BOSTON — Another East Conference Finals appearance is not the Celtics’ final goal, but it is at least part of their journey. It’s a part of NBA life they know well considering it’s not just their third straight appearance, but also six of the last eight. The C’s officially clinched an East Finals berth after their Game 5 win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday, looking the part of a title contender.
Jaylen Brown has been there that entire time as he’s in his eighth season in the NBA. For Jayson Tatum, it’s his fifth appearance in his seven-year career. That’s a lot of winning. Of course, they just haven’t gotten to the pinnacle of the sport yet as NBA champions. But that’s the current goal as the C’s are looking to hang Banner No. 18 in the coming weeks.
Still, there should be an appreciation for this much consistent winning. Notably, in the past three years — where it’s unquestionably been Tatum and Brown’s show — the one constant has been an East Finals appearance at a minimum.
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“We’ve just been in a lot of battles together,” Tatum said. “Seven years as teammates, he’s been in the conference finals six times, this is my fifth time. We’ve been in a lot of moments, regular season and playoff games. And just throughout the years, learning from our experiences, we’re really getting to a stage where we understand what we can do individually.”
Naturally, there will also be criticism when the Celtics fall short. Uniquely, both Tatum and Brown has faced the brunt of that individually after Boston’s last two playoff shortcomings. After the 2022 Finals, Tatum’s struggles were displayed for the whole world to see. After the 2023 East Finals, Brown admitted he “failed” in the Game 7 loss to the Heat. Both were heavily criticized on the national stage afterwards.
Tatum and Brown — and the Celtics themselves — are still trying to shake their image as playoff chokers. Realistically, they can only so do with a ring. They’ve come so close to that mountaintop only to fall short. So the East Finals, in that sense, is just a stepping stone. But there is some glory to getting this far in the playoffs so consistently, which should come with its share of appreciation.
“It’s very difficult to do and it means a lot to me,” Al Horford said. “I’m very proud of just the work that our guys continue to put in, JT, JB, how they continue to get better. How no matter what gets thrown at them, things that people want to talk about, criticize, our guys continue to work and they continue to think what’s best for our group. And this year that’s been very obvious.”
