Boston Celtics

For the fifth time in seven years, the Boston Celtics made it at least as far as the Eastern Conference Finals. The iconic franchise won 57 games and a second consecutive Atlantic Division title to earn a second-place finish in the East. Boston was strong on both sides of the ball, possessing the second-rated offensive unit in the NBA that ranked fourth in points per game while also finishing as the third-rated defense that was fifth in opponent points per game. Jayson Tatum nabbed his second straight All-NBA First Team selection after averaging career-best marks of 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists to earn his fourth All-Star nod. Jaylen Brown was an All-Star for the second time in three seasons and secured his first All-NBA selection on the Second Team after posting a career-high 26.6 points per game. Derrick White’s sixth NBA season concluded with a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, while Marcus Smart won the NBA Hustle Award for the third time in five years. Malcolm Brogdon was named Sixth Man of the Year in his first season in Boston after averaging 14.9 points on 44.4 percent shooting from downtown. The Celtics dispatched the Atlanta Hawks in six first round games and rallied from a 3-2 series deficit in the semifinals to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games. Boston fell into a 3-0 series hole against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals before winning three straight, culminating in White’s dramatic Game 6 buzzer-beating putback — the first postseason buzzer beater since 1989 from a team trailing and facing elimination. Boston fell one win shy of making it to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.