The Celtics have 60 wins and have clinched the best record in the NBA, all with a couple of weeks before the playoffs start. So John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm decided to take a show to just appreciate how amazingly well this season has gone so far before we have to focus on the playoffs and a championship run ... including Joe Mazzulla's coaching, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and the Jayson Tatum story we're haven't talked about...

The Celtics have clinched the best record in the NBA with a big win over the OKC Thunder. It's their 60th win of the year, and it came thanks to a heavy dose of Kristaps Porzingis. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal explains how Porzings was a problem, why the third quarter was textbook process for answering an opponent run, and how Jaylen Brown shook off a horrible first three quarters to dominate the fourth.

Rajon Rondo said he's done playing in the NBA, which got a lot of reaction in the media even though Rondo hasn't played a game in two years. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss that, Joe Mazzulla and Ime Udoka winning Coach of the Month, and then the lesson Jayson Tatum and Xavier Tillman explained to highlight the difference between last year's team and this one.

The Celtics took an early punch from the Charlotte Hornets but hung in there to shut them down over the next few quarters. Offensively, the Celtics went with whatever worked, giving Derrick White, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser, and Jayson Tatum ample opportunities to dominate stretches of the game. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal gets into all that and then explains why this road trip was successful ... maybe more successful than you thought.

Mailbag Monday brings us questions about (not so) meaningless games, last-minute offense, trusting Jayson Tatum in those situations, and Boston's record versus the top of the West. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal answers all of that, plus whether the Hawks and Celtics will repeat 2008, Jrue Holiday's future, Dalano Banton's explosion in Portland, and a non-basketball dream job.

The Celtics came out a little slow, but their defense stepped up to get Zion Williamson under control and then take control of the game. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal was at the game and has more on the defense showing its full capabilities, the different things Boston did down the stretch to hold off the Pelicans late run, and how just trying at all was a big step in the win.

The Celtics are in New Orleans after two straight losses to face Zion Williamson and the Pels. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics have room to experiment, but they also need to get some wins under their belts to get the positive vibes back. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Jake Madison of @LockedOnPelicans discuss Herb Jones vs Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday vs. Zion Williamson, and the value of getting back on track.

The Celtics suffered their second-straight tough loss to the Hawks, thanks to 44 points by Dejounte Murray (on 44 shots). John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal gets into why the Celtics allowed certain things to happen to Kristaps Porzingis defensively, and why they don't view the game the same way we do.

With 10 games left to play, the playoff picture is starting to come into focus. There can still be plenty of movement, but we're starting to narrow down the possibilities. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal gets into who the first and second round opponents might be, and who might be the biggest threat to the Celtics.

There has been a lot of conversation about the Celtics after their loss to the Hawks Monday night, but most of it is still missing the point, focusing more on the collapse than the real issue of late-game execution. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss what went right and wrong, and why Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown needed to be better at recognizing what was needed. Plus, Jrue Holiday was on Draymond Green's podcast talking about Boston's mentality, Brown &...

Everything was looking great through about 18 minutes or so as the Celtics were building a 30-point lead in Atlanta, but then the Celtics completely got bored, the Hawks started hitting a bunch of 3-pointers, and Boston played terrible, slow basketball. The result was a blown lead and a streak-snapping loss in Atlanta. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal explains that the loss itself doesn't mean much at all, but the way they lost does because it's the same stuff over and over again.

We open up the mailbag once again (JohnKaralis.com/mailbag) answer questions about what has changed since the All-Star break, Payton Pritchard and Oshae Brissett bringing energy, home court advantage, and whether the Celtics really should be nervous about potentially facing the Denver Nuggets. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal has those answers, plus answers to questions about how long this team can stay together, which Celtics are having the best seasons of their careers, and which C's...

The Celtics keep on rolling, even when they don't play their best. Playing their fifth game in seven nights, the Celtics ended up beating Chicago by 11 thanks to hot shooting from Sam Hauser and Al Horford and some great rebounding by Luke Kornet. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses all that, a very important four seconds by Jaden Springer, and how their mentality of "win the day" is carrying them this season.

