The Boston Celtics battled the Indiana Pacers for the second time this week on Friday, and the rematch followed a similar script. The Celtics fell behind early, only to storm back and win behind another big game from Jaylen Brown.

Four days after erasing a 20-point deficit and beating the Pacers 103-95 at TD Garden, Boston overcame another double-digit deficit on Friday, blowing out Indiana 140-122 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Whereas the Celtics waited until the second half and the fourth quarter specifically to mount their comeback on Monday, this time they did so in the second quarter. After ending the first quarter down 11, Boston erupted for 47 points in the second quarter and never looked back, cruising to their fourth straight victory.

Brown led the Celtics with 30 points, reaching that benchmark for the eighth straight game. That’s the second-longest streak in team history, trailing only Larry Bird’s nine consecutive 30-point games from 40 years ago.

Brown, who also had four steals on defense, had plenty of help on offense. Payton Pritchard scored 29 points, Sam Hauser had 23 and Derrick White had 21. The 23 points were a season high for Hauser, who also matched his season high with seven 3-pointers.

Luka Garza stayed hot off the bench with 15 points and a plus-26 in 27 minutes.

Friday’s rout kicks off a five-game road trip for Boston, which improved to 19-11. The Celtics continue their West Coast swing on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, where Brown will look to match Bird’s record and help extend Boston’s winning streak.

With each new workout video, Boston Celtics fans are growing more hopeful that Jayson Tatum will return to the rotation before the end of the season. The four-time All-NBA First Team selection is currently sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury.

In a recent episode of Brian Windhorst’s “The Hoop Collective” podcast, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps shared his opinion that Boston could be better served by holding Tatum out for the season. That way, he would have a full 18 months to recover before returning to the rotation ahead of the 2026–27 NBA season.

“Jayson Tatum has definitely not been ruled out,” Bontemps said. “And every time Brad Stevens or anybody has talked about it, they’ve said everything, but Jayson Tatum is not playing. So the action there is pretty clear. They’re leaving the door open for him to play. And he is determined to play.”

“Whether he’s allowed to play is a different question,” Bontemps continued. “And I think that discussion becomes a more complicated one the better the Celtics are. I would probably say it’s better for them to wait until next fall anyway. Give him the 18 months. Let him heal up. Let this team make as much of a run as it can and come back. I am not, however, having to sit down across from Jayson Tatum and tell him that.”

Tatum has made no secret of his desire to get back on the court. However, Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ front office, and the coaching staff will ultimately decide whether to bring him back later in the season or continue his recovery ahead of the summer.

The Celtics are surpassing expectations through the opening months of the season. Joe Mazzulla’s team is third in the Eastern Conference with an 18-11 record. If the team can maintain its current production level, there is a case for and against Tatum’s potential return.

Nevertheless, legitimate discussions about Tatum are still a few months away. He is not ready to rejoin the rotation at present. Still, that doesn’t stop his return from being a key topic of discussion this season. Unfortunately for Celtics fans, all they can do is wait and see how things play out.

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The Boston Celtics received an encouraging sign on Christmas Eve, as Jayson Tatum continued his rehabilitation process without taking the holiday off. With the Celtics firmly positioned in the Eastern Conference race, the moment highlighted both Tatum’s injury recovery progress and the team’s ongoing playoff push to win championship No. 19.

The former Duke standout suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in May during the NBA conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. Since then, Tatum’s rehabilitation has followed an accelerated timeline, and his latest post served as visible confirmation that his commitment has not wavered. The Christmas Eve workout message resonated across the league as the season entered a critical stretch.

The post, originally shared to Instagram and later circulated on X (formerly known as Twitter), offered insight into the 27-year-old’s mindset as he continues to ramp up his rehabilitation process.

The image showed yellow basketball sneakers planted on the parquet floor at the Auerbach Center, reinforcing that the Celtics star is back on the court in a controlled setting. Team president Brad Stevens has previously acknowledged that Tatum’s progress has exceeded standard recovery benchmarks, with reports suggesting that clearance for limited one-on-one drills could be approaching.

Boston has managed to stay competitive without its top scorer. Entering Wednesday, the Celtics sat at 18-11, holding the third seed in the Eastern Conference. That positioning has kept the Celtics playoff push in position, but the margin remains slim as the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons continue to surge.

Tatum’s eventual return remains a central storyline for Boston, as his presence fundamentally alters spacing, scoring balance, and late-game execution. Even without a confirmed return date, the decision to train on Christmas Eve reflects leadership through action and underscores his commitment to rejoining the lineup.

