After hitting rock bottom with a brutal 34-48 record under rookie coach Tommy Heinsohn in 1969/70, missing the playoffs for the first time in two decades, things looked grim for the Celtics. They were a shadow of their former glory, but by the 1973/74 season, this squad had clawed their way back to the top of the Eastern Conference, ready to take on all comers despite what the league prognosticators were saying.
The Long Climb Back to Contention
It wasn’t an instant turnaround. The team improved to 44-38 the very next year, but still didn’t make the postseason. However, the pieces were falling into place. By the third year post-Russell, the Celtics hit 56 wins, with second year studs Dave Cowens and JoJo White, plus third year Don Chaney, teaming up with vets John Havlicek and Don Nelson. They pushed all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1972, only to get swept out in five games by the Knicks. Ouch. The very next year, 1973, was absolutely electric: a franchise record 68 wins, with veteran Paul Silas joining the mix. They faced the Knicks again in the Eastern Conference Finals, battling back from a 3-1 deficit, only to lose a heartbreaker in Game 7 at home to the eventual champions. That kind of pain can either break a team or forge them into something stronger.
1974: Proving Everyone Wrong
The 1974 regular season saw the Celtics win 56 games again, matching their earlier comeback year. But here’s the kicker: their longest losing streak *all season* was just two games! That’s resilience, folks. They exploded out of the gate with a 16-3 record and were on pace for 60+ wins by the All-Star break. Things cooled off a bit later, sure, but they still locked up first place in the Atlantic Division and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Now, were they statistically dominant? Not exactly. They weren’t leading the league in points per game, or points allowed, or efficiency metrics. They were only 5th of 17 in pace despite Heinsohn’s reputation for running the floor, and their net rating was just third best in the league. Why only third? Because the Detroit Pistons and, more importantly, the Milwaukee Bucks were flat-out better, playing in an absolutely stacked Midwestern Division with three 50-game winners. Every pundit with a brain was giving the title to the Bucks, led by an unstoppable young force in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
But this Celtics team refused to be counted out. They had the top seed in the East, and that meant their first playoff test would be against the Buffalo Braves. The Braves were no pushovers, led by Bob McAdoo, who dropped a league-best 30.6 points per game, along with Rookie of the Year Ernie DiGregorio and future Hall-of-Fame coach Jack Ramsey. This Celtics squad, who had stared down adversity and heartbreaking losses, was about to step onto the playoff court with everything to prove, ready to show the league they were more than just comeback kids.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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