The Boston Celtics enter play on Friday 4.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference standings, but you wouldn't know it given the way everyone's been talking about the Celtics over the last two days.
After Boston's 119-109 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, numerous NBA analysts have declared the Celtics the best team in the East, including Jason Timpf.
"Last night was the kind of signature win that actually, for the first time all season, made me feel that the Boston Celtics are clearly the best team in the East with some clear separation," Timpf said on Thursday. "The Celtics hung a preposterous 146 offensive rating in the second half against that vaunted OKC defense."
The Celtics just made a statement: they are clearly the best team in the East pic.twitter.com/7kEJViCGVe
— Hoops Tonight (@hoopstonite) March 26, 2026
After falling behind by double digits in the first quarter, Boston turned on the jets in the second half, scoring 70 points after halftime. Jaylen Brown led the way with 24 points, four rebounds and five assists in the second half, all while defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during crunch time.
"I thought Jaylen Brown straight up outplayed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander last night," Timpf added.
That's debatable, but Brown was every bit as good as the defending MVP, proving he belongs in the conversation with him.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, that effort may have taken a toll on Brown, who will miss Friday's game with left Achilles tendinitis. After losing Jayson Tatum for almost a full year with an Achilles injury, Boston will want to monitor Brown closely and keep him healthy with the playoffs approaching in a few weeks.
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