If the rest of the Eastern Conference thought they wouldn’t have to worry about the Boston Celtics this year, they should think again. The Celtics may not have Jayson Tatum, but they’re not messing around. If they’ve proven anything over the first six weeks of the season, it’s that they can still hang with the best teams in the East. Boston proved that again on Tuesday, taking down the New York Knicks 123-117 at TD Garden. The Celtics overcame an early deficit and held off a late comeback, improving to 12-9 with their seventh win in their last nine games. Boston has been especially good against the Eastern Conference lately, knocking off the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks over the last 10 days. Its lone defeat during that stretch was a narrow road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Of the top six seeds in the East entering tonight, the Celtics have faced the Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 6 teams.They've now beaten them all, and have a 6-3 overall record against them (6-1 in their last seven). pic.twitter.com/239qp5Z074— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) December 3, 2025 The Eastern Conference is wide open this year, and the Celtics are proving they’re legit contenders. They’ve beaten four of the top six seeds in the East and have a 6-3 record against them, including 6-1 in their last seven matchups. Story continues below advertisement Boston has been quite feisty without Tatum, taking the Eastern Conference by surprise. The Celtics may not be the most talented team in the league, but they play hard and keep finding ways to win basketball games. Up next is an easy road matchup against the Washington Wizards on Thursday, followed by a big home game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The Lakers have the second-best record in the Western Conference at 15-5, so that will be another important test for Boston. Story continues below advertisement