Bring out the brooms. In a decisive game four, the Boston Celtics took care of the Indiana Pacers 105-102 to become the champions of the Eastern Conference. At this moment, they await their opponent from the Western Conference between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. One thing is for certain: Boston will have plenty of time to rest before the NBA Finals.
Let’s review how they got to this point.
Ruling The East From The Start
The Celtics were off to a blazing start this season, winning their first five games of the year. In fact, they won 11 of their first 13 games, leading the Eastern Conference with the best record. It was rare to see this team on a losing streak, the highest being two.
In terms of winning streaks, their highest was 11 games straight, which started in the beginning of February. These guys struggled to lose, which is a positive.
After game 82, Boston would reign supreme of the East. They finished with a record of 64-18, which was 14 games ahead of the second seed in the New York Knicks.
Players That Led The Way For The Celtics
Jayson Tatum was the clear leader of this team. The forward had another outstanding season, averaging 26.9 points per game while shooting 47% from the field. He also improved his three-point shooting, increasing his percentage to 37.1% compared to 35% the year before. Tatum also averaged 8.1 rebounds per game (led the team) and dished out 4.9 assists per game.
His fellow sidekick Jaylen Brown had a solid season himself. The former California product was second on the team in scoring, averaging 23.0 PPG on nearly 50% shooting. Despite shooting just 70% from the free-throw line (his worst in five years), Brown was the best second option the team could have asked for. In the postseason, he made even more of a difference (we’ll get to that in a bit). The shooting guard also led the team with 1.2 steals per game, making an impact on the defensive end of the ball.
Despite playing just 57 games, Kristaps Porzingis was impactful for the Celtics when he was on the floor. The center averaged 20.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG, all while helping Boston maintain the second-best defensive rating in the NBA with his 1.9 blocks per game.
Jrue Holiday was a veteran point guard the team desperately needed. Though he averaged just 12.5 PPG and 4.8 APG, he provided solid leadership and his defensive presence made a big difference as well.
Finally, you have Derrick White as a player worth noting. Leading the team in assists per game (5.2), he also averaged a steal and a block per game while making contributions on offense as well (15.2 PPG).
The Road To The Finals
Boston’s first opponent in the playoffs was the Miami Heat. Now, one major thing to note: Jimmy Butler was injured, dealing with a sprained MCL suffered in the play-in tournament.
The Celtics took advantage, taking care of the shorthanded Heat in five games. All of their wins were by at least 14 points, including winning the series clincher 118-84.
Then, the Cleveland Cavaliers were next on the slate. Boston took game one 120-95 behind Jaylen Brown’s 32 points. Despite losing game two, remember what we talked about: this team does not know how to lose multiple games. They bounced back to win game three 106-93, and never looked back. Boston won both games four and five to move to the conference finals. Another thing to note: Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell missed the last two games of the series with a strained calf.
Finally, the Indiana Pacers were their opponent in the conference finals. This time, Boston took care of business from the start and won all four games to make it to the NBA Finals. But, I would be lying if I said it was easy for these guys. It took overtime to decide game one (133-128) and aside from game two, every game was decided by single digits. More specifically, games three and four were decided by three points. Injuries played a role once again, with Tyrese Haliburton missing the last two games with a hamstring injury.
Regardless, the Celtics are the kings of the Eastern Conference. Jaylen Brown won MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, averaging 29.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.0 APG while also getting 2.0 steals per game.
Your ECF MVP is… JAYLEN BROWN 🏆 @FCHWPO pic.twitter.com/P43CGrf0n4
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 28, 2024
It’s been an incredible season for the Celtics. Their second Finals appearance in three years, they look to win their 18th championship.
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Featured Image: Justin Casterline/Getty Images
