The Boston Celtics have a storied history as one of the oldest and most successful NBA franchises. They have won 17 NBA titles, joint most with the Lakers. However, in recent years, the Celtics haven’t achieved that kind of success. In the past decade, they have become perennial title challengers, but have always fallen short of the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy. Led by the superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are poised for another assault at the NBA title.

They demonstrated their title credentials by securing a hard-fought victory against their title rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks. Jaylen Brown delivered an outstanding performance in the game, earning high praise from coach Joe Mazzulla.

Mazzulla and teammates in awe of ‘crazy’ display by Jaylen Brown

On Wednesday, the Celtics faced off against title rivals Milwaukee Bucks. In an enthralling game, the Celtics emerged victorious with a final score of 119-116. In an early-season assessment, the Celtics showed their title credentials. The Celtics are currently setting the pace, as they occupy the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings, with 12 wins in 15 games.

Jaylen Brown delivered an exceptional performance, as he scored 26 points, the most by a Celtics player. Brown’s teammate Oshane Brissett described his performance as “crazy”. Brown’s performance even left his head coach Joe Mazzulla impressed.

In his post-match press conference, Mazzulla singled out Brown for praise. He said, “Jaylen [Brown] was phenomenal on both ends of the court. His defensive effort and, offensively, just making the right plays… whether it was layups or lobs”. 

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However, Mazzulla wasn’t pleased with the way the game ended. Going into the fourth quarter, the Celtics lead the Buck by 15 points. But an inspired fourth-quarter performance from the Bucks closed the gap to just three points. Mazzulla expressed his dissatisfaction at the post-match conference. He said, “I thought we could still be a little better at executing at the end of the game.”   

Can the Celtics finally win the elusive Larry O’Brian trophy?

The Celtics have set the tone with their consistency this season. If early-season form is anything to go by, then the Celtics and the Nuggets are set for a collision course in June. However, titles aren’t won in 15 games. The Celtics always have finished near the top of the standings in the regular season, but they have struggled to translate that form into postseason success. What’s to say that this season is any different?

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Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. This quote perfectly applies to the Celtics’ past failures. However, for this season, the Celtics hierarchy decided to change things.

They traded away Marcus Smart and acquired Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis provided them with much-needed rim protection and offensive firepower. They also acquired Jrue Holiday from the Blazers. It is arguable that Jrue is an even better defensive presence than Marcus Smart.

With a new look core, the Celtics are primed to win the NBA title. Anything less would be viewed as a failure.

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