Celtics Thrive Off Boston Advantage With Historic Home Start
BOSTON — Something about the TD Garden parquet has elevated the Celtics to an unprecedented level to start the season.
After a thrilling 127-120 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Celtics moved to 18-0 at home to start the season, which marks the best start in Boston’s franchise history.
A dominant homecourt advantage has paced Boston’s 29-8 start that sits the Celtics atop the Eastern Conference standings. As a New England native, Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla always remembers how much the hometown crowd can impact the game night in and night out.
“There’s been two times where I’ve shown I have a pulse,” Mazzulla told reporters after the win. “One was tonight because of the crowd. I’m not gonna say we’re not 18-0 at home without them. To me, we talked about this a little bit before. You want to create this identity of Celtics basketball because the fans are really smart. They know when we suck. They know when we don’t.”
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Mazzulla continued: “They’ve seen great basketball over a long period of time. Usually, when they’re cheering, you’re doing something right. Over the course of the season, you see moments of greatness and moments of Celtics basketball. We respond to them. It has a huge impact on our team. Especially being from here, there’s nothing better than getting a Garden crowd to appreciate something.”
For stars like Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have had some gaps in success at home, notably over their last two postseason runs, including losing Game 6 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden in 2022. Establishing a dominant presence in Boston adds extra momentum in Tatum’s mind.
“It means a lot,” Tatum said after the win. “I’ve been on record saying this. Over the last year or two, especially in the playoffs, we haven’t played that great at home. Early in my career, we rarely lost at home. Just trying to get back to that and reward the fans that come to see us every night.”
With a deep understanding of the history that lives within the Celtics legacy, Jaylen Brown does not take for granted what the 18-0 start means in the greater scheme of Boston’s roots.
“That’s great, any time you get to sketch yourself down in history,” Brown said in his postgame press conference. “There’s been a lot of great teams that have played in the Garden. For us to have the best start in franchise history, it says a lot about the group. It’s an honor to be in that regard. Let’s keep it going.”
The new-look Celtics have found a way to play their best in front of their home fans. It makes a difference during the regular season. Come playoff time, Celtics fans have shown their ability to totally impact a game.
“I think it’s important to have that relationship with the crowd and the city,” Mazzulla added.
The Celtics look to bring momentum on the road for a standout Eastern Conference matchup in Milwaukee on Thursday against the Bucks.