2017-18 NBA Regular Season: 10 pleasant surprises

#8 Boston Celtics rallying from the Gordon Hayward injury

Hayward suffered one of the worst in-game injuries in recent memory in his first game as a Celtic

One of the best stories to emerge from this campaign is the heartening way in which the Boston Celtics rallied from the loss of Gordon Hayward - their brand-new free agent signing who was also their best two-way player at the time.

The Celtics embarked on a 16-game winning streak early in the season, and have made the #2 seed their very own following a remarkable campaign.

During this run, they have missed the likes of Kyrie Irving (who will be missing the rest of this season), Al Horford, Marcus Morris, Daniel Theis and Jaylen Brown for varying periods, but they've still managed to remain competent thanks to their league-leading defense.

Coach Brad Stevens is probably the favorite to win his first Coach of the Year award, and with good reason.

The Celtics boast an enviable record of 29-17 in clutch games, and during the time that he was available, Kyrie Irving was sensational for them. Expect them to be favorites to get out of the East with a full-strength roster next season, if the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to develop the way they have.