BOSTON — Jaylen Brown enters the Celtics’ playoff run healthy, and Boston needs that version of him right away. The No. 2 seed opens against Philadelphia in the first round, with the teams set for a series that already carries the feel of a grind.
Brown was described as MVP-caliber after dealing with knee issues a year ago, when Boston’s run ended abruptly in New York. This time, the Celtics arrive with Jayson Tatum healthy, a roster built around 56 wins from a group of unheralded players and a prediction that they will beat the 76ers in six games. Philadelphia took two games from Boston in the season series, a reminder that the matchup is not as comfortable as the seedline suggests.
Coach Joe Mazzulla framed the start of the postseason as more than a routine opening round, saying the Celtics’ presence in the playoffs is part of the responsibility they have to the franchise. He also said Boston has to be at its best because whoever it plays will be at its best too, and he called Philadelphia a great team after seeing it throughout the season.
That is where the Celtics’ case gets interesting. They have reached the playoffs for 12 straight years, but only three times in that stretch have they failed to advance past the first round. This team’s path is shaped by Tatum’s return, Brown’s health and a 56-win season built without a parade of big names, which is why some view this run as one of the more impressive in club history if it turns into a deep one.
The friction is obvious on the other side. Philadelphia comes in dealing with injuries to Joel Embiid and suspension-related issues involving Paul George, yet Mazzulla still described the matchup as a tough test and said Boston has to be ready for it. He added that he feels good about his team and that the players are great people who care about winning, but he also made clear the Celtics are trying to be in the right frame of mind for however long the series takes.
For Boston, the first round is not about reputation or seed. It is about proving that a healthy Brown, a healthy Tatum and a team that won 56 games can carry the weight of the moment when the games start to count.
