Celtics vs Hawks

Lore & Background

The Celtics won the East Group C in the inaugural 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament by going 3–1 in the group stage and winning a three-way tiebreaker via point differential. However, they were eliminated from the tournament with a loss to the Indiana Pacers in the quarterfinals. The Celtics had the best record (64–18) in the NBA and proceeded through the playoffs in dominant fashion. They defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games during the NBA Finals, winning the franchise's first championship since 2008, and 18th championship in team history, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers to hold the NBA record for most championships. The result was the most dominant Celtics championship run since 1965, with only three losses in the playoffs and a season total of 80 wins, the second-best mark in franchise history. Following their championship victory, multiple commentators considered the 2023–24 Celtics to be among the greatest teams in NBA history. With a playoff record of 16–3, the Celtics were second only to the 2016–17 Golden State Warriors for the best postseason record since all four NBA playoff rounds became best-of-seven contests in 2003. This record, however, would only be matched two years later by the New York Knicks. The Celtics drew an average home attendance of 19,156 in 41 home games in the 2023–24 NBA season.

In Their Own Story

The arena hums with a tension that predates the modern era of superstars. It is the late 1950s, and the hardwood feels different—harder, faster, stripped of any cushioning for the ego. On one side stands Bill Russell, a monolith in green, his eyes locked on the rim he refuses to let fall. Opposite him, Bob Pettit rises from the St. Louis floor, his jumper arcing with a precision that defies the chaos below. The crowd is a singular roar, a sea of faces blurred by the strobe-light flashbulbs of newspaper photographers capturing history in real-time. The score hangs on a knife's edge in the final minutes of Game 6. There are no three-point lines here, only the brutal geometry of the paint and the mid-range dance. Russell leaps, his hand becoming an impenetrable barrier against the sky, while Pettit drives through the contact, absorbing the hit to plant his feet for the shot that will decide everything. In this moment, history is not written; it is forged in sweat, bone, and the terrifying silence of a crowd holding its breath.

Reader's Guide

This was the Celtics' first season without veteran Celtic and point guard Marcus Smart since 2014. In June 2023, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade to acquire forward Kristaps Porziņģis of the Washington Wizards. On October 1, 2023, the Celtics sent guard Malcolm Brogdon, center/forward Robert Williams III, a protected 2024 first-round pick (acquired from the Golden State Warriors), and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for two-time All-Star guard Jrue Holiday. On March 14, 2024, the Celtics became the first team to clinch a playoff berth with their 117–107 victory over the Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers' 114–105 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Six days later, the Celtics won the Atlantic Division championship for the third consecutive season, following a 122–119 victory over the Bucks during a 7-game winning streak. On March 23, the Celtics clinched the #1-seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2017 after they beat the Chicago Bulls. On April 3, 2024, the Celtics defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 135–100 victory, clinching the best record in the NBA and securing a home-court advantage throughout the entire playoffs for the first time since 2008. It was also the first time the Celtics won 60 or more regular season games since 2009. The Celtics finished the season with a 64–18 record, 14 games higher than the second-place team in the Atlantic Division and the entire Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks. In the playoffs, the Celtics dispatched the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers in five games each, and swept the Indiana Pacers to reach their second NBA Finals in three years, where the Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks. Upon reaching the Finals, Porziņģis returned to action after missing nearly the entire playoffs up until that point. However, he suffered what was described as a 'rare' ankle injury in Game 2 and missed the next two games. The Celtics raced out to a second consecutive 3–0 series lead. After a 122–84 blowout loss in Game 4, they returned to Boston and won Game 5 to win their first title since 2008. The Celtics are the first team to have the best regular-season record and win the title since the Golden State Warriors in 2017.

Did You Know?

• The Celtics had the best record (64–18) in the NBA in the 2023–24 season.
• The Celtics won their 18th championship in team history, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA record.
• The Celtics' playoff record of 16–3 was second only to the 2016–17 Golden State Warriors for the best postseason record since all four NBA playoff rounds became best-of-seven contests in 2003.
• The Celtics drew an average home attendance of 19,156 in 41 home games in the 2023–24 NBA season.
• The Celtics are the first team to have the best regular-season record and win the title since the Golden State Warriors in 2017.