For the Celtics, the path to title contention depends heavily on timing. For Tatum, each on-court session brings him closer to rejoining a roster that has already proven it can win, but knows its ceiling rises dramatically when its franchise cornerstone returns.

Related: Is Jaylen Brown the best player in the NBA? ‘Nobody doing it better than me’

Related: Pacers HC Rick Carlisle makes demand to NBA over Neemias Queta’s ‘dangerous’ elbow to Isaiah Jackson

Boston Celtics 19-year-old rookie Hugo González has arrived. González showed plenty of flashes of talent early in the season, but his recent string of games — which has featured multiple double-doubles — has announced beyond a reasonable doubt that Hugo belongs on this stage.

Hugo’s play has garnered praise from teammates, fans, and analysts alike. Stan Van Gundy admitted early on in the NBA season that he was “falling in love” with González. Celtics center Neemias Queta recently praised the rookie.

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has also been high on González, but Simmons’ recent Hugo post to X was especially notable, not to mention hilarious.

Simmons posted a joke mock re-draft, in which he said he’d select González with the No. 1 overall pick, followed by Hugo again with the No. 6 pick.

González’s contributions as a rookie actually come close to making Simmons’ post seem completely serious. Although guys like Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and VJ Edgecombe are head-and-shoulders above Hugo in terms of the Rookie of the Year race, a lot of that comes down to minutes and usage.

Knueppel has already become a first-option-type scorer for the Hornets, and he’s starting every game. Same goes for Flagg. While Hugo isn’t that type of scorer or player, his impact on winning is still immense. There’s a reason that González has the best total plus/minus number among NBA rookies right now, and it’s not just because the Celtics are a better club than the Hornets and Mavs of the world.

González has been good for the Celtics even when the team is struggling. A big example of this came on Monday night when Hugo led a Boston bench mob comeback against the Indiana Pacers. After Joe Mazzulla benched Boston’s starters in the second half, González led the charge, and the Celts ended up coming back from 20 down to win the game.

The future is blindingly bright for Hugo, and the Celtics obviously made a stellar decision to draft the Spaniard out of Real Madrid. Credit to Brad Stevens .

Jaylen Brown has dealt with a lot of criticism throughout his NBA career, ever since he was booed on draft night when the Boston Celtics took him third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Despite all his individual and team success over the past decade, including a championship and an NBA Finals MVP award, Brown has continued to face doubters and skeptics. Many questioned whether he was worth his massive contract extension or whether he could lead the Celtics in Jayson Tatum’s absence.

So far, Brown has silenced the critics this season. He’s playing some of the best basketball of his career, performing at an MVP level while leading Boston’s short-handed roster to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After helping the Celtics erase a 20-point deficit against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, Brown hopped on Twitch and shared a strongly worded message for his haters.

“I’ve been embracing a villain this season,” Brown said. “There was a lot of people waiting for me to fall on my face this season… they had the tweets loaded, ready for me to fail, (they) still waiting on it. And I’m just gonna tell them, keep waiting.”

Now in his 10th NBA season, the 29-year-old star has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s scored at least 30 points in seven straight games and 11 of his last 12, proving he’s more than capable of carrying a team and being the top option on offense.

After a few days to rest, Brown will look to continue his stellar season in Friday’s rematch with the Pacers.

The Boston Celtics secured an impressive win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday, Dec. 22. Joe Mazzulla’s squad went into halftime trailing by 20 points. However, after making the bold call to pull some of the team’s starters early in the third quarter, Boston clawed its way back into the game before taking the lead in the fourth.

During his postgame news conference, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle detailed how the Celtics took control of the game despite being down at the start of the second half.

“I thought they picked up their physicality; their bench became more of a factor in the second half,” Carlisle said, via the Pacers YouTube channel. “You know, we needed to keep attacking, and we didn’t do it enough. We held them to 103 points. You know, that’s another small win. I mean, we’re trying to win basketball games, but this team is going through things that are difficult things, but they’re things that are going to strengthen us.”

The win was Boston’s 18th of the season. Mazzulla’s team continues to find different ways to win. The Celtics are slowly finding their identity as a gritty, never-say-die team with a high-octane style. And while Boston’s defense is still a concern, there are signs of improvement, especially when leaning into the zone.

Most importantly, the Celtics are becoming a formidable opponent at home. They have won 10-of-15 in the TD Garden, as opposed to their 8-6 record on the road.

