January Bringing Celtics Best Tests From West Contenders

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics entered the season with unavoidable championship expectations, even more so than in previous years following an energizing roster shakeup.

For the most part, the Celtics have backed up the hype, winning 35 of their first 46 games and sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings. While the team may not focus on the future, the month of January brought several previews to Boston in teams the Celtics could see if they play in June.

Over the course of the month at TD Garden, the Celtics hosted a trio of Western Conference contenders in the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.

The Celtics earned arguably their greatest win of the season against the Timberwolves on Jan. 10. Down nine points with four minutes to go, Boston stormed back to force overtime. On the back of Jayson Tatum and his 45 points, the Celtics showed legitimate resiliency in the 127-120 victory.

Just nine days later, Boston traded blows with the reigning NBA champions the Nuggets. After jumping out to a six-point halftime lead, the Celtics slid in the second half, shooting just 31% from three-point range on the night. Tatum could not convert on a late possession as Denver defeated Boston 102-100 in the team's first home loss of the season, snapping a streak of 20 victories on the parquet floor to begin the campaign.

Saturday night brought another star-studded team to Boston: the Clippers, featuring Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden. In the latest test, Los Angeles' stars produced and Boston's did not. The Clippers got widespread scoring from George (17 points), Leonard (26 points) and complimentary play from Terance Mann with 14 points.

Outside of 21 points from Tatum, the Celtics shot a mere 36% from the field and an unusually low 25% from deep. Yes, not having Kristaps Porzingis, who was unavailable after rolling his ankle on Thursday, put the Celtics at a deficit. Regardless, Boston did not have an answer as the Clippers found space to work throughout the night. Joe Mazzulla eventually pulled most of his starters in the second half with the game well out of hand in a 115-96 loss.

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On paper, the Celtics went 1-2 in these three games with a comeback victory, a late-game defeat and a blowout loss.

What are the takeaways?

Boston has the fight to compete in tight contests in the closing minutes, where Tatum will likely continue to get crucial touches. Against real contenders, the Celtics will still rely on outside shooting and interchangeable scoring threats beyond Tatum, a trend that has driven Boston during this season.

Boston got an early look at three of the top four teams in the Western Conference. The other group in that mix? The West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder, a dynamic team driven by a young core that beat the Celtics on Jan. 2 at Paycom Center.

The learning lessons should be taken with a grain of salt for the Celtics after a 35-11 start to the season. If Boston moves closer to the ultimate goal and emerges out of the Eastern Conference to start the summer, they'll know what separators are needed against championship competition.