Despite their eight-game winning streak, the Celtics have been able to field their entire starting lineup for every game. Nevertheless, they made history on Friday night. Despite missing three rotation players, Boston defeated the Pistons 129-102 to record their 15th 25-point victory of the campaign.
With that victory, they now share the record for the most 25-point victories in a season (15), with the Bucks (1970–71) and the Spurs (2015–16). With 12 games left in the regular season, Boston can surpass that total and seize the top spot on their own.
Given how shorthanded Boston has been lately as they rest some of their best players for the playoffs, the accomplishment is even more astounding. Even though Jaylen Brown scored 33 points and Al Horford and Jayson Tatum did not participate in Friday’s victory, Boston still had five players in double digits.
Coaches enjoy diversity and flexibility, and they feel good about having them heading into the playoffs,” Brown told reporters in Detroit, according to NBC Sports Boston. “Be able to trust in different lineups and strategies for winning games.” We want to be able to play and win in many ways, and we want to give Joe as much confidence as possible heading into the playoffs.
In addition, the Celtics increased their season scoring margin to +11.7 points per game, which is the fourth-best result in NBA history. Boston is very close to breaking the NBA record established by the Lakers in 1971–72 (+12.3). After securing home court advantage in the upcoming weeks, the Celtics won’t have much motivation to hit that number, but the team is playing so well that it might not matter even if regulars sit out more games like Friday nights.
Speaking to reporters, Mazzulla said, “The guys did a great job just finding different ways to impact the game defensively and playing different coverages and playing connected defense.”
The players performed admirably, Mazzulla told reporters, “just finding different ways to impact the game defensively and playing different coverages and connected defense.”
After a back-to-back set, the Celtics will play the Bulls on Saturday night in an attempt to win nine straight games.
Leave a Reply