Collect Moments from your 2024-25 Boston Celtics!

Dominance on a game-by-game basis has allowed the Boston Celtics — third-best in the NBA in terms of win margin (9.5) — to avoid too many suspenseful episodes throughout 2024-25. When those inevitable moments do arrive, though, Jayson Tatum has done his part in ensuring that the experience is horror movie-like for any defender standing in his way. Not far removed from misfiring on his initial go-ahead attempt in regulation, Boston’s superstar prepares to add to a lengthy list of career bouncebacks, freezing time to study the scene from a triple-threat position with just five seconds remaining. Spurred along by a crowd of 19,156 eager to see his next move, Tatum uses a size-up dribble before balancing into a perfectly-accurate 30-foot laser over Ochai Agbaji’s contest, prompting arms raised and celebration throughout. For Tatum, No. 3 across the NBA in buckets during the final 10 seconds of one-possession games, November 16, 2024’s display against the Toronto Raptors became another bullet point on his crunchtime résumé. By night’s end, Tatum’s ledger included a 24-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist, five-triple showcase, and, in trademark form, a memorable hip-hop-inspired postgame soundbite: “I have a lot of problems in life; confidence isn’t one.”

Jayson Tatum

From wide-eyed rookies to seasoned veterans to established superstars, every defender receives the same treatment when they attempt to challenge Jaylen Brown in a battle through the air. Locating an unguarded spot amongst the Orlando Magic’s scrambled transition defense, the three-time All-Star provides a first-year defender with a “welcome to the NBA” moment, detonating through the air for a violent one-handed contact flush and a quick staredown thereafter. Brown needed only 29 minutes of action to contribute an 18-point, three-rebound, four-assist performance in the Boston Celtics’ runaway win on December 15, 2023.

Jaylen Brown

One might’ve argued that, with an 83.9 percent win probability and a six-point lead in the final four minutes, time was certainly on the side of the Detroit Pistons on October 26, 2024. Through one well-timed rotation — fittingly from weak side to strong side — Derrick White prepared himself to make quite the rebuttal. Engaged in an intriguing at-the-rim battle with Cade Cunningham throughout the evening, White ensures himself the last laugh, matching the Pistons’ “Horns Split” play design with a soundly-synchronized rotation. Timing his leap flawlessly to erase — or better yet, whiteout — a dunk attempt from Detroit’s star, White springs into a rejection, preserving a two-point lead in the final minute. Humbly admitting to feeling vengeful after the two’s earlier tango in the paint wasn’t as favorable, White added to arguably an all-time NBA highlight reel of blocks at the guard position, ultimately ensuring a come-from-behind victory. White’s final tally would conclude with 17 points (on 6-of-14 shooting), six rebounds, three assists, and three memorable denials.

Derrick White

One glance at the Boston Celtics’ six-player injury report on March 5, 2025 was all it took to confirm that brainstorming would be required if the NBA’s defending champions were to survive absences from multiple stars. In perfectly-poetic fashion, one strategy ultimately surfaced as the best of all: moonball triples from everywhere, courtesy of one Payton Pritchard. Adding yet another chapter to his could-be Sixth Man of the Year saga, the Oregon-born sharpshooter seemingly emerged from the bench with fire at his fingertips, turning the night’s game into a “HORSE” competition. Unbothered by the Portland Trail Blazers’ defense — No. 2 in defensive rating and 3-point percentage allowed over the month-and-half prior to — Pritchard joined his equally-hot teammate on the 40-point plateau, resetting his career-high. Among the must-sees were trapped-in-corner isolation triples over Scoot Henderson, spot-up treys after one of Boston’s gazillion offensive rebounds (18 by night’s end), and one audacious, unconscious catch-and-shoot from behind Boston’s sidecourt logo. Tapping into new levels in 2024-25, Pritchard concluded this night with a 43-point, 10-rebound, five-assist masterpiece, paired with standout efficiency overall (14-of-20), from deep (10-of-16), and from free throw range (five-of-five).

