Slotted as the No. 2 seed, Boston (61-21) enters this tournament with a share of momentum on its side. The Celtics capped off the regular season, winning five out of their last six games. The sole loss during this stretch was to Orlando — their opponent in this series.

The Boston Celtics are back in the playoffs and will try to defend their title in 2025. Up first for the reigning champs is a first-round series against the Orlando Magic and Boston took care of business at home to kick things off by winning Game 1 103-86 on Sunday and following that up with a 109-100 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday.