The Boston Celtics are stepping into a playoff battle with bruises, but their confidence is still intact.
A month after Jrue Holiday’s pinky bent awkwardly into a painful condition known as mallet finger, the veteran guard is back – and just in time.
He missed four games nursing the odd tendon injury, his finger locked in a cast that kept it straight. Now, he’s ditched the hard shell for a soft brace and is ready for war.
“It feels kind of weird,” Holiday admitted. “But it seems like it’s all right.”
That sentiment mirrors Boston’s playoff mindset: stirred, not shaken.
The Celtics enter the postseason looking to become the NBA’s first repeat champions since the 2018 Warriors. But don’t call it a title defense.
“We’re not defending the championship we won last year. Nobody can take it from us,” said star forward Jayson Tatum. “But last year is last season. That’s out the window.”
Still, history is quietly whispering in Boston’s ear.
The Celtics just wrapped up back-to-back 60-win seasons. Tatum’s numbers – points, rebounds, assists – mirror his All-Star run last year.
And though TD Garden wasn’t quite a fortress (28-13), Boston was historic on the road, going 33-8 – just one shy of the 2015-16 Warriors’ league record.
Jaylen Brown remains the biggest wildcard. The reigning conference and Finals MVP is nursing a bone bruise in his right knee, but he’s been a full participant at practice and is expected to be ready for Game 1 against Orlando on Sunday.
Boston’s odds? Better than they look.
They finished top five in defensive rating and ranked second in offensive efficiency, just behind Cleveland. Payton Pritchard has stepped into the spotlight, averaging 14.3 points off the bench and draining 255 three-pointers – second-most in franchise history behind only Derrick White’s 265 this season.
Even with momentum, the Celtics know the mountain is steep. Of the last five NBA champs, four were bounced in the second round the following year. The 2020 Lakers didn’t even make it that far.
Holiday lived that nightmare in Milwaukee. After winning a ring in 2021, the Bucks bowed out in the semis – to these very Celtics.
“We thought we had a chance at going back-to-back,” he recalled. “Sometimes things happen. Health is a big part. And a little bit of luck.”
This time, he’s hoping experience tips the scale.
“For us, it’s about doing it again. Who can do it multiple times? Going back to war with your guys – that’s something fun,” Holiday said. “We’ve seen people step up all year. We’ll keep doing that.”
Boston’s band is back. Battered, but bold – and eyeing banner No. 19.