The Boston Celtics dominated through much of the regular season, finishing atop the NBA standings at 64-18. The win total was the fourth-most in their storied franchise and highest since they went 66-16 during the 2007-08 campaign, which happens to be the last time they won a championship).
Under second-year head coach Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics have arguably been even more unbeatable in the playoffs. In fact, if they finish off a sweep of the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Saturday, Boston will make NBA history.
With a best-of-seven format and both squads getting at least two games at home, it’s not a surprise that a team has yet to sweep through the final two rounds of the postseason.
There are still critics who have claimed that the Celtics have had an easy path to the championship, as key players on the opposing side missed action in each of Boston’s first three series victories.
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler missed the entire first round against the Celtics due to an MCL injury. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell sat out Games 4 and 5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ conference semifinals defeat vs. Boston. Fellow All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton was sidelined for the final two contests of the Indiana Pacers’ four-game Eastern Conference Finals sweep at the hands of the Celtics.
Skeptics can’t use this excuse for the NBA Finals though, as the Mavericks have been at full strength. Scoring champion and five-time All-Star Luka Doncic suffered a chest contusion in Game 1 of the Finals but has suited up for every contest in the championship round thus far.
Another fact backing up the Celtics’ impressive run is that they’ve been without one of their best players for most of the playoffs as well.
Center Kristaps Porzingis went down with a right calf injury during Game 4 of the Heat series and then was sidelined for over a month, covering 10 games, including the entire second and third rounds against the Cavaliers and Pacers. The one-time All-Star came back for Game 1 against Dallas (his former team) but suffered a “torn medial retinaculum” that allowed “dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg” during Game 2.
Porzingis missed Game 3 with the ailment and his status for the rest of the series is in doubt.
Fortunately for Beantown, history is very much on their side, as no team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 hole. Most times a team falls behind 3-0, the eventual champion puts their opponent out of their misery quickly too.
