NBA Rivals Week tends to arrive quietly on the calendar, but the games themselves rarely feel ordinary. Familiar opponents, national attention, and baggage have a way of compressing a season into a few intense nights.
For the Boston Celtics, Rivals Week in late January 2026 lands at a particularly revealing moment.
This is a team that wasn’t supposed to be here, near the top of the East, dictating matchups, and carrying real expectations. Rivalry games don’t just test identity; they shape how teams are viewed, priced, and discussed across the league.
For Boston, that intersection between storyline and expectation has never been more pronounced.