The loss of Gordon Hayward has seemingly lit a fire in the Celtics that few saw coming.  Most reasonable people would not have predicted Boston to get off to such a good start in the regular season after losing Heyward to a nasty ankle injury.  With the help of Kyrie Irving and other key players like Al Horford and Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics are on an astounding 12 game win streak.  It has not been easy by any stretch of the imagination, but the Celtics have found numerous ways to pull out victories.  With Irving averaging just a little over 20 points per game, as well as Marcus smart pulling in over 10 points per game and protecting the paint, the Celtics may have a chance in the Eastern Conference after all.

Boston has even beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers during their run, who is said to be the best team in the Eastern Conference. Led by LeBron James-arguably the best player on the planet-the Cavs had been slipping for a time, and the Celtics took full advantage.  That game left fans stunned, as Cleveland blew a 21 point lead and lost to the Celtics by a three-point margin, 111-108.  The Cavs struggled all night, including James, who expressed his frustrations via social media after the loss.  Many people were surprised when the win streak hit 10 games, but Boston has superseded even those expectations after beating Toronto by one point in a thriller Sunday night.  The final score was 95-94, as the Raptors came very close to ending Boston’s win streak.  Celtics guard Jaylen Brown helped seal the victory after playing shutdown defense on guard DeMar DeRozan on the very last possession of the game, forcing a missed shot that would have won the game for Toronto.  

Irving was not available for the Raptors’ game after taking an elbow to the face Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets. Horford, however, would pick up the slack, adding 21 points and leading Boston to their 12 straight victory of the season.  Next up for the Celtics are the 5-8 Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.  The biggest challenge to their streak, if they get by the Nets, will come Thursday night when they go up against the Golden State Warriors, who are the defending NBA Champions.  The Warriors have the best offense in the league with averaging 116 points per game as well as having some of the league's best players on its roster, namely, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green. How long will this unforeseen run continue? Will the Celtics make it past the lowly Nets and the defending champs? Are the Celtics a legitimate contender to win the Eastern Conference? These questions and more will be answered this week and as the season goes along.