Hardwood Houdini
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Boston Celtics Need to Build on Lead in East

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 12: Aron Baynes #46 of the Boston Celtics and Serge Ibaka #9 of the Toronto Raptors wrestle for the ball during the third quarter of the game at TD Garden on November 12, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 12: Aron Baynes #46 of the Boston Celtics and Serge Ibaka #9 of the Toronto Raptors wrestle for the ball during the third quarter of the game at TD Garden on November 12, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics are in a perfect position to build a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics finished their grueling stretch in December seriously concerned about the stability of their spot on top of the Eastern Conference. The Toronto Raptors briefly stole the spot from them, and both the Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers had plenty of games in hand to make up that ground.

The Celtics did a great job of solidifying their position by following that stretch up with seven street wins. That being said, those other two teams still had the games in hand, and still were in a great position to gain ground on the Celtics.

With Boston back up on the schedule tomorrow, the games have finally evened out, and both the Raptors and the Cavaliers blew their best opportunity to gain ground with their games in hand. Both of them are having some struggles recently, putting the Celtics in a position to build on their lead now that they are back on the court.

The Celtics have played just one game over the last eight days, and a good stretch by Cleveland or Toronto would have put them right behind the Celtics in the standings. Instead, they have struggled at times, and the Celtics have a four and seven game lead over them. The Cavaliers have lost three in a row now, and the Raptors have lost three of their last four. The Celtics were worried about losing ground because of the games in hand, and it actually ended up being an advantage.

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Clearly the Raptors and the Cavaliers are struggling right now, and the Celtics need to make sure they take advantage of the fact that they are at full strength and fully rested, while those other two teams could be dropping more games if they do not turn it around quickly.

There is a good chance that the Raptors and Cavaliers will put things together, and will start winning more games. The thing is that the Celtics are in a much better position to go on an extended winning streak, and even if the other two teams are playing well, the Celtics should be able to gain a bit of ground.

When you look at how big their lead could grow, one hot stretch from the Celtics combined with cold stretches from those other two could give the Celtics a near insurmountable lead, barring an epic collapse on their part.

The Celtics also have the benefit of a relatively weak schedule over the next stretch. They open up against the Pelicans, who can cause a lot of problems with their size. The Celtics, however, know they are the better team that can win. From there the Celtics go five games playing teams out of the playoffs, all in anticipation of the one difficult game during this stretch against the Warriors. After the Warriors it gets a lot easier again with the Nuggets, Knicks and Hawks.

The Celtics are going into this stretch as healthy as they are going to be, with fresher legs than anyone should have at this point. They really should build on this seven game winning streak, and need to find a way to win all these games. Obviously it is unfair to expect a win against the Warriors, but we have seen them do it before.

It would be unfair to expect the Celtics to win all these games, but if they take care of business against the inferior teams, then they can afford to drop that Warriors game, and come out of this stretch with the kind of commanding lead in the East that they will have no problem holding on to.

Who knows how well the Raptors and Cavaliers are going to do over this stretch, but when you consider the situation and the teams they are playing, there is no reason for the Celtics to lose any ground during this first stretch after coming back from London.

They need to take advantage of the position they are in, and they need to capitalize on the struggles of the teams chasing them. We all know that the Raptors and Cavaliers will eventually bounce back, and go on a great run. The Celtics also wont be flawless the rest of the way, so you can expect some fluctuation.

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If, however, the Celtics make a statement over this next stretch, it will take a lot of fluctuation to threaten their home court advantage. The Celtics have a real opportunity to get that commanding lead in the Eastern Conference, and they know that there is no reason for them to blow that home court to the Finals.

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