Entering Saturday, the Boston Celtics stood at 36-19, occupying second place in the Eastern Conference, five and a half games behind the Detroit Pistons. With 27 games left, here are some of the most challenging stretches.
Sunday brings a road date against the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by consecutive away games Tuesday at Phoenix and Wednesday at Denver.
A demanding road swing arrives in March: visits to the Cleveland Cavaliers on the 8th, the San Antonio Spurs on the 10th and the Oklahoma City Thunder on the 12th. Boston also hosts the defending champion Thunder on March 25.
Several Eastern Conference games carry extra stakes for seeding. The March 8 trip to Cleveland and the April 9 contest at New York could settle things in a bunched-up top of the East. Boston meets the surging Charlotte Hornets three times — March 4 at home, March 29 on the road and April 7 at home — with Charlotte posting the NBA’s second-best net rating in 2026.
Other tests include a home date against the Minnesota Timberwolves (March 22). The slate wraps with home games against Toronto (April 5), New Orleans (April 10) and Orlando (April 12).
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