With five games left in their regular season, the Boston Celtics have already clinched a postseason berth. Now they’re just battling for positioning, as they hold a 2.5-game lead over the New York Knicks for the two seed entering play on Saturday.

Less than a year after tearing his Achilles in the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Jayson Tatum is already back and helping the Celtics with their playoff push. Boston is 11-2 in the games he’s played so far, getting a major boost with him back in the lineup.

In a few weeks, Tatum and his teammates will begin their quest for another championship. Not only that, but they’re favored to win the Eastern Conference and have legitimate title hopes.

 

Jayson Tatum when asked how he feels about the Celtics play of late with five games left in the regular season:

“I’m super excited. I wasn’t sure I was gonna even have this opportunity to play playoff basketball this year.“

🎥: @NBCSCeltics pic.twitter.com/QIlojwTQIy

— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) April 4, 2026

 

“I’m super excited. I wasn’t sure I was gonna even have this opportunity to play playoff basketball this year,” Tatum said after leading the Celtics to a 133-101 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. “Just knowing that it’s around the corner, I’m grateful, excited, all good things.”

Unlike previous years, Tatum and his teammates were not supposed to be here.

After suffering his injury, Tatum didn’t know if he’d be able to play at all this year. Incredibly, he pulled off a remarkably quick recovery and returned in 10 months. He’s been playing great lately, too, looking more like his old self with each game under his belt.

Meanwhile, the Celtics weren’t even expected to make the playoffs this season, let alone as a two seed. Between losing Tatum and so many stars during the offseason, it seemed like it was going to be a rebuilding year. 

But Boston dramatically overachieved without Tatum, somehow remaining one of the NBA’s top teams in his absence. Now that he’s back and playing well, the Celtics have a realistic shot at a championship, which didn’t seem possible not too long ago.

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