The Boston Celtics will start their climb in the direction of Banner 18 on Sunday afternoon after they host a thriller opponent (thanks so much, Play-In Event) at 1 p.m.
Regardless if it’s the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Warmth, Chicago Bulls, or Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics should get their $#@% collectively and begin the collection off with a win at house.
Wins at TD Backyard have eluded the Cs over the previous two postseasons. Of their 2022 NBA Finals run, they went a mixed 6-6 at house. A yr later, they managed to regress, profitable simply 5 of 11 video games in Boston. When you neglect first-round video games, their document over that two-year span is 7-11 on the parquet.
Of the groups which have performed greater than 10 house playoff video games since 2022, Boston stands alone having a dropping document.
The Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Warmth, and even the Sixers have a constructive document in their very own constructing.
Photograph by Chris Marion/NBAE through Getty Photos
To make issues worse, lots of these losses have are available big spots. The Celtics dropped the next key video games whereas taking part in on their house flooring:
2022 Jap Convention Semifinals Recreation 1 vs. Milwaukee (fell behind 0-1)
2022 Jap Convention Semifinals Recreation 5 vs. Milwaukee (fell behind 2-3)
2022 Jap Convention Finals Recreation 3 vs. Miami (fell behind 1-2)
2022 Jap Convention Finals Recreation 6 vs. Miami (failed to shut out Warmth)
2022 NBA Finals vs. Golden State Recreation 4 (didn’t take 3-1 lead)
2022 NBA Finals vs. Golden State Recreation 6 (lose Finals 2-4)
2023 Jap Convention Semifinals Recreation 1 vs. Philadelphia (fell behind 0-1 to Joel Embiid-less 76ers)
2023 Jap Convention Semifinals Recreation 5 vs. Philadelphia (fell behind 2-3)
2023 Jap Convention Finals Recreation 1 vs. Miami (fell behind 0-1)
2023 Jap Convention Finals Recreation 2 vs. Miami (fell behind 0-2)
2023 Jap Convention Finals Recreation 7 vs Miami (Lose collection 3-4)
Enjoying at house isn’t going to ensure victory within the playoffs. However, the truth that the checklist of brutal losses at TD Backyard is that lengthy in only a two-year span is unacceptable.
In a yr the place the expectations are larger than ever, Boston can’t afford to let groups come into their constructing and win anymore, they simply can’t.
They’ve performed an amazing job of defending house courtroom all through the 2023-24 season, dropping solely 4 video games at TD Backyard all yr. Solely a kind of losses (April 11 towards the New York Knicks, the place many have speculated that the Cs weren’t engaged within the slightest) got here towards an Jap Convention opponent.
Not solely has Boston received their house video games, however they’ve dominated. Their common level differential on the Backyard this yr is +15.2.
To place that in perspective, they’d a +10 level differential final season after they went 32-9 at house, and a +7 in 2022, the place they logged a 28-13 document on the parquet.
Regardless of their atrocious, borderline embarrassing, postseason document in entrance of the Backyard devoted, the Celtics have nonetheless managed to make runs deep into the playoffs.
Had they simply received their house video games, they may very properly be taking a look at a possibility to three-peat this season.
Once more, this season’s group has been unbelievably good, not solely at house however total. If there’s any group that may make TD Backyard a postseason fortress once more, it’s them.
