(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The 2023-24 Boston Celtics haven’t gotten nearly half as much credit as they deserve.
Joe Mazzulla’s team has been the best team in the league from start to finish, and they’re now sitting on a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
With that record, they’re now in some elite company.
As pointed out by Shane Young and The Athletic on Twitter, they’re just now the ninth team to begin the playoffs with a 14-2 record.
Notably, all the previous teams (1986 Celtics, 1987 Lakers, 1989 Pistons, 1991 Bulls, 1996 Bulls, 1999 Spurs, 2001 Lakers, and 2017 Warriors) have been crowned as NBA champions.
Nine teams in NBA history have begun the playoffs 14-2 or better:
1986 Celtics
1987 Lakers
1989 Pistons
1991 Bulls
1996 Bulls
1999 Spurs
2001 Lakers
2017 Warriors
2024 Celtics
(H/T @YoungNBA) pic.twitter.com/1NOZUaYAHb
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 10, 2024
The Celtics were overlooked through most of the playoffs because of the injury-riddled teams they faced in the Eastern Conference, with all of them missing their best players at some point in the series.
Nonetheless, they can only play whoever is in front of them, and they’ve made sure to take care of business both at home and on the road.
While it hasn’t always been easy or pretty, they’ve managed to get the job done over and over.
Of course, the Dallas Mavericks are no pushovers and will be the toughest opponent they have to face en route to the Larry O’Brien trophy.
But even if the fans don’t give them enough credit, they have the depth to get past any team in the league in a seven-game series, and coach Mazzulla has answered all the questions about his ability to make adjustments in the playoffs and lead the team to the top.
The post Celtics Have Joined Elite Company With Playoff Record So Far appeared first on The Cold Wire.