It was fitting that Boston won its 50th game of the season on a day that MVP candidate Jaylen Brown and potential All-NBA player Derrick White were out. The story of this season was expected to be about the Celtics being shorthanded — with Jayson Tatum out much of the season recovering from a torn Achilles, plus Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis no longer being with the team. This was projected as a 'gap' year between seasons of title contention.

Nobody told the Celtics.

Boston beat Charlotte on Sunday to win its 50th game behind a monster night from the just-returned Jayson Tatum.

Boston is 9-2 since Tatum's return, sits solidly as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, is getting healthy at the right time, and is the betting favorite now at DraftKings to come out of the East and make the NBA Finals. With the win Sunday, Boston officially clinched a playoff spot.

After the game, Brown took a shot at all the doubters who called for this to be a gap season in Boston.

He's in a position to talk all he wants — winners get the microphone. And Brown and the Celtics are big winners this season.