Payton Pritchard

Just when you think you’ve made a move to get past Al Horford in a one-on-one situation, the versatile veteran pulls a trick out of thin air. Stepping up to the challenge of defending an athletic Houston Rockets forward, Horford matches step-for-step, falls for a shot fake, but then recovers enough to complete the stop with an in-air swipe of the ball. The Boston Celtics big man put together a vintage stat line of 17 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks, helping his club to a 107-97 victory on October 24, 2021.

Al Horford

Even the best shot blockers are at the mercy of 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porziņģis when he decides to take flight. Running the floor to take advantage of a scrambled Milwaukee Bucks transition defense, the former All-Star meets a defender at the summit for a demonstrative one-handed flush. Raising his level of play against a fellow respected Eastern Conference foe, Porziņģis pieced together an efficient 21-point performance to go along with six rebounds and two 3-pointers in a Boston Celtics victory on November 22, 2023.

Kristaps Porziņģis

Pressure defense doesn't faze Jayson Tatum. The Boston Celtics star puts on a dribbling clinic in a series of maneuvers before losing his defender with a quick spin move and explosive finish at the hoop. Ball on a string. Tatum finished with 20 points in the November 1, 2021 contest against the Chicago Bulls.

The legend of Jayson Tatum continues to grow. Now in his sixth season, the reigning All-NBA First Team selection leaves little doubt that he was born for the biggest moments. With his Boston Celtics facing a two-point deficit in the final seconds of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tatum showcases the ice in his veins when he takes a bounce pass from Marcus Smart and drives into the lane with one goal in mind — tie the game. Tatum does just that, throwing down an emphatic slam over Jarrett Allen with 6.7 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. Tatum finished the November 2, 2022 contest with 26 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.

When Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has the ball in his hands, get your cameras ready: a highlight is coming. Taking advantage of a Brooklyn Nets trap on a teammate, Tatum showcases his off-ball IQ, sneaking down the middle of the lane and taking a pass before climbing up for a big-time throwdown over two defenders. Tatum brought the buckets all night, with 30 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a 129-106 win on February 24, 2022.

If you need someone to make a play, Derrick White’s as steady as they come. The Boston Celtics guard drives down the baseline with his left, then flips a quick, right-handed feed up to Robert Williams III for the alley-oop flush. White showed off his versatility with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 105-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks on February 13, 2022. 

Force the big man out onto the perimeter and make him make a play: simple formula for defensive success, right? Boston Celtics veteran Al Horford has other plans. The five-time All-Star blasts down the lane with three power dribbles and finishes through contact while also earning a trip to the charity stripe. His steady play (10 points and seven rebounds) helped spark a 95-78 blowout against the Miami Heat on November 4, 2021.

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has a tight handle and creativity to break the defense down for open scoring opportunities. In a productive night against the Detroit Pistons, Pritchard charges hard to his right, then drops his man off with a nasty behind-the-back dribble and stepback jumper. The second-year playmaker finished with 19 points and six assists off the bench on February 26, 2022.

Even if you throw a couple of defenders at Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum, he’s still likely to drop a bucket on you. Tatum is met by multiple players beyond the three-point line, splits the screen with a left-handed dribble, gets in the lane and goes up for a powerful, two-handed slam. Tatum had one of the most complete outings of his career against the Washington Wizards on January 23, 2022, dropping a season-high 51 points along with 10 rebounds and seven assists. 

Jaylen Brown is too smooth with the basketball. The Boston Celtics wing switches up speeds against the Los Angeles Lakers, hits his defender with a hesitation crossover, then goes around his back for two of the 40 points he dropped in an April 15, 2021 victory.

Jaylen Brown can flat out get buckets. The Boston Celtics swingman showed off his marksmanship at Madison Square Garden with this long-distance trey towards a career-high 46 points.

