For the past few years, the Boston Celtics have fallen victim to trap games time and time again. Games on the schedule that presented as easy wins have been treated as such, and in turn, the Celtics have failed to meet expectations.
Last season, with the one-seed in the East effectively on the line, Boston got blown out by Kristaps Porzingis and the Washington Wizards. And outside of the obvious irony of having Porzingis on their side this time around, their win over Washington on Monday night was a sign of growth.