Boston Celtics: StatMuse predicts Cs series victory due to one simple stat

If you ask StatMuse, the Boston Celtics have already clinched their first trip to the NBA Finals since the 2009-10 season.

Of course, Game 6 (and perhaps Game 7) still need to be played before we figure out who the Eastern Conference’s representative will be against the Golden State Warriors, barring a 3-0 comeback from the Dallas Mavericks that would represent the first time a team won four straight elimination games.

Still, the momentum is squarely in the corner of the Boston Celtics following a Game 5 victory that saw the ‘Jays’ play up to their own superstar standards. Jayson Tatum was an assist shy of a triple-double (22/12/9) while Jaylen Brown went for 25 points on %50< shooting from the field and beyond the arc.

Could the series be over because Boston now holds a 3-2 lead and will be hosting Game 6 at the T.D. Garden? Well, StatMuse doesn’t see the venue as the reason why the Cs will be okay, but instead the fact that Boston is undefeated in even-numbered games this series:

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have both dealt with injuries this series

That Robert Williams and Marcus Smart both suited up for Game 5 was a major boon for Boston. Miami has not had the same injury luck, missing Tyler Herro, though their own shooting woes played a hand in the loss as well.

Given the time Kyle Lowry missed to start the series, one would think injuries could be the narrative for why the Cs have come this far.

It’s not though.

Smart missed Game1 and Game  4, Al Horford missed Game 1 as well, Derrick White missed Game 2, and Robert Williams missed Game 3.

One game separates the Celtics and a probable showdown with the Warriors, and the odds are in their favor to get the job done. Let’s hope Game 5’s defensive effort is sustainable so another trip to Miami isn’t necessary.