During an uncharacteristically quiet scoring night, Jayson Tatum got his bucket when it mattered most. With his Boston Celtics having clawed back from down 15 points in the second half, the game was tied in the closing seconds when the four-time All-Star received a pass from Marcus Smart. With defender De’Anthony Melton sticking to Tatum like glue, the Celtics star stopped short and created just enough space with a behind-the-back dribble to get off the game-winning triple with 1.3 seconds left. Tatum posted 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in his squad’s exhilarating 110-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on February 25, 2023. 

Right place, right time. Boston Celtics rookie Payton Pritchard follows up a teammate’s miss in the final seconds of a tied game against the Miami Heat, grabs the offensive board and puts back the game-winner. Pritchard’s clutch January 6, 2021 bucket sealed the W in his ninth career NBA contest.

Appreciate stars that get it done on both ends. Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown battles for a steal in a March 19, 2021 tilt against the Sacramento Kings then chases down the loose ball and caps the play off with an uncontested slam.

With one of his All-Star teammates unavailable, Derrick White proved to be the perfect stand-in for Jaylen Brown. The Boston Celtics didn’t miss a beat against the Charlotte Hornets as White lit them up from downtown, using a helpful screen from Luke Kornet to bury a triple from the top of the key. The sixth-year guard had a particularly sizzling first half in dropping 26 points and seven three-pointers and finished with a career-best 33 points on 12 of 19 shooting — including 8 for 14 from deep — while adding three rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks in Boston’s 127-116 victory on February 10, 2023. 

You don’t get to the top of the Eastern Conference standings without a little hustle thrown in along the way. Derrick White shows the Dallas Mavericks how hard he and the Boston Celtics work on the defensive end as the sixth-year guard denies Spencer Dinwiddie a throwdown with a sensational block at the rim. The Celtics have been one of the East’s most powerful squads in White’s two seasons with the team, and his 10 points and two blocks helped Boston claim a dominant 124-95 victory on January 5, 2023. 

The nickname that officially crowned Isaiah Thomas as the NBA’s “King in the Fourth Quarter” remained a full season in the making when he took the floor against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 25, 2016. Unable to see the future and just how brightly his star would shine in the very near future, Thomas merely shifted his sights to the next best thing: everything else. Too quick to cover throughout, Thomas pursues a dagger with Boston ahead by four in the final minute, first with a behind-the-back, crossover combination that invites a forest of four green, Bucks-themed jerseys. 5-foot-9, and without a shadow of doubt nor fear, Thomas encourages an audible roar from the Boston Celtics’ crowd, floating a behind-the-head, no-look dime to a teammate in the opposite corner, setting up the deciding 3-point bucket. Thomas’ excellence helped Boston open its pivotal five-game homestand with a victory, ultimately captaining the Celtics’ first winning season since 2012-13. The recently-named 2016 All-Star recorded a vintage showing, turning in 27 points (19 in the second half), seven assists, two steals, and a pair of 3-pointers.

Isaiah Thomas

As two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams squared off, Al Horford and the Boston Celtics reigned supreme. Ever the unselfish teammate in his 16th season, Horford caught a pass in the paint from Jayson Tatum and in the same motion lofted an alley-oop to a cutting Robert Williams III for a powerful slam. The hot-shooting Horford produced a solid overall game: 8 for 10 from the field and 6 for 8 on 3-pointers for 23 points, along with 11 rebounds and three assists as the Celtics edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-113 on March 1, 2023. 

Another example of his already-unguardable offensive repertoire wasn’t necessarily required, but with the opportunity to put a prospective Eastern Conference elite in its place, Jayson Tatum decided the heat check was too enjoyable to pass up. Bending the Indiana Pacers’ resistance to his will with one quick-maneuver 3-pointer after another, the five-time All-Star puts on the finishing touches, lulling a defender to sleep before balancing himself for an audacious triple, effectively putting the game to rest. Tatum kept both the road crowd and the opposition on a quarter-long mute with a 15-point fourth period, ensuring the Boston Celtics’ victory on January 6, 2024. Pouring in a season-high eight triples, Tatum was unspeakably brilliant, also tallying up 38 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and one steal.

