Celtics' biggest problem is actually what could help them win the East

Sunday’s 121-113 win over the Toronto Raptors extended the Boston Celtics’ winning streak to five games. More importantly, it moved them into third place in the Eastern Conference -- somewhere that many fans could’ve never fathomed they’d be, even though there are still 58 games left to play.

Boston is now 10-2 in their last 12 games, as they continue to ram their heads against the ceiling that was set for them heading into the season. They’ve played like legitimate contenders, too, now with wins over the conference’s other top five teams, and the most wins in the league against teams that are .500 or better. Plus, the Cs are doing this during a point in the schedule that we all made out to be like facing a final boss in a video game.

Yet, there are still some fans who are unhappy. They can’t stand seeing the Celtics let go of 20-point leads as they did on Sunday in Toronto. Don’t get it twisted, it’s not the entire fanbase, but that group of fans is vociferous in their qualms.

Those people are looking at this the wrong way, though.

Is it frustrating to see blowouts become close games? Absolutely. But that’s the reality of the NBA. It happens to every team.

The Celtics have shown tremendous poise in the face of adversity

What differentiates the good ones from the bad is their ability to bend without breaking, something we’ve seen the Celtics do plenty over these past two seasons. It seems, even with their roster shakeup, they haven’t lost their championship DNA.

Take the win over the Raptors for example. Boston could’ve wilted once the hosts stormed back from 23 down to take a fourth-quarter lead. They didn’t. Instead, the Cs strung together big shots, timely stops, and limited second-chance opportunities for Toronto.

The same can be said for each of the Celtics’ last two wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks. Boston dominated L.A. for the entire night on Friday, but the energy in TD Garden got tense when the Lakers cut a 29-point Celtics lead to just 15 early in the fourth quarter. It’s funny that a 15-point cushion isn’t enough to prevent fans from going into PTSD mode. Like, L.A. didn’t even cut the lead in half and people were flipping out.

Then, on Tuesday, the Cs fell down 14 to the Knicks early, but spent the middle quarters flipping the game on its head. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Boston’s lead sat at 18 points, and it felt like they’d be adding to their win total once the final buzzer sounded. That’s what happened, but there was some doubt mixed in. New York managed to cut the lead to just three on two separate occasions, but the Celtics responded each time, learning from the mistakes they made in the playoffs.

In a perfect world, yes, the Celtics would win every game handily once they opened up a large lead. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that reality. Mistakes happen. Leads shrink, and even disappear completely sometimes.

The important thing is that the Cs, of course, have built these leads in the first place and have responded when things have taken a turn for the worse. This winning streak has actually been the definition of dominance.

When looking at the game charts for these past five matchups, it’s easy to see that the Celtics have controlled the scoreboard almost entirely. Aside from their rough first quarter against New York, the Celtics have spent no more than five minutes actually trailing in these games.

Take a look.

Hiccups happen, but the Celtics’ recent dominance shouldn’t be taken for granted. They’re showing real signs of life here in early December, after stumbling to an 0-3 start out of the gates.

“I think the expectation level has always been the same, in my brain,” Jaylen Brown explained after Friday’s win over the Lakers. “Just come out, compete and maximize our potential and kind of go from there. Don't focus on like, the end result. Focus on what you control.”