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Celtics look to beat Phoenix before the sun sets on 2021

The reigning Western Conference champs come to TD Garden for an afternoon affair on New Year's Eve.

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul shoots over Boston Celtics center Al Horford during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) The Associated Press

By Dave D'Onofrio

1 minute to read

The Celtics, in all likelihood, won’t be sad to see 2021 go. From stumbling into the play-in tournament last season, to an uninspiring playoff loss, to upheaval among the coaching staff and front office, to a mediocre start to the current season, things haven’t gone especially well for the Green. Lately, the schedule hasn’t helped much, either, with a tough sequence of games against good teams sandwiching a west-coast swing that went poorly.

And that schedule won’t do them any favors before the calendar flips.

The Phoenix Suns come to close out the year at TD Garden, with the reigning Western Conference champs having spent the early portion of this season validating last summer’s impressive run and legitimizing themselves among the NBA’s upper-tier. Chris Paul has been excellent. Devin Booker is a certifiable superstar. Deandre Ayton is mostly delivering on the promise of being a former first-overall draft pick. And a roster full of useful pieces, like old friend Jae Crowder, continues to complement its stars nicely.

https://t.co/Pqxh2EPubW – Power Rankings, Week 10: Suns hold No. 1 spot, Cavs enter Top 5

See where all 30 teams rank after the first 9 weeks of the 2021-22 season. (via @johnschuhmann)

📰: https://t.co/NS8JUVLRX1 pic.twitter.com/5nKNuOcjIm
— NBA (@NBA) December 20, 2021

What’s worse for the C’s is that only three weeks earlier the Suns didn’t even need their full arsenal in order to wholly and handily dominate Boston.

That considered, the visit from Phoenix sets up as a good test for Boston as it tries to propel itself into the new year with a big win to build upon. It also represents a good chance for fans, who could capitalize on the early afternoon start to bring younger fans to watch some of the best individual talent in pro hoops. Or it could be the appetizer used to springboard patrons into a full day of New Year’s Eve festivities in the city.

Tickets are still available through the Garden box office (starting at $84), but leading into Christmas the team-verified secondary market offered a slight discount on balcony seats. Last-minute shoppers should note that tickets fit nicely into most stockings, too.