With a style of play built for the highest stakes and the résumé to match, Jaylen Brown is among the select few capable of taking over the game on either side of the floor. In need of a move to free himself against an elite Houston Rockets defense, Brown works three different dribble combinations, providing just enough airspace to motion into a stepback middy. Unsatisfied, the Boston Celtics star turns his attention to the defensive end, reacting quickly enough to pin his assignment’s dunk attempt to the glass for a crowd-rocking rejection. The three-time All-Star could do no wrong in the blowout win on January 13, 2024, exploding for 32 points on just 15 shots, along with six rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and four 3-pointers.

No passing lane has been safe for at least the last 15 years, so long as Jrue Holiday roams the court. Adding to his extensive list of high IQ plays, the five-time All-Defensive Team selection hides in the shadows of a Los Angeles Clippers big, waiting for the perfect time to cut into a passing lane on the way to a steal. True to his two-way reputation, Holiday finishes the play with a 3-pointer, helping the Boston Celtics balloon their third quarter lead. Holiday was brilliant in the blowout win on December 23, 2023, providing 20 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and four 3-pointers.

Jrue Holiday

As the Boston Celtics were busy putting the final, successful touches on their season’s longest homestand, Kristaps Porziņģis played his part by making a second home from inside the 3-point arc against the Washington Wizards. One single, backbreaking bucket away from pairing of his campaign’s best offensive performances with a hard-fought victory, the former All-Star migrates to a frequent spot along the high post, punishing a mismatch with a reverse pivot and quick stepback before burying the game-clinching score. With the Wizards’ roster both shorthanded and short in stature in comparison to the 7-foot-2 star, Porziņģis put on a clinic in mixing physicality with finesse, overwhelming his former team to the tune of 34 points, 11 rebounds, one block, and a pair of 3-pointers, helping guide them to triumph on February 9, 2024.

From keeping his team on its path to grasp perhaps its first championship since 2008 to protecting the rim with the influence of a player twice his size, Derrick White has played his role in keeping the Boston Celtics well within literal reach of anything. Sitting atop the entire NBA in blocks among guards, White hustles into one of his greatest exhibits, hunting down the Phoenix Suns’ transition attempt with a perfectly-timed leap to force an adjustment on the layup. As if unwilling to conform to gravity, White hangs through the air even longer, contorting his body in a 180-degree-type spin to record a poster-worthy rejection. Expertly filling in the gaps within the Celtics’ star-studded rotation, the do-it-all combo guard offered up 10 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and one block in the marquee victory on March 9, 2024.

If it’s a battle of wills, Payton Pritchard can battle with the best of them. After leaping through a crowd of defenders to secure an offensive rebound, Pritchard endures a suffocating double-team and manages to fire off a perfectly placed kick-out pass to a teammate for three. Pritchard finished the November 10, 2023 contest, a Boston Celtics victory, with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Underestimate him around the rim and Sam Hauser will put it back on you. Capitalizing on a scrambled defense after his teammates force a turnover, Hauser follows a missed shot and throws down a two-hand slam. Hauser logged nine points and 10 rebounds in the Boston Celtics victory on November 28, 2023.

Sam Hauser

With a little bit extra in the tank against his former team, Al Horford sealed an early season rivalry win with a kiss. Nursing a narrow lead late in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics big man waits for a pass in the corner, buries a triple, then makes sure the crowd knows it on his way down the court. Horford racked up 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from deep in the November 15, 2023 contest.

