Inside The Celtics

Ime Udoka Earns Second-Straight Coach of the Month Honors

Ime Udoka is the first Celtics first-year head coach to win Eastern Conference Coach of the Month twice in a row.

Bobby Krivitsky

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

After the Celtics went 15-4 in games played in March and April, Ime Udoka was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month.

Udoka also earned that distinction in February.

By winning Coach of the Month honors for the second time in a row, Udoka becomes the second coach in Celtics history to get the award twice in one season, joining Doc Rivers, who did so in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

In the 19 games the Celtics played in March and April, they far and away had the NBA's best plus-minus rating. Boston registered a plus-13.8 rating while the Grizzlies, who rank second during that stretch, are plus-8.5, per NBA.com.

During that time, the Celtics also boast the league's highest net rating, scoring the most points per 100 possessions and ranking second in defensive rating.

As a result of its strong finish to the season, Boston earned the second seed in the Eastern Conference. That means the Celtics will play the winner of Tuesday's play-in game between the Nets and Cavaliers. The expectation is a playoff rematch with Brooklyn.

Boston won the season series against the Nets 3-1, including the most recent showdown, in which Jayson Tatum scored 54 points to lead the Celtics past a Nets team that had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Whoever Boston hosts, Game 1 will tip-off on Sunday, the 17th. Brian Robb reported league sources relayed to MassLive that if the Celtics draw the Nets, they expect the game to be at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Further Reading

Celtics Earn 2-Seed; Showdown with Nets Likely Awaits

Ime Udoka on the Celtics' Plan for Season Finale: "Let's do what we do and let the chips fall where they may"

Gary Payton Endorses Marcus Smart for Defensive Player of the Year

[Film Room] In Sunday's Win Against the Wizards, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Growth as Facilitators was Evident

Robert Williams Says He's in a Great Place Physically and Mentally as He Works Towards His Return

When Asked About Vaccination Status, Jaylen Brown Responds: "I'm excited and ready to play against anybody"

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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