“Banner Or Bust?”

Try: “Banner Or Else.”

Time and money are running out for this version of the Boston Celtics.

Boston’s title window remains fully open — but wide-open windows can close in a snap.

The view is beautiful.

But perilous.

Those falling glass panes from the early days of the John Hancock Tower were quickly replaced with plywood. Fresh air has its limits. No one wants to lean back in their chair only to end up 46 stories below in Copley Square.

When it comes to roster-building, Wyc Grousbeck is no longer an authorized user on Dad’s Black AmEx. Plywood.

New majority owner Bill Chisholm is a lifelong Celtics fan. But the pride of Georgetown can’t be expected to lose nine figures annually chasing another Duck Boat parade. John Henry and Robert Kraft have already gotten him off the hook.

No one spends $6.1 billion to hemorrhage $200 million a season. You don’t stay a billionaire that way.

The era of the “Two Jays & Friends” in Boston is officially on the clock.

The Celtics’ playoff push begins on Easter Sunday. They can’t afford to lay any eggs. For many fans, the day’s second mass/liturgy begins at 3:30 p.m. inside TD Garden.

Prayers are welcome — especially for anyone betting Boston to cover that 14.5-point spread in Game 1.

Because the Celtics are defending champs, redemption is for the other guys.

No resurrection required — at least not in the metaphysical or religious sense.

But these Celtics are still chasing ghosts. The same ones Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have honored every week during “Celtics City.”

When it comes to the Celtics, the only thing worse than not winning a title is winning just one before the next rebuild.

One banner gets you in the club. But two gets you a VIP suite and free bottle service.

Boston ran it back this season with all the names that mattered. This team did it as well any Boston defending champion since games were played in black and white. Not quite to perfection – see Cleveland. But this team begins the postseason with a full tank of expectations and barely any goods in the excuse cabinet.

Since beating Dallas in the 2024 Finals, the Celtics have mostly been marking time.

The parade? Unforgettable.

The Olympics? Patriotic.

Opening Night’s Banner 18 ceremony? Historic.

“Celtics City”? Family-friendly porn.

Boston won 61 games — only 10 Celtics teams have won more.

They went 33-8 on the road — good muscle memory for Cleveland and OKC.

Boston is a city littered by the broken dreams of past Presidents Trophy winners, a 99-win version of the Red Sox, and the 68-victory 1973 Celtics that got bounced in the Eastern Conference Finals. Shania Twain put it this way: “That don’t impress me much.”

Most teams that win nearly 75% of their regular-season games earn heaps of praise.

But it’s still “Different Here.”

Yes, the Celtics crushed the league — except the teams they’ll likely have to beat for Banner 19.

But there’s just enough doubt lingering around North Station and the Auerbach Center to unnerve even the most devout acolytes of Celtic Nation or Disciples of Red.

These champs lack the invincibility radiated by the 1960s/1980s Celtics, or the Tom Brady Patriots/Bucs.

Boston split its two regular-season games that mattered against Orlando. Meh.

The Celtics lost two of four games to No. 1 seed Cleveland. But one of those losses came after Boston blew a 22-point lead at home in February. Yikes.

And the Celtics were swept by the best-in-the-league Thunder. Gulp.

Brown’s ailing knee lingers like Frank Sinatra’s cold. Or a toothache that abates during the day only to flare at bedtime.

Undoubtedly, Brown has company when it comes to pain management and off-day therapy. But pain is not injury. At least not until the Larry O’Brien Trophy is delivered to Wyc and/or Chisholm at center court.

Maybe Steve Pagliuca can snag a seat in the 300s on StubHub.

We luv ya, Pags.

The overarching storyline this spring features Tatum’s serial quest to become “The Face” of the franchise.

He’ll never have a better chance to join “The Face Club” of Cousy, Russell, Hondo, Bird and Pierce.

Tatum has never looked better on the floor. He can score from anywhere — and stop anyone, everywhere. This season: he amassed 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and a career-best 6 assists per game. Tatum led the Celtics in total points (1,932), rebounds (623), assists (431) and steals (76). He joined Bird as the only Celtic to lead in those four in-season categories more than once. Tatum also did it in 2021-22.

Tatum’s idol, Kobe Bryant, had four rings and an Olympic gold before he shed the “Shaq and…” moniker before his name. Kobe’s face adorns the back-to-back Lakers title teams from 2009–10. He doomed the “Big Three – Part 2” Celtics with a virtuoso performance during the fourth quarter in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals.

Tatum still bristles at the 2024 Finals MVP vote – which he lost to Brown 7 votes to 4 – and his tertiary role in Steve Kerr’s rotation for Team USA in Paris.

Now, with Brown at less than 100%, Tatum has been gifted another golden opportunity.

He answered every knock from the outside. Now that he’s a champion, it’s on Tatum to generate whatever provocation is necessary to become “The Face” by anchoring a championship run.

Banner 19.

Or else.

It’s “Face” time.

Contact Bill Speros (@RealOBF/@BillSperos) at bsperos1@gmail.com.