Dropping a game to the Miami Heat (124-103) on Wednesday night won’t keep the Celtics up at night. With a playoff spot already locked in and the No. 2 seed in the East all but secured, one loss at this stage barely matters. The Cavaliers sit at 61 wins, giving them a five-game lead over Boston (56 wins) with just six games left in the regular season. Even if Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics win out, Cleveland would need to lose every single game for the Celtics to take the top seed—highly unlikely.

On the other hand, the Knicks sit at 48 wins, putting them eight games behind Boston. With only six games left, New York can’t mathematically pass the Celtics, even if they win every game and Boston loses out. But Boston hadn’t tasted defeat since March 12, so losing isn’t exactly a familiar feeling for them this season.

And head coach Mazzulla made that clear when addressing reporters post-game, pushing back on the idea that the defeat didn’t matter.

When a reporter suggested the loss was “meaningless” in terms of the standings, Mazzulla shut that down immediately. “No, no, I mean, we’re all pissed,” he said. “I mean, we all hate losing, and that was my message—it was a good reminder that losing still s–ks.”

Despite already clinching their spot in the playoffs, the Celtics coach emphasized that no one in the locker room was taking the defeat lightly. “I love the fact that, no, the staff’s miserable, guys are pissed—no, I’m not happy about it,” Mazzulla admitted.

Still, he remained focused on bouncing back. “But you know, we got to come back and do it again the next day, and I think it’s great,” he added. “Like you said, at the end of the day, it doesn’t have much of an impact, but you know it still sucks, and we’re all miserable right now. So, you know, we’ll get back after it the next day.”

But while one loss might not shake the Celtics, a troubling pattern has been forming all season—one that could be a real problem in the playoffs. Whenever Boston returns home from a long and successful road trip, things tend to fall apart.

They’ve had five such games this year, and every single one has ended in defeat. The trend started in November when they lost to Golden State after a 3-1 trip, then continued in January with losses to Sacramento and Houston after similar stretches. February brought another home loss to Dallas following a 3-0 run, and most recently, they dropped a game to Miami after going 6-0 on the road.

The numbers aren’t pretty. An 0-5 record with a -10.6 point differential raises serious questions about whether Boston can maintain its edge when switching environments. It’s one thing to dominate away from home, but if they can’t bring that same energy back to TD Garden, their home-court advantage in the playoffs might not be as valuable as it seems.

And with the postseason around the corner, every detail matters—including the mindset of the man leading the charge.

Joe Mazzulla won’t celebrate until he wins it all. Again

The Celtics boss isn’t throwing a party over his latest accolade. When asked about being named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month, the Celtics head coach didn’t hold back. “It’s the dumbest thing ever,” he said. And honestly, can you blame him? With the playoffs approaching, his focus is on a much bigger prize—hanging another banner in TD Garden.

Still, the numbers speak for themselves. Boston steamrolled through March, winning 14 of 15 games while locking in defensively. They led the East in net rating (11.6), held opponents to just 107.7 points per game, and made life miserable for opposing offenses. Even after their loss to the Heat snapped a six-game win streak on Wednesday, the Celtics have been on fire, going 17-4 since the All-Star break and 25-6 over their last 31 games.

Mazzulla’s already racked up four Coach of the Month awards, closing in on Doc Rivers’ franchise record of six. He won his first just weeks into his head coaching career in November 2022, then added two more in December and March of last season—right before Boston’s run to the Finals.

But this isn’t about individual awards. The Celtics weren’t just winning in March; they were dominating. A perfect 8-0 on the road, a flawless 6-0 West Coast swing, and statement wins against contenders. Now, with the postseason on the horizon, Mazzulla knows the real work starts.