On Monday night, the Boston Celtics officially secured their second trip to the NBA Finals in three seasons. Taking down the Pacers in yet another close contest behind the heroics of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics closed out Indiana in Game 4 and completed the sweep to become Eastern Conference champions yet again.
All things considered, this series was wildly competitive from start to finish. Indiana pushed Boston to its limit in taking them to overtime in Game 1, and then Games 3 and 4 both featured Celtic comebacks of at least nine points. It is not crazy to think the Pacers could have been up 3-1 through four games, but the Celtics' late-game execution put them over the top and turned what could have been a close series into a sweep.
Now with nine full days to rest before Game 1 of the Finals takes place in Boston, the Celtics will have plenty of time to prepare for their opponent, whether that ends up being the Mavericks or Timberwolves. Many have doubted Boston's chances in these playoffs due to them playing in what has been the weaker conference in the NBA all season, but there are plenty of reasons they should have earned respect by now.
For one, they hold a 76-20 record (regular season plus playoffs) while holding an astounding +10.4 point differential. But perhaps the most mind-boggling stat that proves their success is undeniable is in their 12-2 postseason record to this point. With their win on Monday, Boston became the first NBA team since the 2017 Warriors and 2017 Cavaliers to enter the Finals with two losses or less.
The Celtics are the first team since the 2017 Warriors and Cavaliers to reach the NBA Finals with 2 or less playoff losses thus far.
— Will Eudy (@WillCEudy) May 28, 2024
The Celtics are the first team in seven years to lose 2 games or less before the Finals
This should come as a surprise to few, especially among those who have followed this team all season. The Celtics have been dominant from the start of the season in October all the way until the end of the conference finals in May. This is just the latest statistical display of their historical greatness.
Of course, the last two teams to accomplish what Boston just did were no slouches as well. The 2016-17 Warriors are considered by many to be one of the most unstoppable teams of all time, and they entered the Finals that year without a single loss to their name. The Cavaliers got to the Finals that season with just one playoff loss on their resume (to the Celtics, no less).
Some will argue that the strength of the East should dilute Boston's accomplishments, but the reality is that they can only play who is in front of them. The Celtics have utterly crushed everyone in their path to this point, and the numbers do not lie. Boston is just the fifth team ever to start a postseason 6-0 on the road (1999 Spurs, 2001 Lakers, 2017 Warriors, 2017 Cavaliers) and their all-time relevance cannot be denied at this point.
At the end of the day, some naysayers will only give this team credit once they actually win a championship. It is safe to say this is the best Celtics team of the Tatum-Brown era, and they have an excellent chance of silencing the doubters for good.