Furthermore, Boston is finding success with its developmental talent. Josh Minott, Hugo Gonzalez, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh and even Luka Garza have all stepped up at different points of the season. Against the Pacers was no different, with Gonzalez and Garza both impressing for the second straight game.

The Celtics will get a few days of rest over the Christmas period. They are back in action on Friday, Dec. 26, when they face the Pacers in what will be an immediate rematch for both teams.

During the 2024 All-Star Weekend, Jaylen Brown opted to participate in the dunk contest. The event coincided with Brown’s third All-Star appearance. He finished second, behind Mac McClung.

In a recent appearance on Derrick White’s “White Noise” podcast, Brown addressed his performance. He jokingly blamed Jayson Tatum for his passing during his dunk attempts and revealed his interaction with Adam Silver after the event.

“When I was practicing, I had a professional passer—somebody who got the timing right. And then, you know who threw my pass? JT. Terrible decision,” Brown said. “He threw the pass and it wasn’t a good pass. It just looked bad. It happens…The caveat was that it was one of the most-viewed dunk contests in history, for the wrong reasons. I had the most clips, I had the most… Everybody was sharing. Adam (Silver) actually thanked me. He came to the locker room after the dunk contest. I was like, Adam, get out of my face.”

Brown is one of the most explosive dunkers in the NBA. During the contest, he tried to incorporate some storytelling into his dunks. While many fans appreciated a different kind of approach, he wasn’t showcasing his full range of athleticism and explosiveness.

Nevertheless, Boston Celtics fans will undoubtedly appreciate hearing Brown’s thoughts on the event and how things played out. It’s also humorous that Tatum, who has developed into one of the better passing forwards in the NBA, was partly at fault.

Brown is on course to make his fifth All-Star appearance this season, which would mark his fourth consecutive selection. He’s enjoying a stellar season thus far, averaging 29.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, shooting 50% from the field and 36.5% from deep.

With Jayson Tatum sidelined due to an Achilles tendon injury, Brown has stepped into a leading role for the Celtics. He’s thriving as the team’s primary offensive option and proving himself to be among the league’s elite scorers. Having both Brown and Tatum full of confidence will be essential for when the Celtics are ready to get back to challenging for a championship in the near future.

The Boston Celtics earned their second-straight win on Saturday night against the Toronto Raptors, and with Jaylen Brown missing this game, several players had to step up for the C’s. One player who delivered the best performance of his young career was first-round rookie Hugo Gonzalez.

Coming off the bench, Gonzalez earned the first double-double of his young career, as he dropped 10 points and hauled in 10 rebounds, while also nabbing a pair of steals and blocking one shot. When all was said and done, Gonzalez registered a mind-boggling plus/minus of +37 during his 28 minutes on the floor.

Gonzalez drew some comparisons to Luka Doncic coming out of the draft, as both guys spent time playing for Real Madrid in Spain before finding their way to the NBA. Gonzalez doesn’t necessarily have a strong relationship with Doncic, but he admitted the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar has been someone for him to look up to as he transitions to the NBA.

“For us in Madrid specifically, he’s just a legend,” Gonzalez said of Doncic on “View From the Rafters.” “He’s what you would like to be in a perfect world, you can’t even imagine what he’s doing right now … Every single guy that works in the (Real Madrid) Academy works to be like Luka and follow his way. (He’s) a role model to follow.

He’s come to some of (Real Madrid’s) games. We’ve talked some at some point. Not a relationship, but he has made an impression (on me), and I’ve been able to talk with him sometimes.”

For those who aren’t paying attention to Doncic, he’s putting together arguably the best season of his career, as he’s averaging 34.1 points, 8.8 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game for the Lakers this season. If Gonzalez comes anywhere close to reaching that level of production, Boston would be thrilled.

The early returns on Gonzalez are encouraging, and with Doncic outlining the blueprint for success in the NBA, he should only continue to grow with the C’s. Boston will be back in action on Monday night, as it will square off against the Indiana Pacers.

Hugo González has made quite an impression on Boston Celtics fans and the rest of the NBA during his rookie season.

It’s becoming obvious that Hugo’s teammates on the Celtics love him too; how could they not? González plays with a fiery intensity, fearlessness, and desire to win that reminds you what sports are all about.

On Monday, Celtics center Neemias Queta became the latest player to heap praise upon González.

“I knew a couple of people at Real Madrid … that’s all they (raved) about, how hard he can play,” Queta said on Monday. “I’ve been familiar to a little bit of the stuff that he had going on, but it’s amazing to see it live.”

Celtics fans are still getting to know González and learning the teenager’s backstory to becoming a first-round pick.

