Hidden at the end of the latest Celtics eulogy was a tidbit about the schedule. (Sports Illustrated)

It was no secret the Celtics’ title window was relatively narrow when Danny Ainge added aging stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen almost three years ago. But after the glow of the 2008 championship faded into last spring’s injury-ravaged dismissal in the second round, there are legitimate concerns if the Celtics can get out of Round 1 this year as they have gone 18-19 since a 23-5 start. [...]

And late this week Boston heads out for a tough three-game trip in which it visits Houston, Dallas and Utah before kicking off a six-game homestand against Denver on March 24.

But that four-game stretch doesn’t end the brutal strech of the C’s schedule.

After a brief breath of fresh air against the Sacramento Kings, the Celtics will immediately embark on another run of four games against above-.500 teams. The Spurs, Thunder, Rockets, and Cavs will all travel to the Boston Garden. The silver lining is that all those games will be played at home, but the C’s haven’t exactly been great at defending their home court.

The slate of tough games could become a huge confidence booster if Boston decides to start acting like a contender, but could prove harsh and relentless if the C’s continue to struggle.

Here’s the schedule the rest of the way: