Predicting Celtics' Tough January Schedule

2024 is officially over. And with it, the Celtics’ best 12-month period in 16 years has come to an end. Now, they’ve got to try and repeat that success again.

When discussing basketball seasons, you’re looking at a two-calendar period. Yes, Boston won the chip in 2024, but that pathway started in 2023. Whatever happens in June and July this year, the seeds were planted in October, November and December.

But, when you zoom out ever so slightly, you can pinpoint calendar years of dominance. 2024 was one of those. The Celtics were borderline untouchable. In total, Boston played a total of 83 games between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 (per StatMuse) with a record of 62-21. That’s a win percentage of 74.7%.

Wild.

January will provide a stern test. It starts tonight with a difficult matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tomorrow, it’s the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back. And then, on Sunday, a matinee game against the Oklahoma City Thunder awaits.

Here’s the rest of the teams Boston will face this month:

• Denver Nuggets (A)

• Sacramento Kings (H)

• New Orleans Pelicans (H)

• Toronto Raptors (A)

• Orlando Magic (H)

• Atlanta Hawks (H)

• Golden State Warriors (A)

• LA Clippers (A)

• Los Angeles Lakers (A)

• Dallas Mavericks (A)

• Houston Rockets (H)

• Chicago Bulls (H)

• New Orleans Pelicans (A)

Joe Mazzulla’s team has two West Coast road swings this month. The second of those swings involved facing three potential playoff teams, including a rematch against the Mavericks — although Luka Doncic will likely miss that game.

Now that we know which teams the Celtics will face, let’s try to predict how they will fare over the next few weeks.

Minnesota Timberwolves (Jan 2.)

First game of 2025, and it’s a doozy. Jayson Tatum vs. Anthony Edwards will always pack a punch — even more so since the Starting 5 came out. Without Karl-Anthony Towns in the rotation, the Timberwolves spacing is a bit suspect.

The Celtics should be rested before this game. Furthermore, they have a deeper talent pool and a deeper overall roster. While I like Chris Finch and the Timberwolves, I have the Celtics winning this one and getting 2025 off to a strong start.

Verdict — Celtics Win (1-0)