The Celtics easily won their eighth-straight game behind an easy 33 points for Jaylen Brown. But it was a Joe Mazzulla timeout that might have change the game for Boston. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal explains what happened there to change things after Detroit's hot start, and why the Celtics bench is making its playoff contribution right now.

Are you happy the Celtics were able to pull through after giving up most of their 21 point lead, or upset that they didn't win more easily against the Milwaukee Bucks? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss both sides of the biggest reaction from the game, and then get into whether Payton Pritchard will have a chance to do what he did against Milwaukee if they meet again in the playoffs. Are there even enough minutes for him to get in the postseason?

It didn't go exactly as planned, but the Celtics were able to hold on to get the win over Milwaukee, essentially wrapping up the race for the top seed. The fourth quarter execution was not great against a zone defense that should have been ripped to shreds. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal explains why and also why it's okay to play faster in the fourth quarter. Also, Payton Pritchard had an incredible second quarter, Jayson Tatum stepped up in the clutch, and Jaylen Brown has evolved...

We're answering mailbag questions (submit at JohnKaralis.com/mailbag) including why Boston's defense doesn't force more turnovers, Jaylen Brown's increased scoring (and chances at an All-NBA team), Al Horford as the mental rudder of this team, and what happens if Boston doesn't win it all this season. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal gets into all that, and then ideal seeding to watch the competition rip each other apart, playing at home on St. Patrick's Day, and then awards for the...

Kristaps Porzingis returned, played 21 minutes (oddly distributed), and looked like he didn't miss a beat. Derrick White had a triple-double which required a little stat-padding but he was so wholesome about it that we will look the other way on it and embrace it. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal has that, Jaylen Brown's big 31 point game, and how the Celtics are taking advantage of a rare luxury to make their team even more dangerous.

The Celtics came out focused against a bad Wizards team, powered by an aggressive Jayson Tatum who dropped 18 in the first quarter and 30 overall. But it was Sam Hauser's shooting in the second and third quarters that really busted the game open . John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses Boston's bad habit of playing down to teams just disappearing, how Hauser's hot shooting should make other teams very nervous, and the very good defensive effort that might go unnoticed on a big...

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 63 points and the Celtics bombed away from 3 in their win over Phoenix Thursday night in Boston. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal gets into why this was an impressive effort from the Celtics, why all the 3-pointers they took were good shots, and how the rebounding changed the game. Also, a closer look at Jaylen Brown's growth and Joe Mazzulla being an absolute maniac.

Kristaps Porzingis is still out with a hamstring issue. So we start the show wondering if there's anything there to be concerned about. Then, John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss the re-emergence of Isaiah Thomas and whether the Celtics should consider signing him, and why the argument or bringing him back has nothing to do with how well he can play at the NBA level.

The Celtics got 38 from Jayson Tatum as they found all the answers for Utah's runs on their way to a 16 point win. While Tatum had the big scoring night, they got contributions from a lot of guys, including a couple of people we might not expect. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal runs through all of that, and the help Boston got in the standings that brings them one step closer to locking up the top seed.

Jaylen Brown was super-aggressive, Jayson Tatum was also getting to the rim, and Sam Hauser put the game away in the fourth quarter hitting a bunch of 3-pointers to seal a Celtics win over Portland. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses the win, Joe Mazzulla's decision to start Payton Pritchard, the overall offense which produced 34 assists, and the defense that blocked 10 shots. Plus, why it's okay that they stopped to smell the roses after their 50th win of the season.

We open up the mailbag once again to answer questions about whether Joe Mazzulla sacrificed wins for lessons this past week, Jaylen Brown's free throw shooting, playing through Brown down the stretch, and why criticism for Brown is the same as criticism for Jayson Tatum and vice versa. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal gets into all of that, plus a TNT curse, postseason awards, getting certain refs to retire, and team superheroes.

The Celtics found themselves in another clutch situation in Phoenix and this time they executed down the stretch, with Jayson Tatum making the right pass before finishing Phoenix off with an iso drive. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal explains why these two plays could be big signs of progress on a night where everyone made a big contribution.