The Boston Celtics are starting to play some better basketball after a very rocky January. They have won eight of their last nine games.

Because of their winning streak, they have been able to increase their lead for second in the Eastern Conference standings. They now have a two-and-a-half-game lead over the Knicks for that spot.

While Boston isn’t likely to catch the Cavaliers for the top spot in the East before the regular season is over, they still think that they can beat them once the playoffs roll around.

Still, Joe Mazzulla is not happy with how his team is playing. He believes that the team is still playing some inconsistent basketball.

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The Celtics just took down the 76ers on Thursday in their first game back from the All-Star break. Mazzulla was not happy with how the team played despite the win.

Mazzulla made it clear after the game that he thinks the team needs to play a more consistent brand of basketball.

Joe Mazzulla on the Celtics’ ability to “lock in” and stay focused right after the break:

“If there's a group of people that I trust, it's the guys in the locker room to continue to get better and focus on the things that are important to winning.” pic.twitter.com/DPj48Mjse1

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) February 21, 2025

“If there’s a group of people that I trust, it’s the guys in the locker room to continue to get better and focus on the things that are important to winning,” Mazzulla said postgame.

Mazzulla also mentioned that his team is still playing inconsistent, simply stating, “We’re playing inconsistent basketball.” following the win.

It’s very clear that Mazzulla has an incredibly high standard for his team. He should, considering they are coming off an NBA championship.

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Mazzulla knows what it takes to coach a team to a title. He’s trying very hard to get his team to be the first team in a decade to win back-to-back titles.

It’s a good sign that the Celtics can win games while playing inconsistently. That wasn’t the case last month. They have raised their floor.

When they are healthy, the Celtics still have one of the best starting lineups in the entire NBA. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be considered a major contender to win the title.

Boston’s top priority will be to stay healthy for the rest of the season. If they can do that, they think they can win it all.