Boston Celtics
“50 wins in a gap year.”
The Celtics didn’t need Jaylen Brown or Derrick White on Sunday to beat Charlotte. Barry Chin/The Boston Globe
It didn’t take long after the Celtics left the court at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center on Sunday for Jaylen Brown to take to social media.
Brown — sidelined for Sunday’s road game against the Hornets due to left Achilles tendinitis — relished Boston’s record after the Celtics took down one of the hottest teams in the league, 114-99.
“50 wins in a gap year,” Brown said on X, adding a shamrock emoji.
For all of the talk of the Celtics staring at a lost season in 2025-26 following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury and the loss of several key players this past offseason, Boston hasn’t lost its standing as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.
Not only did Boston’s win over Charlotte improve the Celtics’ record to 50-24, but it also secured a playoff berth, with Boston advancing to the postseason for the 12th year in a row.
It’s the longest-active playoff streak across the NBA.
Boston has now reached the 50-win mark for five straight years as well.
“It’s just a testament to the alignment of our organization and to the players,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of the 50-win streak during NBC Sports Boston postgame coverage. “We’ve shifted players over the last five years a bunch of different ways.
“But winning still remains the most important thing. It’s a minor milestone. I wouldn’t say it’s a true definition of success, but it’s a definition of consistency.”
Even though the Celtics still have work to do when it comes to solidifying playoff seeding in the next few weeks, Boston has held court as one of the top teams in the league throughout the year.
Not only was Brown sidelined on Sunday, but guard Derrick White also sat out of the game due to a right knee contusion.
Despite those two starters being ruled out, Tatum put together his best game since returning from his Achilles tear. He scored a season-high 32 points in just 31 minutes.
Jayson Tatum since returning from torn Achilles:
20.9 PPG
9.1 RPG
4.2 APG
1.1 SPG
31.0 MPG
Season-high 32 PTS in win vs. Hornets.
Celtics are 9-2 when he plays.pic.twitter.com/tJ5EFvOBBX
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) March 30, 2026
“He was just very efficient in his movements, got to his spots, looked like JT tonight,” Payton Pritchard — who posted 28 points, six rebounds, and six assists — said of Tatum. “He’s a killer. Very encouraging. We know if we want to win a championship, we need him at a high level. It’s definitely encouraging and he’s getting better and better each game and looking more and more like himself.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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