Born in February 2006 in Madrid, Spain, González emerged as one of Europe’s top young talents through Real Madrid’s renowned youth system. Joining the club at age nine, he quickly rose, debuting professionally in the Liga ACB at just 16 in October 2022, becoming one of the youngest players in Real Madrid history. He excelled in junior competitions, leading Real Madrid U18 to back-to-back Adidas Next Generation Tournament titles in 2023 and 2024, earning MVP honors in the latter.

On the international stage, González contributed to Spain’s silver medals at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup and subsequent youth events. In February 2025, he debuted for Spain’s senior national team, scoring 11 points in a EuroBasket qualifier.

Selected 28th overall by the Boston Celtics in the June 2025 NBA Draft, González participated in Summer League before making his regular-season debut. His rookie year has featured fluctuating minutes, with a first career start in October and a breakout performance on December 20, against Toronto, posting his initial double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in a Celtics victory.

González, Queta, and the rest of the 17-11 Celtics will continue their season on Monday evening when they host the 6-22 Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. Boston will be going for its third-straight victory.

Jordan Walsh has been a breakout performer for the Boston Celtics this season. The third-year forward has earned a starting role in Joe Mazzulla’s rotation and is showing signs of being an elite defender in the coming years.

Whenever a young player begins to make their mark in the NBA, nickname ideas usually follow. Sometimes, we’re far too quick to give a player a nickname that will follow them around for the rest of their career. Robert Williams and the “Time Lord” moniker are a perfect example.

During a recent Celtics game, Carter finally dropped a nickname for Walsh on the broadcast, calling him the “Wolf of Wall Street.” However, when Carter woke up that morning, that nickname wasn’t the one he intended to roll with. He explained how that nickname came about during a recent appearance on the “Green With Envy” podcast.

“My favorite one that I had seen was Warden Walsh, because I know that Jordan liked Alcatraz, right? You know, obvious reasons, you know, you’re locked up when he’s defending you. So I think with that prison motif. Ward and Walsh make a lot of sense. It rhymes with his name…

Then, before the game, I ran into this guy, Drew Cigna, who works with JB on his Twitch streams and all of his videos. And Ciggs told me that. Wall Street was Jordan’s favorite. And the comments seem to like it. Wall Street… So I saw Jordan. I’m like, ‘Yo.’ What do you think of? Warden Walsh. He’s like, ‘I like that.’ I’m like, ‘How about Wall Street?’ He’s like, ‘Oh, I like that.’ And then, so he goes through the layup line, comes back, sees me again, says, ‘I think Wall Street is better.’”

Walsh ranks in the 91st percentile among forwards for Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus this season, per DunksandThrees. Therefore, a nickname designed around his ability to shut down opponents and keep them locked up all game is ideal. Of course, Walsh must continue improving, both as a defender and as an offensive threat, to become a true wolf in the NBA.

The Celtics selected Walsh with the 38th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He spent the past two seasons developing his game with the Maine Celtics. Now, he’s on track to become the latest developmental talent to cement himself in Boston’s rotation. He’s also young enough to continue developing into a player who could play a key role in a future championship push.

Derrick White has put his early-season slump behind him. The Boston Celtics guard has been impressive in recent weeks, as he’s adjusted to his larger role. White is Boston’s secondary option on offense, along with being one of the team’s primary playmakers.

During Boston’s 112-96 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, Dec. 20, White was once again one of the best players on the court. He ended the game with 15 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and a block. And despite going 5-of-20 from the field, he provided a level of connectivity that allowed those around him to thrive.

During his postgame news conference, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic shared a familiar statement regarding White.

“I think Derrick White is the most underrated player in the league,” Rajakovic said, per Gary Washburn. “He’s an unbelievable player.”

Interestingly, Rajakovic’s comments echoed Erik Spoelstra’s. The Miami Heat head coach had shared a similar message regarding the Celtics guard just 24 hours earlier, after White helped Joe Mazzulla’s team secure a 129-116 win over the Miami Heat.

“I think he is the most underrated player in the league,” Spoelstra said. “The guy is an absolute winner, whatever role you put him in. Tonight, obviously, he showed to be a scorer in all the different facets … Defensively, he just does so many things … He’s the best shot-blocking guard in the league.”

White is playing at a borderline All-Star level. Coming into the season, Celtics fans knew he would be an important part of the rotation. However, White is surpassing expectations, as he continues to help spearhead an offense that misses Jayson Tatum.

If White continues to play at his current level, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to proposed that he emerges as a surprise candidate to make the 2026 All-Star game.