While the eyes of the basketball world were focused on the off-court moves of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, who swapped disgruntled superstars at the trade deadline last month, it was another Atlantic Division team that was making significant moves off the court.
Although you wouldn't know it from their dud against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, the Boston Celtics are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference and looking like the contenders many pegged them to be at the start of the season. The Celtics are 17-6 in their past 23 games and have climbed out of the play-in spots in the standings.
First-year coach Ime Udoka has turned around a squad that was 18-21 and in 11th place in the East on Jan. 7, forging them into a legitimate threat to reach the NBA Finals. How have the Celtics done it? One word: defense.