The Boston Celtics last played a home game in front of fans at the TD Garden on March 9, 2020. Their leading scorer was Gordon Hayward, who had 24 points in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Shortly thereafter, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world. Boston wouldn't play at home until the start of the 2020-21 NBA season, and even then, fans weren't allowed in the building.
But now, fans are returning to the TD Garden. And although they will only be in limited numbers, the Celtics, including Jayson Tatum, are grateful to soon be playing in front of their own fans.
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SIGN UP HERE Tatum wasn't the only one to express his thoughts on the matter. Less than an hour before tip-off against the New Orleans Pelicans, Marcus Smart took to Twitter to post a comical GIF that conveyed his excitement about playing in front of fans again.
Needless to say, this excitement should only help the C's as they look to extend their two-game winning streak and creep above .500 once again. They are starting a seven-game homestand on Monday night, and as Kemba Walker explained, just being home, in general, should help the Celtics as they look to string together some wins.
“It’s really, really great to get back home and be here for an extended period of time and not have to worry about leaving,” said Walker, per Celtics writer Taylor Snow. “I think it’s gonna help us. It should help us establish a good rhythm. Just being at home, it’s really good for us.”
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While returning home may be the biggest part of the equation here for the C's, having fans on board to bring that extra bit of energy to the game certainly won't hurt either.
We'll soon see how the C's do in front of their home crowd. Tip-off against the Pelicans is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston. For more information on how to watch the game, click here.