The NBA playoffs have begun, and the Boston Celtics are looking to defend their title.
If the C’s are going to repeat as champions, they’ll have to get through three teams in the Eastern Conference. Of course, some teams are tougher than others, so let’s take a look at who the Celtics’ biggest threats are in the East.
5. Orlando Magic
After beating the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In Tournament, the Orlando Magic clinched the seventh seed in the East and a date with the Celtics in the first round.
A lot of the time, first-round match-ups for one and two-seeds in the NBA are just a formality. These series tend to be very lopsided, and it’s not uncommon to see a four-game sweep.
It would be easy to expect the same here, but that may not be the case. The Magic have been a tough out for the defending champs this season, winning two out of their three games against each other. In fact, the Celtics are just 3-6 in their last nine games against the Magic.
Still, Boston finished 20 games ahead of this young Orlando squad and has a wealth of playoff experience over them. If anything, the Celtics’ poor record against the Magic could bode well as a motivation tactic for Tatum and Co. to take care of business quickly.
4. New York Knicks
The 51-win New York Knicks just had their best season in over ten years, but they come into the playoffs with very little momentum. Coach Tom Thibodeau’s relentless coaching style often leads to notable late-season collapses, as many of his players simply can’t sustain the sheer volume he demands.
However, some players thrive in this system. So far, Karl-Anthony Towns has been one of those guys, and can definitely give the Celtics some trouble if he’s on his game. The seven-footer averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on a very efficient 52.6/42.0/82.9 in the regular season, even with his running-mate Jalen Brunson out for much of the second half with an ankle injury.
Expect the Celtics to throw a combination of Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porziņģis to slow KAT down should they meet up in the second round.
Across the board, the Celtics are a bad matchup for this Knicks team, and it has been apparent in their regular-season matchups. In Boston’s four wins over New York, they hold an average margin of victory of 16.3.
3. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers gave the Celtics their biggest scare during their dominant 2024 title run. Yes, it was a four-game sweep, but anyone who watched these games knows the Pacers give this Celtics team trouble.
The Pacers play true to their name and can build big leads in a hurry. When their three-ball is hot, not many teams can keep up with Indiana’s scoring. They can make up for a general lack of perimeter defense by dropping 130, 140 points any given night.
As we saw last year, the Celtics aren’t the team to get in a three-point contest with. Maybe the Pacers can steal a game or two when the C’s go cold, but defense wins championships, and Boston will likely ratchet theirs up for the playoffs.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
This may come as a surprise, since the Milwaukee Bucks were just a 48-win team in 2025 and are still without star player Damian Lillard as he works back from deep vein thrombosis.
But the Bucks are a scary team for one reason: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak had another spectacular season, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while playing some of the toughest defense in the league. The NBA is a players’ league, and oftentimes it’s the team with the best player that wins. Giannis is the best player in the East, so this team will be competitive regardless of his supporting cast.
The Bucks are expecting Lillard to return at some point this postseason, as Shams Charania reported Thursday that he has had a “remarkable” recovery, clearing his blood clot in just over three weeks.
Even without Dame, this team can be trouble. They finished the season on an eight-game winning streak behind some incredible performances from Giannis, including four triple-doubles and a historic 35-17-20 game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
This one will be less of a surprise, as the Cleveland Cavaliers finished with the second-best record in the NBA with 64 wins. They’ve looked shaky as of late, finishing 6-4 in their last ten, but they have had the one-seed all but locked up for over a month now, so this is likely attributed to a lack of focus and motivation.
The Cavs are a complete team that can win games in numerous ways. They have a closer in Donovan Mitchell, who can show up for them late in close games. They rebound the ball well, average 51.2 points in the paint (8th in NBA), and are second in three-point shooting percentage (38.3%).
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Cleveland and Boston split their matchups this season 2-2, with each game finishing within single digits. We can expect to see something similar if these two teams ultimately meet in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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