Champions find ways to win even when they are not playing their best basketball.
While the Boston Celtics may not be as dominant as they were last season, they have recently shown an ability to win under challenging circumstances. Such a trait will be invaluable while Beantown attempts to win their second straight NBA title.
Through the first 51 games, the Celtics are 36-15. Across their last 10 contests, Boston has gone 7-3 with impactful wins coming against the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. These victories are particularly interesting when looking at Boston's strengths, and should not be overlooked when considering their chances to repeat.
The Celtics' win over the Sixers earlier this month was anything but a normal comeback. Boston trailed by as many as 26 points, but used a 74 point second half to catupult themselves to victory.
Tatum was key down the stretch. The 26-year-old tallied 35 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists. 13 of this points came during the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown was also quite good to the tune of 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Even though Philly was without Joel Embiid and Paul George that night, they still should have had enough manpower to defeat a Celtics team that was slow out of the gate. Instead, the defending champs showed that they could turn a game on its head in the blink of an eye.
"We rallied back, we put the effort in, we turned it up, we stayed together and we persevered through a win even though we probably shouldn't have been down that much in the first place, but I think it's a credit to us that we was able to get it back on track in a hostile environment," Brown said after the win.
Earlier this week, Boston defeated the top-seeded Cavaliers in a game that did not see either side play their best. Neither squad shot above 42% from the field. The Celtics led for the majority of the night, and even though the Cavs pulled within four points deep in the final quarter, the C's were able win thanks to their defensive approach.
Why the Celtics' recent play should scare the East
"It’s important for us to finish strong, go into the All-Star break, get some rest and then have that very good home stretch of the regular season to peak at the right moment,” Kristaps Porzingis said. “So I like where we’re headed. We just need to finish strong this small (stretch before the break).”
The rest of the Eastern Conference may not be prepared to face Boston. So far this month, they have shown they can still win even when momentum is against them.
While Cleveland made a move for De'Andre Hunter and will surely be a serious contender this spring, they will have to prove they can take advantage of Boston's off nights. The same can be said for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, or any other team that has wishes to represent the East in the NBA Finals.