PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MARCH 26: Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics attempts a three point shot … More
The Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder, winners of seven straight games, are riding the longest active winning streaks in the NBA. With all due respect to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Western Conference contenders like the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, it would hardly be a surprise if the former two franchises square off in June with the Larry O’Brien Trophy on the line.
The Thunder have experienced minimal fluctuation this season. They’re the first team to reach 60 wins. Oklahoma City, 60-12, boasts the best record in the Association. On the other hand, the Celtics experienced a December dip that extended into much of January.
That can be attributed primarily to two factors. The first is shooting variance and the wide-ranging impact of repeatedly failing to convert on quality opportunities from behind the arc. Secondly, as Jrue Holiday discussed with this author, it is physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting to reach the NBA summit, return to the base of the mountain, and then start climbing back up.
“It’s hard to win, man. It’s hard to win. It’s taxing, and then once you try to come down from that high, you have to run right back up,” said Holiday in an exclusive interview with Forbes last month.
“We’ve had a long, long couple of seasons,” voiced Holiday. “I think [that] health is something that’s super important for us, as well as mental health. A lot of basketball being played, a lot of pressure just from winning last year, and then, not only from media or outside sources, but teams know that we’re at the top of the hill, and we’re getting every team’s best shot.”
While every team gets amped up to play the reigning champions, knowing it’s a chance to make a statement and raise one’s stock individually and collectively, understandably, Boston hasn’t always reciprocated that feeling. A matchup in December against a sub-.500 opponent doesn’t resonate the same as a showdown against a top-tier opponent does.
However, as the Celtics’ seven-game win streak reflects, they’re shifting into a higher gear as the playoffs approach.
Two seasons ago, on the heels of an NBA Finals run in 2022, Boston got burned for looking ahead at times. At times, the Celtics were even guilty of it during a turbulent playoff run that included falling into an 0-3 hole against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After failing to return to the league’s brightest stage, Boston adopted a “win the day” mantra. Maximizing the 24 hours in front of them and playing their best, regardless of opponent, fueled a 64-18 regular season. No other team accumulated 60 wins. For an encore, they went 16-3 on their way to Banner 18.
As Kristaps Porzingis conveyed after the Celtics’ 30-point road victory vs. the Phoenix Suns, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak, the mentality acting as a driving force for the reigning champions as they ready for the playoffs is an internal focus, with the caliber of competition being irrelevant to their effort.
“That’s the culture that the coaching staff is instilling in us,” Porzingis told Eddie House of NBC Sports Boston after registering 30 points and eight rebounds. “To get us to play this hard against all the competition at this time of the year, it’s not the easiest thing. But that’s why I want to give credit to the coaching staff and Joe [Mazzulla].”
The Celtics benefitted from that approach last season. It’s aiding them presently as they get dialed in for their bid to become the first team since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors, who fielded a big four of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson, to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy in consecutive campaigns.
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