Story byAdam TaylorWed, December 31, 2025 at 2:58 PM UTC·2 min readThe Boston Celtics are currently third in the Eastern Conference. They’re defying most people’s preseason expectations, as the team was projected to be fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament. Furthermore, the Celtics are steadily improving on both sides of the floor. They’ve been a top-10 offense for most of the season, and now, it would appear the defense is starting to catch up. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to Dunks and Threes, the Celtics are now 11th in the NBA in defensive rating, one spot outside of the top-10. Having a balance between its offense and defense is a key indicator that a team could make some noise during the postseason.