December 1st against the Philadelphia 76ers. That’s the last time the Celtics had their top-8 available, but against the visiting Spurs tonight, they could finally be whole again.
Consider this the fifth chapter of the 2021-2022 season. The first ended with the Smartgate cliffhanger. The second was a riveting read of 10-5 basketball where our heroes discovered their defensive identity. Chapter III was that disastrous detour out west and we’re closing out the fourth with a brief revival of the Hospital Celtics (knock on wood).
Now, nearly midway through the season, it feels like the preamble is over.