Coming off a championship-winning season, the Boston Celtics enter as strong contenders to defend their title. Currently sitting second in the Eastern Conference, with the Cavaliers occupying first place, these two powerhouses battled in Boston on Tuesday, Nov. 19, ending with the Celtics taking down the Cavaliers' undefeated streak. 

The Celtics came into the game fast, going into the second half leading by 17 with the score reading 65-48. In the third and fourth, the Cavaliers put up a tough fight, landing 69 points on the board, but it was no match to the Celtics’ offensive push and ability to drain threes. As the leading scorer for the Celtics, Jason Tatum managed to put up 33 points, with the final score being 117-120. The Celtics were able to maintain their pristine record of 12-3 as they go into their game against the Wizards this Friday.

As many Celtics fans may have noticed, the famous Garden court has been changed into a new court for the 2024 NBA Cup. The NBA Cup is a special in-season tournament,where all of the teams change their home courts. For the Celtics, their new court contains lots of bright green and an image of the gold NBA Cup trophy in the center. The Celtics lost their first tournament game against the Atlanta Hawks but came back strong with their win against the Cavaliers. Their next game against the Wizards will be critical for their advancement to the knockout rounds of the tournament.

Before their next game, the Celtics plan on visiting Washington, D.C., on the traditional champions' visit to the White House. On Thursday, November 21, they will be welcomed by President Biden into the White House for the first time since 2008. As one can imagine, the team is filled with excitement and anticipation for this special event. When asked by the press, Tatum said, “One of the perks of being a champion is going to the White House. You see most of the former teams attend, so we’ll have that moment and take pictures and videos. It’s something that’ll last a lifetime.” Player Derrick White added, “I think it’s going to be important just being with the team. Obviously, we’re always close and we’re always together, so this is another thing we can all do together and just kind of enjoy that moment as a team

This fall, TD Garden has been packed with fans eager to witness the electric performance from the starting lineup: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford. The Celtics are starting their season strong and hope to bring Banner 19 home at the end of the season.