Boston’s 8-of-9 surge has vaulted them to the No. 2 seed, and they might not be done.
On December 18, I wrote the following for Roundtable:
“I believe the Celtics are about to win 8 of their next 9 games.
“Call me crazy.
“Call me Nostradamus.
“Call me a Green Teamer.
“Call me whatever you want.
“I’m merely just a man with an informed hunch!”
On January 6, I’m here to report that this bold prediction from a humble Celtics blogger has come to fruition, as the Celtics (23-12) are now sitting at the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference after capping off one of the more impressive stretches any team has had this season (I know the Thunder had their thing, just let me cook for a second here).
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Jan 5, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots the ball while Chicago Bulls guard Kevin Huerter (13) defends during the first half at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images)Here are some nuggets from this run:
- Not only have they won 8 of 9, they’ve also won 14 of 17 and 18 of 23. To make it easier to understand, they’re 18-5 the last two months. This super hot stretch is not just a fluke, it’s a microcosm of what this team has become with MVP candidate Jaylen Brown at the helm
- They’re third in the NBA in net rating behind the Thunder (30-7) and Rockets (22-11). A wild position for them to be in without their best player in Jayson Tatum
- As of publishing, the 2025-26 Celtics are the fifth best team in Boston history in point differential at 9.11, only behind 2024 (11.34, champs), 2008 (10.26, champs), 1986 (9.41, champs) and 1962 (9.24, champs)
- In addition to Brown being a legit MVP candidate and Joe Mazzulla being in the conversation for Coach of the Year, Anfernee Simons is making a surprising case for Sixth Man of the Year. He’s first in the NBA in bench threes, third in bench points, and second in plus-minus since December 1
Can I be so bold as to say the Celtics are about to move to 9-1 in their last 10 games with the Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets (24-12) coming to town on Wednesday?
I think I just might!
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.