No team in NBA history has more wins than the Boston Celtics. No franchise has more championships than the Celtics, who are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers, with 17 each. They established the NBA’s most important dynasty with eight consecutive championships between the 1950s and 1960s. No other team has a streak of more than four years.
They are synonymous with greatness.
What to consider: This season the Celtics are on track to accomplish something unique for the franchise. Even after blowing a 30-point lead against Atlanta on Monday, the team could finish with the most dominant season in Boston history, in terms of winning margin.
The Celtics lead their opponents by 11.5 points and are on pace to have the largest margin in league history and more than a point ahead of any other Boston team. Think about it: Bill Russell wasn’t on any team that won games by that big of a margin, nor was Larry Bird, or John Havlicek, or Bob Cousy, or even Kevin Garnett.
“We are not underestimating anyone,” Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said a few weeks ago. “We respect each rival regardless of whether it is a nationally broadcast game, League Pass, without their best player… we face each game in the same way.”
The thing is, they could afford to do it in the next few weeks.
The Celtics confirmed first place in the Eastern Conference. The next playoff tickets — in both conferences — are still in dispute and only by dropping everything would they avoid finishing as the best team and with home court advantage throughout the postseason.
Giving away a 30-point lead certainly hurts, but the Celtics were without Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. It’s not worrying. It’s not a sign of anything. Their longest losing streak is two games. In November and at the beginning of the month.
The other teams in history that have had a difference of 11.5 points in victories won the title: The 1971-72 Lakers (12.3 points), 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (12.3), Chicago Bulls from 1995-96 (12.2) and Golden State Warriors from 2016-17 (11.6).
They were dominant champions and the Celtics have a chance to add to their ranks.
2024-03-26 15:55:00
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