In front of a national television audience on Sunday, the Boston Celtics won their third straight game with a 126-120 victory against the Eastern Conference-favorite Brooklyn Nets.
With Jayson Tatum‘s 54 points in the win, he set a new career-high for his most points scored in a regulation game.
He also was the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, as he and the Celtics also defeated Trae Young‘s Atlanta Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant.
3-0 with @jaytatum0 averaging an NBA-best 41.3 points per game 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/qh1DSVKnEo
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 7, 2022
Are Tatum and the Celtics ready to take the next step and be a contender in the Eastern Conference?
Boston lost in the first round last year — to the Nets — after making three of the four previous Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics have not made the NBA Finals since 2010 though.
The Brad Stevens head coaching era did not include a Finals appearance, but it certainly seems like the Stevens executive era will.
Early in the season, Ime Udoka‘s first season looked to be going down the tubes.
However, the Celtics have become the league’s best defense and they are ready to take the next step.
So, is Boston one of the top contenders in the East?
The title odds say no.
The Celtics’ Title Odds Are Not As High As You Would Think
Unfortunately, Boston is nowhere close to getting respect from Las Vegas.
Here are the NBA championship odds for the Eastern Conference’s top teams:
- Milwaukee Bucks: +650 (tied-third overall in the NBA)
- Brooklyn Nets: +650 (tied-third)
- Philadelphia 76ers: +650 (fifth)
- Miami Heat: +1000 (sixth)
- Boston Celtics: +2000 (eighth)
- Chicago Bulls: +2700 (10th)
The top two teams in the league in title odds are the Phoenix Suns (+425) and Golden State Warriors (+450).
So, even though the Celtics are not even close to the Nets in terms of title odds, why are the Celtics better than the Nets?
Why Are The Celtics Better Than The Nets?
In two words, let us say why Boston is better than Brooklyn: team basketball.
Here comes the long answer though.
Let us start with how awful of an NBA season the Nets have had:
The Nets are under .500 through 65 games.
No team has been under .500 this late into a season and won the title
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) March 6, 2022
Understandably, Brooklyn’s injuries — and Kyrie Irving‘s vaccination status — are to blame, but the Nets have not played well in any way, shape, or form.
Overall, the Nets could become an amazing team in the playoffs, but at this point in the season, the Celtics are a much better team.
Kirk Goldsberry shows us why the Celtics cannot be counted out:
Make that 14-2 in last 16 for BOS https://t.co/RJYNZaqwGs
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) March 6, 2022
The C’s are far and away better at defense than any other team, and they cannot be stopped.
I will say it again: they are playing team basketball.
The Celtics, like the old Boston teams, are a team, and they are playing team basketball, and they have two stars.
Tatum is playing like an alpha star for Boston, and Jaylen Brown is a strong secondary star.
In theory, another star could help, but that will not happen this season.
This is the situation the team is in right now.
Boston is ready for the challenge, as Udoka’s squad showed it on Sunday.
The Celtics showed they are better than the Nets.
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