You don’t earn the nickname “The Green Kornet” without first knowing how to make above-the-rim plays when your number is called. A consistent contributor to the Boston Celtics’ top-of-the-NBA second unit, Luke Kornet patrols the paint to perfection, sending the Houston Rockets’ alley-oop attempt in the other direction. Out to turn a great play into a sequence, the Boston big gallops the length of the floor, parting through a sea of red on a 3-on-2 fastbreak before being rewarded with a two-handed jam. Kornet contributed to another clockwork win on January 21, 2024, missing zero shots on the way to eight points, nine rebounds, one steal, and three blocks.

Luke Kornet

Within five minutes of his postgame Q&A, Al Horford, on two occasions, was asked about the clash against an at-the-time 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers team being “the biggest challenge of the year” defensively. Although he never outwardly agreed, there was little question that, both literally and metaphorically, the 18-year Hall of Fame-caliber center would rise to the occasion. Equal parts ageless and positionless in defending any position one-through-five, Horford again presents his skillset, keeping within the literal shadows of Darius Garland’s speedy drive down the lane. Pinpoint in his timing upon recognizing Garland’s attempt at a finger roll, Horford elevates, pinning the shot softly off the glass, ultimately setting up his teammate’s clutch 3-pointer shortly thereafter. The play —  evoking similarities to Horford’s series-sealing Game Five performance a season ago — was among the many that helped the Boston Celtics end Cleveland’s historic season-opening streak on November 19, 2024. Pivotal, as always, in big-game environments, Horford recorded 20 points (on 7-of-11 shooting), seven rebounds, one assist, three blocks, and four 3-pointers.

Toe-to-toe against a Detroit Pistons team hoping to prove that its longest winning streak in 17 years wasn’t a soft scheduling aberration, the Boston Celtics knew that on February 26, 2025, it would get the opponent’s best shot. Offsetting that reality as best he could, Derrick White responded with something quite ironic: one of his career’s best shots. Minding his business along the floor’s far right 3-point corner, Boston’s do-it-all guard quickly finds himself in an efficient shooter’s nightmare scenario, with the basketball swinging his way, and the unforgiving play clock dwindling down. Compensating for the hot potato pass with a veteran’s coolness, White turns the opportunity into a game of “HORSE,” miraculously burying what one might label an “alley-oop 3-pointer.” The Pistons’ motor would run too hot on this night, but White nevertheless proved his value once more, producing one-of-a-kind highlights and lighting the scoreboards for 18 points (on 6-of-12 shooting), three rebounds, three assists, and five 3-pointers. 

Inspired by a goal of “putting on a show” for the movie stars and celebrities sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden, Jayson Tatum paid tribute in the best way possible: dramatic action before the opening credits could roll. Declining any offers, evidently, of easing his way into February 8, 2025’s clash of Eastern Conference elites, Tatum attacks a first-minute pick-and-roll, unleashing a pick-and-roll dribble that forces Karl-Anthony Towns’ participation in an “electric slide” of sorts. Unwilling to be slowed on his path to the rim, Tatum meets his next challenger in Precious Achiuwa, taking the New York Knicks’ equally-sized center for a ride with a two-handed power jam, opening  the game’s scoring in style. Outstanding enough against the 2024-25 Knicks to leave some wondering if it were personal, Tatum, merely wanting to avenge a previous game's loss, emerged forcefully with 40 points (on 13-of-26 shooting), alongside six rebounds, four assists, and seven trifectas. Scaling ladders in more ways than one, Tatum’s masterpiece in the primetime win also elevated him to No. 9 on the Boston Celtics’ all-time scoring list.

Select the defender of your choosing, pick your preferred part of the NBA season, and even dictate how far the shot is. The fact remains that if there's a quickly-draining shot clock, and Payton Pritchard is within inbounding range, the end result is likely to feature two things: a bucket, and a celebratory sea of green. Among October 28, 2024’s many offensive stars, even after the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach admitted to circling his name as a pre-game player to monitor, Pritchard zags himself free on an inbounds pass, skillfully treading up the floor amidst traffic. Balancing himself by using Delon Wright’s aggressive momentum advantageously, Pritchard, with the clock approaching its final second, connects on a stepback 3-pointer, bringing the Boston Celtics’ arena to its feet in trademark fashion. In introducing Milwaukee to “The Pritching Hour,” Boston’s electrifying combo guard ran off a 28-points-in-28-minutes masterpiece (on 10-of-14 shooting), alongside five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and —  for a Celtics-record third-consecutive game —  five 3-pointers as a reserve.

