Now’s the Moment: Celtics May Not See a Better Chance Ahead

For the Boston Celtics, this is the moment. There are only so many chances in life, and none has been greater for Boston recently than this one.

The NBA’s equivalent of the boy who cried wolf is the Celtics. They have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals six times in the last eight seasons, although they have only once reached the NBA Finals—losing to the Golden State Warriors in 2022.

Even yet, the Celtics lead that series 2-1 before falling short of Golden State in the final three games.

Eventually, it becomes impossible to take these Celtics seriously anymore with all of their near misses and lack of championships.

Even though the Celtics are currently walking that plank, their postseason circumstances could not have been more ideal.

They started the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat, who were missing Jimmy Butler, their greatest player. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had also been bitten by injury by the conclusion of their second-round matchup, squared off against the Celtics.

The Indiana Pacers, who just suffered the injury of losing Tyrese Haliburton, are now behind the Boston Celtics 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals. This playoffs, the Pacers have outscored opponents by 59 points while Haliburton is on the court and by 35 points when he isn’t.

Not to mention how the Pacers inexplicably dropped Game 1 of the series, or the apparent resignation from Rick Carlisle with an entire quarter still to play in Game 2.

Despite Jayson Tatum’s inconsistent performances, the Celtics have managed to push forward. Even the setback of Kristaps Porzingis’s injury seems less urgent in the context of the relatively smooth Eastern Conference playoffs.

If the Celtics can overcome the Pacers, they’ll face either the Dallas Mavericks or the emerging Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Finals. While both teams are formidable, they lack the dominance of the Stephen Curry-led Warriors from three years ago. With the top two seeds in the West already eliminated, the path seems clearer for the Celtics.

In an NBA era characterized by extreme parity, if the Celtics fail to seize the moment now, when will they? Opportunities are dwindling, and this postseason might represent their best chance yet.

For the Celtics, who have often played second fiddle, this postseason feels like finding the perfect partner, only to be a week away from the wedding.