The Boston Celtics bounced back from their opening-night collapse with a 107-103 win over the defending champion New York Knicks on Friday night. Jayson Tatum scored 36 points and closed the game with a stretch that silenced a late Knicks run. The first win of the season came against the team Boston is chasing.
Before the game, coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about the Eastern Conference landscape and what it will take to navigate it this season. His answer made clear that he is not looking at the standings the way most people do.
He also made a reference to a team he knows very well.
Mazzulla on What Wins Mean in the East
Mazzulla did not sugarcoat how competitive the conference has become. He said that this year in particular, “50 wins is a marker of a good team,” and added that a team’s record may not reflect how dangerous it actually is come playoff time.
The conference has reshaped itself around him. Giannis Antetokounmpo is now in Miami with Bam Adebayo. The Philadelphia 76ers added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Kawhi Leonard returned to Toronto alongside Scottie Barnes. The Knicks are defending a title. Tyrese Haliburton is healthy again in Indiana.
There is no clear path through the East this season. Mazzulla knows it.
Then he drove the point home with a reference that landed differently because of who was saying it. Mazzulla noted that a 41-win team can still be a matchup nightmare in the playoffs. And then he went further.
“I once, a long, long time ago, coached a 56-win team,” Mazzulla said. “They lost in the first round.”
The 56-win team was his own. Last season, Mazzulla guided the Celtics to the second-best record in the East before a first-round exit against the 76ers ended their season.
Why It Matters for the Season
The Celtics are 1-1. The conference is loaded. Mazzulla is telling anyone who will listen that the path to where Boston wants to go will not be measured by how many games they win between October and April.
Friday’s win over the Knicks was meaningful. Mazzulla acknowledged as much when he said that playing teams like New York teaches you about yourself. But his pregame comments framed the season in a way that extends beyond any single result.
He has seen what 56 wins gets you when the matchups do not break your way. Mazzulla is not interested in chasing a record. He is interested in building a team that is ready for what comes after.
Final Word for the Celtics
The East is deeper than it has been in years. Mazzulla is not pretending otherwise. Fifty wins might be enough. Fifty-six might not matter. The lesson from last season is still fresh.
Record does not equal readiness. Mazzulla learned that the hard way. He is making sure this team does not forget it.
Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Makes Blunt Admission About Eastern Conference Race