History can confirm that whenever Al Horford steps foot in the Atlanta Hawks’ arena, memorable moments tend to follow. Capable of tricks and surprises, even 18 seasons into his career, the Boston Celtics’ big man makes his presence felt, resourcefully finding a void in Atlanta’s transition defense. Encouraged to be creative with David Roddy and Clint Capela collapsing in, Horford smoothly works a double-clutch reverse over the rim’s opposite side, extending Boston’s second-half lead. As the game’s circumstances would have it, Horford’s acrobatic finish became one of the finishing touches for the starters during a convincing 30-point road win on November 4, 2024. Helping the league’s reigning champions look the part once more, Horford contributed eight points (on four-of-seven shooting), seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block, as the Celtics cruised to a 7-1 opening-season start.

Already head-to-head against a player who often inspires his best, Jaylen Brown found that with March 8, 2025’s fastbreak runway all to himself, the itinerary called for a trip into the history books of the NBA’s greatest rivalry along the way. Attached tightly enough to Luka Dončić’s back to become his second jersey number, Brown uses energetic, active hands to deny Gabe Vincent’s post entry attempt, setting up a one-man transition train with TD Garden audible in anticipation. Rewarding the 19,156 in attendance with something replayable, Brown elevates into a back-scratching two-handed flush, putting Boston ahead during a competitive opening-half tug-of-war. The could-be NBA Finals preview presented a welcome platform for the reigning Finals Most Valuable Player, as Brown ran up 31 points (on 13-of-25 shooting), supporting said brilliance with six rebounds, two assists, three steals, and three 3-pointers. Nearly flawless in his co-star role, Brown guided a post-halftime pull away, as the Celtics conquered the Los Angeles Lakers for a fourth-straight win.

3-point math won’t always work in favor of the Boston Celtics, even as they close in on league history’s all-time mark for the most attempts per game. On those rare nights — such as the one on December 23, 2024 — they can count on Jaylen Brown’s aggressiveness and ambition as another great equalizer. Forgoing a pick-and-roll against Trevelin Queen in favor of a more advantageous toe-to-toe with Goga Bitadze, Brown turns the floor into lava with a fiery crossover, leaving Orlando’s shot-blocking big man unbalanced. Ironically positioned to inflict in-air punishment on his original defender as well, Brown puts his signature on the possession, elevating into a passionate two-handed flush. The Orlando Magic would eventually regroup, taking advantage of a Boston team missing one of the “Jays.” In superstar form regardless, Brown secured 35 points (on 15-of-29 shooting), supported by nine rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a 3-pointer.

Eight years into their banner-raising partnership, there likely isn’t a single type of highlight that Jaylen Brown and his fellow all-world teammate haven’t created in side-by-side cohesion. In the event that they hadn’t, though, “The Jays” found that with a 22-point third quarter lead, time allowed for a few new additions to the toolbox. Among the first to race the floor in transition, Brown slows his pace, pondering his move against a potential one-on-two disadvantage. Taking a page from that of, perhaps, New England’s football playbook, Brown, only a few strides ahead of his celebrated co-star, unleashes a center-to-quarterback-like between-the-leg dime, positioning the Boston Celtics for trifecta No. 13. January 29, 2025’s week was one to remember for Brown, who paired the victory over the Chicago Bulls with a fourth All-Star appearance just hours later. Taking a liking to the number “28” — his point total in every game that week —  Brown paired the big-time scoring output alongside six rebounds, six assists, a steal, a 3-pointer, and elite shooting (10-of-18) overall.

