As a part of a legendary weekend for the Boston Celtics, they are playing as well as some of the franchise’s legendary teams.
On Friday night, the Celtics closed out the game on an impressive run with tremendous defense:
Another day another W ✅ pic.twitter.com/Cn7WeRiXDU
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 12, 2022
The Celtics got revenge on the Detroit Pistons, who had defeated them right before the All-Star break.
Boston has the league’s best defensive rating at 105.6 heading into Sunday’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Celtics will hope to play well in anticipation of honoring Kevin Garnett, as they raise his No. 5 jersey to the rafters at TD Garden.
Let us get back to the play on the court though.
Can it be said that the Celtics are the best team in the National Basketball Association on March 13, 2022?
The answer is yes.
Why Are The Celtics The Best Team In The NBA?
The Celtics, the league’s best defense, continue to impress in the last 15 games.
According to acclaimed NBA analyst Kirk Goldsberry, the Celtics’ last-15-game lead in defensive rating has decreased.
However, Boston’s offense has improved:
The Efficiency Landscape. What Jumps Out? pic.twitter.com/IlZtVcjD7n
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) March 11, 2022
Boston has the 14th-best offense in the league this season, but the team has the fourth-highest offensive rating in the last 15 games.
It is very impressive that the Celtics are improving as the season is going on.
In Ime Udoka‘s first season with the squad, he and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens have seemingly pulled all the right strings in 2022.
Let us also not forget about Jayson Tatum‘s rise in efficiency and stardom this year as well.
In Tatum’s last 12 games, he has scored at least 22 points, and on his most recent Sunday afternoon ABC game, he went off.
Tatum scored his most points in a regulation game in his career in a six-point victory against Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics star scored 54 points and attempted a whopping 17 free throws.
He also made a season-high 14 free throws in the contest.
The victory over the Nets was the Celtics’ third straight one in their current five-game winning streak.
In March, Tatum is averaging 39.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting from 3-point land.
He is showing signs of moving into the upper echelon of stars in the NBA, but can he keep this up in the playoffs next month?
The answer to that question will determine if the Celtics can continue being the NBA’s best team.
Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown has seemingly recovered from an ankle scare.
His 3-point shooting has been poor in March, but he can be a key contributor as the team’s second star.
He has about one month to get back to 100 percent on the court, and if so, Tatum and Brown can be a dynamic duo in the playoffs.
Celtics fans are very excited about the prospect of the 2022 postseason run.
The matchups may be very interesting, whether it is the Nets, Bulls, Cavaliers, or Raptors in the first round.
But first, the Celtics and their fans get to enjoy the Kevin Garnett jersey retirement ceremony in front of a national audience on Sunday.
NEXT: Are The Celtics Better Than The Nets?
