2025. But Donovan has enjoyed little success with the Bulls and it may be time for a change for both sides. Despite his lack of winning in Chicago, Donovan would garner interest from other clubs should he be a coaching free agent. The Bulls do have an upside, however. With the Trail Blazers winning their play-in game against the Suns, Portland is officially a playoff team, meaning their 2026 first-round pick goes to the Bulls. That comes from a 2021 three-team sign-and-trade that sent Lauri Markkanen from Chicago to Cleveland, with the Bulls acquiring Derrick Jones Jr. and a lottery-protected first-round pick, and that pick has turned into this year’s Portland first-rounder, which gives the Bulls two first-round picks. There is enough cap space to sign a maximum free agent with players such as Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, Zach Collins, and Jaden Ivey off the books. But first, the Bulls have to find a general manager … The Heat will have work to do in the offseason but salary cap-wise, they don’t have a lot of space to sign free agents. Despite finally waiving the troubled Terry Rozier and his $26 million salary and with Norman Powell ($20 million) and Simone Fontecchio ($8 million) coming off the books, the Heat have to pay Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jovic a combined $26 million in raises. The club has interest in bringing Powell back. He fit well into the system but dealt with a series of injuries. But as usual, the Heat will try to chase an All-Star through trades to expedite their rebuilding process … Dalano Banton made a positive impression on his previous employer as the Celtics brought back the swingman for a third time, this time adding him to the playoff roster. He played a role in Boston’s stunning season-ending win over the Magic. The Celtics had an open roster spot and already converted the contract of Ron Harper Jr. to a standard NBA team along with Amari Williams and Max Shulga.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.
