Boston has won five of the six games it played on October 26 in past seasons, and tonight's opener against the Bulls is the first this date has offered a rebuilt roster. The Celtics are 1-1 and 8th, facing a 1-2 Chicago team missing two rotation players.
The date has been kind to Boston, mostly at the expense of New York.
Of the six October 26 games in the record, Boston won five. Four came against the Knicks or in their building: 133-108 in 1962, 113-101 in 1973 and 118-95 in 2019. The exception was 86-97 at New York in 1974. Those are single nights across decades, and they predict nothing about a Monday in 2026. They do show how often the schedule has opened against this opponent.
Last week's Knicks win was a smaller margin than any of those, and that is the point.
Boston beat New York 107-103 on October 23, with Jayson Tatum scoring 36. The old October 26 wins were comfortable. This one was four points. The 1-1 record and the 8th seed, half a game behind Indiana for 6th, describe a team still sorting its rotation, which is what the early sample can honestly support.
The franchise's identity now rests on Tatum and Paul George, not on a pairing the archive knows well.
The 18 banners were built by Auerbach, Russell, Cousy and Heinsohn, and later by Tatum's group in 2024. Jaylen Brown has since been traded to Philadelphia for George, who is 36. George scored 38 in the loss at Detroit and 15 against New York. Two games cannot settle whether he replaces Brown's production, and the 17.6 three-point percentage Tatum has posted so far is a reminder that his own shot is unsettled too.
Chicago offers a fair test, but a thin one.
The Bulls are 1-2 with Patrick Williams and Nic Claxton both out. Boston has had two days of rest, and Chicago one. Caleb Wilson leads them at 22.3 points a game. Boston's payroll of $198.7M sits under the $200.4M tax line by a small margin, so the roster that wins or loses this one is close to the roster that will be asked to carry the year.
What is the Celtics' record on October 26 in past seasons?
Boston won five of the six games it played on this date, with the only loss a 97-86 defeat at New York in 1974.
Who is out for the Bulls against the Celtics?
Chicago lists Patrick Williams and Nic Claxton as out. Boston lists Devin Carter as out, with an estimated return of November 8.
