BOSTON (AP) 鈥� It鈥檚 been six months since Celtics star Jayson Tatum stood at center court in Boston鈥檚 TD Garden and addressed fans minutes after receiving his 2024 championship ring and watching the franchise鈥檚 18th banner raised into the rafters.
Tatum welled with emotion as he thanked fans for their support during the title run. He then paused and expressed one final desire.
鈥淟et鈥檚 do it again,鈥� he said.
That Sunday when Boston, the East鈥檚 second seed, opens its first-round playoff series against the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic.
No team has won back-to-back NBA championships since the Golden State Warriors last did it in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
The Celtics are in good position to , coming off their second straight 60-win season.
But Tatum said that is the farthest things from their minds at this point.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not worried about anything besides the Magic right now,鈥� Tatum said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking past the second, third, or fourth round. We鈥檝e got to try to make it out of this one. That鈥檚 all that鈥檚 on our mind is trying to get ready for Game 1.鈥�
There is one big question mark for the Celtics entering the postseason, which is the health of last season鈥檚 conference and Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown, who has a lingering right knee issue that caused him to miss the final three games of the regular season.
Coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed that Brown received an injection in his knee recently, while also adding that Brown had no limitations and has been a full participant in practices this week.
鈥淚鈥檓 not here to talk about my knee guys,鈥� Brown said Saturday when asked about it鈥檚 current status. 鈥淚t is what it is. I鈥檓 focused on Orlando.鈥�
But he also acknowledged that playing through whatever pain he has in his knee is motivation.
鈥淵ou could say that. I don鈥檛 put too much pressure on myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 just take it one day at a time and let things fall where they may. I鈥檓 very blessed and grateful to be in this position in the playoffs with a great opportunity. I鈥檝e been playing basketball for a long time. I鈥檓 one of the best athletes in the world. It鈥檚 enough. We鈥檝e got enough. So, we鈥檝e just got to figure it out one day at a time.鈥�
Orlando arrives in Boston as a team nobody expected to be in this position after guard Jalen Suggs was ruled out for the remainder of the season on March 4 after undergoing knee surgery, and forward Moritz Wagner was sidelined for the year after tearing the ACL in his left knee and having surgery on Jan. 9.
Yet, after ending the regular season by winning 11 of their final 15 games and then routing Atlanta in the play-in tournament, in his fourth season, coach Jamahl Mosley has the Magic back in the playoffs for the second straight season.
鈥淗owever you get there, you get there,鈥� Mosley said. 鈥淪ometimes the path is one way. And for us it was a lot of injuries, a lot of tough nights, a lot of close games lost, but then finding a way to get the job done now. That鈥檚 the goal, to get there. But also, to make some noise in there and not just settle for saying we just accept just being there. This group believes in what they鈥檙e capable of doing on any given night.鈥�
Despite posting the best road season in team history (33-8), Boston lost the season series to the Magic 2-1, with both losses in Orlando.
Boston didn鈥檛 have Tatum in either loss. But what wasn鈥檛 a fluke is that the Magic held the Celtics to their fewest 3-point makes this season per 100 possessions during three matchups (11.3).
Orlando also enters the series coming off making 11 3-pointers against the Hawks, a strong sign for any team looking to compete with a Boston team that set a new NBA record with 1,457 3-point makes this season.
But Mosley said they don鈥檛 expect to try to go toe-to-toe with the Celtics in that department.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to try to get in a rat race with them. They shoot 50 3s a game, that鈥檚 not our identity and we won鈥檛 try to make it our identity,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day for our guys to go 11 for 29 (in play-in against Hawks) and still have 28 assists says something about this group, and for our ability to get the defensive stops, which is where we hang our hats.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press
