Celtics to focus on clean slate, injury management in NBA title repeat bid

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

Facing injury challenges and better competition in the regular season, the Boston Celtics look to become the first NBA team to win back-to-back titles since 2018

MANILA, Philippines – With a chance to be the first Boston Celtics team to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since 1969, the team is treating this title defense on a clean slate.

The 18-time titleholders are looking at the upcoming playoffs as a new endeavor, and not an extension of something that happened last year.

“And at the end of the day, there’s 16 teams that have an opportunity to go after something,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said during a global media availability. “We have to be willing to do the things that separate us from everybody else in that challenge.”

“And every single year you’re going to have that regardless of past results… so, just by not being distracted by a past result, because at the end of the day, it’s about the present moment. And we got to stay focused on that and what it takes to win each particular game,” he added.

Finishing as the top regular season team last year at 64-18, the team won three fewer games and is third overall in the standings at 61-21.

Oklahoma City (68-14), and the Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) finished better in that regard, as they hold home court advantage over Boston, should they face off in a postseason series.

Nevertheless, the Celtics continued to rack up historic numbers throughout the season — finishing with the second-best road record in league history at 33-8 — only second to the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (34-7), which won a record 73 games.

Moreover, the three-point barrage continued for the Celtics as the team knocked down a collective 1,370 treys across 82 games, good for most all time.

The trio of Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jayson Tatum each also knocked down at least 250 triples, a first in NBA history.

Boston also enjoyed the improvement of players such as Pritchard, a strong candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, Luke Kornet, a 7-foot-1 center, and guard JD Davison, who was named as NBA G League MVP.

“I think that’s kind of why you’re in it is the journey and the process of getting better. I think everybody in our locker room takes pride in the process of getting better and finding new ways to be able to do that,” Mazzulla said.

“I think that’s an important goal, not just in the season, but throughout their careers and you’re constantly seeing that from our guys so it’s a great job by them, and our player development staff, and the other guys that continue to work with them.”

Champions’ defiance despite struggles

The challenge of injuries also put speed bumps on Boston’s campaign, with the usual starting five of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis limited to a handful of games together.

Porzingis (leg injury recovery, and viral illness), as well as last year’s Finals MVP Brown (knee), missed considerable time.

“I think that there’s confidence in just the type of people that we have and the character of the people with the individuals that we have on and off the court. And I think the confidence comes from the work ethic of having an understanding of having no expectations that it’s supposed to go a certain way, at the end of the day,” explained the coach.

“We practice, we come together as a team, and we do the best we can each and every night, and kind of surrender the result but trust each other. And I trust the character of our guys. I trust the character who they are on the court and off.”

The second-seeded Celtics will face the seventh seed Orlando Magic in a best-of-seven series to start the Eastern Conference playoffs starting on Sunday, April 20, 3:30pm (Monday, April 21, 3:30 am Manila time) at TD Garden in Boston. – Rappler.com