When the Celtics endured their midseason malaise, there were murmurs about the reigning champions’ might. Of course, the C’s earned the benefit of the doubt in the form of the 2024 NBA title, but there were still some concerns when it came to the regular-season results.
But the Celtics have all but quieted the detractors at least when it comes to the regular season. Now, with four games left in the regular season, they have a chance to add onto another one of their all-time NBA leads: a 60-win season. They currently sit at 58-20 after blowing out the Wizards on Sunday.
The C’s lead all of the NBA with 18 NBA championships — that’s well-documented at this point. But if they win two more games this season, they will also have their 15th-ever 60-win season. The Lakers are in second place with 11, the third-place Spurs have seven and the fourth-place Bulls have six. Point is: these are rare.
Of course, the main objective is to win championships. The Celtics know that. They can also boast that. But there is real significance to navigating the trials of an 82-game season. The C’s have also endured injuries, limiting who’s available on a given night. Despite that, the Celtics keep winning games.
The C’s started this season 19-4, looking every bit like title contenders. But then came the inconsistency, dropping to 32-15 after a home loss to the Rockets. There were some tough performances mixed in there, whether it was a dejecting Raptors loss or the blowout to the Kings. Interestingly, even amid those struggles, the Celtics only lost back-to-back games twice this season with their longest losing streak always halted at two straight.
The Celtics have been excellent recently, going 26-5 and righting the ship. They’ve also won 16 of their last 18 games as they’ve rested guys down the stretch. There are still questions on what a playoff series will look like against other 60-win teams like the Cavaliers and Thunder, but those will be answered in the playoffs.
It’s a nod to the Celtics even if they don’t lead the NBA in victories. They’ll win 60-plus games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007-09. The C’s also have a chance to match the NBA record for road wins in a season if they win their final two against the Knicks and Magic this week.
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So that’s all to say these are indeed the good days for Celtics fans. This current core led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are already in the history books courtesy of the 2024 title. That’s a long way from a few years ago when pundits swore the Celtics needed to break up their All-Star duo.
The C’s will likely see some changes this coming summer and beyond considering new ownership and luxury tax penalties. So the team will look different, though the expectation will be to still compete. For now, the Celtics continue to chug along as they have a real chance at winning back-to-back NBA championships.