For opposing ball handlers, few sights are more troubling than crossing midcourt, only to find Jrue Holiday with knees bent, settled into a defensive stance. During an end-of-quarter sequence on December 31, 2024, Boston’s game-changing combo guard confirmed that results weren’t much different when he put his mind to something similar offensively. Forced into desperation mode with under five seconds remaining, and a pass arriving with hot potato-like speed, Holiday sets into his shooting motion from three or four steps behind the 3-point arc. Measured at 27 feet away during his release, Holiday buries a buzzer-beating triple, offering a precursor of what the second half would entail. The Boston Celtics —  merely ahead 45-35 against the Toronto Raptors at intermission — emerged as a different team, ratcheting their focus during what became a 54-point win. Not needing to overwork himself during a 25-minute shift, Holiday was rock solid, producing 14 points (on five-of-eight shooting), accompanied by four assists, three steals, and four trifectas.

It takes a special blend of creativity and crunchtime coolness to make a high-pressure, game-winning bucket appear like that of a television commercial, but on January 31, 2025, Jayson Tatum confirmed that he was among those capable. Positioned in the type of late-game scenario that franchise faces often speak fondly of — heroic if it hits, overtime if it misses — Tatum works first niftiness, offsetting a could-be double team with a spin towards the floor’s opposite side. Oozing with “aura,” as this generation says, Tatum seals the night's envolope with a “sweet spot” pull-up over two defenders’ reaches before pairing his cold-blooded bucket with an as-if-effortless glance into the NBA’s official sidecourt camera. For many, Tatum’s walk-off winner was certainly an eyebrow-raiser, but not necessarily surprising, given that over the last five seasons, the Boston Celtics’ superstar tied for No. 1 in go-ahead field goals over the final five seconds. Absorbing the New Orleans Pelicans’ best for a second time that month, Tatum helped Boston conquer the type of matchup champions win, tallying 27 points (on 10-of-21 shooting), six rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, and four 3-pointers.

Working his way back into what he deemed “good shape” might’ve remained a work in progress during the most productive game of his 2024-25 season to date. Yet even so, it’s unlikely that the Boston Celtics had any nitpicks about Kristaps Porzingis’ ability to get square with defenders and protect the cylinder above on January 7, 2025. Four days into his return to night-by-night action, Boston’s gifted Latvian does his initial job to a tee, helping Boston’s top-ranked defense stonewall Jamal Murray’s path to an easy fastbreak finish. Instinctual in rotating after the basketball swings to DeAndre Jordan, Porzingis meets one of history’s great rim-runners at the apex of his elevation, leaving the Mile High center empty-handed after a forceful swat. In a head-to-head between the NBA’s last two champions, Porzingis’ contributions proved much-needed, as he recorded 25 points (on 9-of-18 shooting), 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block, and a 3-pointer, with Boston collecting 18 “stocks” as a team.

Noticeably thin at center with two former All-Star bigs missing from the Boston Celtics’ rotation, it felt like a surefire assumption that, at some point, Neemias Queta would check in, prepared to take full advantage of his extended run. In perfectly-poetic fashion, Queta’s distinctive ability to run the floor at 7-foot turned out to be the source of his most memorable sequence during November 1, 2024’s flawless night. Overwhelming throughout the evening’s back-and-forth battle, Queta — recognizing a five-on-four opportunity if urgent enough — punishes the Charlotte Hornets’ miscommunication, positioning behind the defense, and into the paint’s heart. Pivoted into a better angle, and now prepared to conquer any teal-and-white jersey nearby, Queta elevates into a fearsome one-handed flush over Miles Bridges’ late contest, stretching Boston’s late-game lead to seven. Guaranteed to showcase above-the-rim power of some sort whenever called upon, Queta’s play in Boston’s win allowed for 12 points (on a perfect six-of-six shooting), alongside six rebounds and one assist.

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hidden in these packs