On Monday, Jan. 19, the Boston Celtics lost to the Detroit Pistons, 103-104. The close-fought contest was a potential preview of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals, and proved that Boston is capable of challenging for a spot in the NBA Finals this season.

The Celtics pushed the Pistons every step of the way. Both teams made big plays, went on runs, and executed their game plan for stretches of the contest. Despite the loss, there was a clear silver lining for Celtics fans: the Celtics are right up there with the best in the East, and they’re yet to add Jayson Tatum — currently out with an Achilles tear — back into the rotation.

Advertisement

In a postgame podcast from “Boston’s Balling” host Gabby Maljanian, you could feel the optimism shining through. After all, regardless of what happens at the trade deadline, very few, if any teams will be adding a player the level of Tatum to their roster. And, if Boston can get Tatum back with enough time before the playoffs, the current Celtics roster could be on course for a deep postseason run.

You can hear all of Maljanian’s thoughts by clicking into the embedded podcast episode above.

Watch or listen to the “Celtics Chronicle” podcast on:

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QnlPcS

Advertisement

Spotify: https://bit.ly/40JRevf

Apple: https://apple.co/45sAUBG

Substack: https://bit.ly/3WoA0Cf

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: The Celtics have reason for optimism this season