A lot can change in a month.
On Jan. 14, the Philadelphia 76ers routed the Celtics 111-99 in Philly, handing Boston its sixth loss in an 11-game span. Fast forward to Feb. 15, when the Celtics demolished the Sixers 135-87 to earn their ninth straight victory.
So, what's changed for Boston over the last four and a half weeks? Sixers coach Doc Rivers is a good person to ask, and he offered his perspective on how much the new-look C's have improved since Philly last saw them.
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Celtics-76ers takeaways: Jaylen, C's make statement in lopsided win
"They just beat us all night off the dribble," the former Celtics coach told reporters after Tuesday's game, via Celtics.com. "They got into the paint, and they moved the ball.
"That's the one thing: You watch Boston play, and you can literally see the improvement of their ball movement. The old Boston was more isos; this Boston is driving and playing with each other. That's what makes them so much tougher. I think it makes (Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown even tougher when they move the ball like that."
That's a great point by Rivers, who watched the Celtics rack up 28 assists to Philly's 16 on Tuesday night. The C's have averaged 27 assists per contest over their nine-game winning streak (No. 1 in the Eastern Conference during that span) after averaging just 22.9 assists per night (T-22nd in the NBA) before that streak began.
Point guard Marcus Smart, who left Tuesday's game with an ankle injury, has played a key role in Boston's improved ball movement since he returned from a six-game absence on Jan. 23.
Tatum and Brown also have been excellent facilitators lately -- Tatum is averaging 5.2 assists per game during Boston's winning streak -- while newcomer Derrick White has fit seamlessly into the offense since the Celtics acquired him from the San Antonio Spurs at the NBA trade deadline.
Poor ball movement and a reliance on "hero ball" was a major issue for the C's in the first half of the season. But Ime Udoka's message finally appears to be resonating as Boston thrives with a more connected attack.
"I think that was the emphasis for us was getting the right spacing," Brown said after the game. "That makes it easier to make plays. We were on top of each other before. That’s what made it easier to turn the ball over.
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"I think Ime was emphasizing spacing more than anything, and I think that’s really what I attribute to improved playmaking for our whole entire team."
The Celtics will look to make it 10 wins in a row on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons in their final game before the NBA All-Star break.