[1] In the 2001 NBA draft, the Celtics selected Joe Johnson from the University of Arkansas with the tenth overall pick,[2][3][4][5] but later on traded him along with Randy Brown at mid-season to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk.
[10][11] The Celtics struggled with a 5–6 start to the season, but then won 12 of their next 14 games, and held a 28–21 record at the All-Star break.
[12] They later on posted a 7-game winning streak in March, and won eight of their final nine games finishing second in the Atlantic Division with a 49–33 record,[13] making their first playoff appearance since 1995.
[27][28][29][30] In the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics took a 2–1 series lead over the top-seeded New Jersey Nets.
[33][34][35][36] The Nets would go on to reach the NBA Finals for the first time, but would lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games.