They dominated the regular season, posting a 64-18 record to secure the NBA’s No. 1 seed. They steamrolled the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs, winning each series in five games. They have the best roster in the league. They’re battle-tested, based on past postseason experience. And they’re healthy, outside of Kristaps Porzingis, who’s working back from a calf injury.
Yet, there’s a gigantic elephant in the room: Boston’s recent inability to get over the hump and win the NBA Finals, oftentimes despite being viewed as clear-cut contenders to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Advertisement
The Celtics’ near-misses — which include a trip to the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games — perhaps explain why some folks are gun-shy about totally buying into this year’s Boston team.
Story continues below advertisement
The C’s are heavy favorites to win the championship, with just eight wins standing between them and a title, yet outside skepticism persists.
It makes no sense to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, who on Friday pointed to Boston when breaking down the “most surprising” aspect of the second round of the playoffs.
Advertisement
Windhorst’s assessment — part of a playoff roundtable published to ESPN.com — even included a stern warning at the end.
“The Celtics are 8-2 with seven double-digit wins this postseason. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are averaging a combined 60 points and 14 rebounds per game. Boston is ranked No. 2 in offense and No. 3 in defense in the playoffs despite missing star center Kristaps Porziņģis,” Windhorst wrote. “Yet, people are abandoning the Celtics as title contenders. Their postseason opponents (the Miami Heat and the Cavaliers) had injury issues, but the Celtics had little trouble against them. Ignore them at your own risk.”
Story continues below advertisement
If you don’t want to bet on the Celtics, fine. There’s virtually no value in backing Boston at this stage. As of Friday, the C’s were -850 to win the Eastern Conference and -155 to win the NBA Finals at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Advertisement
If you like the Celtics to win, you’re better off trying to pinpoint which Western Conference opponent they’ll take down en route to securing the hardware. Or you could tap into the NBA Finals MVP market, where Jayson Tatum is a +130 favorite and Jaylen Brown sits at +700.
But betting aside, it’s hard to find flaws in the Celtics’ game right now, especially in the context of the remaining teams. Boston should win the championship. Anything less would be a disappointment.
Any hesitancy clearly is rooted in the Celtics’ past playoff failures. And it also might be misguided this time around, as there’s mounting evidence that suggests Boston really is that much better than every other team.
Story continues below advertisement
Advertisement
Ignore them at your own risk — as Windhorst stated.
“No Kings” rallies are scheduled in Boston and across Massachusetts on Saturday and are expected to draw large crowds, organizers said.
Organized by the ACLU of Massachusetts, Indivisible Mass Coalition, and Mass 50501, the event is a mass mobilization in protest of the Trump administration.
The No Kings theme was created by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
“The Trump administration is trying to shred the Constitution; the No Kings movement is an unequivocal statement that we, the people, will not let that happen. This will be the third global No Kings Day, and it’s not just about protesting what’s wrong—it’s about building something better. We intend to show our power, build our power, and power a democracy that advances freedom, equality, justice, and dignity for all,” organizers wrote.
Advertisement
The rally, one of thousands scheduled across the country this weekend, is planned for the Boston Common from 2 to 4 p.m. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Boston’s rally. Other events are scheduled in Pittsfield, Northampton, Lancaster, Worcester, Framingham, Methuen, Lexington, and towns in southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape. For a map of No Kings events near you, click here.
Speakers include elected officials Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and civic leaders Hessann Farooqi Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, Darlene Lombos, president of the Greater Boston Labor Council, Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts, Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Massachusetts, and others. It will be moderated by Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.
There will also be performances by the Dropkick Murphys, Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, BVOCAL Chorus, and Jimmy Tingle.
A previous No Kings rally in October drew massive crowds estimated in the tens of thousands.
NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston
An aerial view of the crowd at Boston’s “No Kings” rally on the Common on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
ALLSTON, MASS. (WHDH) – Boston police are searching for a gunman who opened fire in Allston Thursday and left one person hurt.
Police responded to a radio call for a person shot in the area of Brighton Avenue at approximately 6:46 p.m. When officers arrived, they said they found a male “juvenile” suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim’s age has not been released.
Boston police said the shooter fled the scene and remains at large. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Boston police.
Advertisement
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox
