Justin Turpin

Pritchard erupted for 19 points in the 4th quarter, shooting 7-of-8 (87.5%) from the field and 5-of-6 (83.3%) from beyond the arc. His 19 points set a new career-high for a single quarter, and he grabbed a team-high four rebounds during that stretch.

A win would have moved Boston into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time since opening night. However, the Celtics fell to the Cavaliers 115-111.

The Stay-Ready Group played a key but often overlooked role in Boston’s success last season. The Celtics were 13-2 when missing two or more of their top six players and 12-2 on the second night of back-to-backs. On Monday night, they continued that.

With the Boston Celtics now eliminated, they will have two regular-season games will be added to their schedule –one on December 12th or 13th and another on the 15th or 16th. One game will be played at home and the other on the road.

It was a strength of the team last year, and it has continued over. The Boston Celtics were 13-2 when missing two or more of their top six players a season ago. This season, they are 9-2 under those circumstances.

With the quarter mark of the season behind us, it’s the perfect time to reflect as those early-season trends start turning into real identities. Let’s take a look at how the 2024-25 Celtics compare to the 2023-24 Celtics through the first 24 games.

Selflessness and a willingness to adapt have been a theme all season. No matter who’s on the floor, the Celtics step up, fill whatever role is needed, and do whatever it takes to win. They demonstrated this again in Thursday’s win over Detroit.

The numbers tell the story: Washington is deep in a rebuild, while Boston is firmly in championship contention. Sunday night’s 112-98 result highlighted that glaring disparity as the Payton Pritchard-led Celtics continued to make history.

The Celtics’ 117-108 loss to the Bulls can be summed up by one telling stat: Boston had as many technical fouls as made threes in the fourth quarter.

Jayson Tatum is a rare talent, and his greatness deserves recognition. With a focus on consistency and selflessness, he exemplifies the qualities of Celtics legends, which is why his name is already firmly etched in the franchise’s record books.