How Celtics returned to their winning ways

Every team goes through a championship hangover, but as the NBA season comes to a close, it looks like the Boston Celtics (55-19) have finally woken up from theirs. 

The defending champions are now on an eight-game winning streak and are 13-1 in their last 14 games. While the season has had its ups and downs, as the C's have seen the Cleveland Cavaliers (60-15) overtake them in the Eastern Conference standings, Boston is now wrapping up its best month of the season, only losing one game while short-handed against the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (62-12).

The return to winning ways can be attributed to two main factors: an uptick in three-point shooting and the return of Kristaps Porzingis. 

Porzingis returned to the lineup on March 15 after a two-week absence due to illness, and the Celtics haven't lost a game with him in the lineup yet. The Latvian big man is averaging 22.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and has shot 37.9 percent from three since he has returned. On the whole, the Celtics are 26-12 when Porzingis plays this season, and getting him back on the court is essential as they try to carry this momentum into the playoffs. 

The other key contributor to the Celtics' run has been their lights-out shooting from downtown. The Celtics have always been unafraid to launch the ball from three, and that confidence has paid off. In March, the Celtics have led the league with 18.1 made threes per game, which in turn has led them to have the best offensive rating for the month, 124, and the second-highest net rating, 12.3, just behind OKC.

It's been a remarkable season from distance for the Celtics all year. After their 121-111 victory over the San Antonio Spurs (31-43) on Saturday, Boston is just 41 threes away from breaking the all-time single-season team record of 1,363 threes by the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors. 

But the Celtics aren't just chasing team records. A trio of their players are poised to set the franchise record for threes in a season. The Celtics' single-season record is 245 threes set by Isaiah Thomas in the 2016-17 season. Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Jayson Tatum are all within 10 threes of the record with eight games left to play in the season. 

The Celtics are rounding into form as the playoffs quickly approach by playing a smart, free-flowing, offensive-minded game plan. 

"[We’re] following the gameplan and whatever we’re trying to attack or achieve that night. We’re challenging ourselves right now," Tatum told CelticsBlog.

Boston looks every bit as dominant as it did last year and is fully over its championship hangover. 

The team will try to keep its streak alive as it faces the Memphis Grizzlies (44-30) on Monday.