Heading into the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the stars appeared to be aligning for the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum was back, they were fully healthy, and they entered the postseason on a roll as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics were favored to win a weak Eastern Conference and reach the NBA Finals, where they would likely face either a tired Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs team.
Instead, Boston didn't even make it out of the first round, crashing and burning against the Philadelphia 76ers after blowing a 3-1 series lead.
After seeing how the New York Knicks and Spurs have played in the Finals so far, Celtics reporter Bobby Manning thinks Boston was just as good as them.
Did the #Celtics miss out on getting Banner 19 this season?
“You didn't see anything special on display that made you think oh man, these are teams that the Celtics can't even dream of matching up & playing against…It just feels like such a blown opportunity.” @RealBobManning pic.twitter.com/m0IepJyrr4
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) June 11, 2026
"You didn't see anything special on display that made you think, oh man, these are teams that the Celtics can't even dream of matching up & playing against," Manning said after Game 4. "It just feels like such a blown opportunity."
It was. The East was ripe for the taking this year, but the Celtics shot themselves in the foot and didn't even give themselves a chance. Who knows what would have happened if they hadn't blown their double-digit lead in Game 5 at home against the Sixers.
Legitimate championship opportunities don't come around very often, and it feels like Boston may have squandered one this year.
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