The NBA Finals are not unfamiliar territory for the Boston Celtics. If anything, it should feel like home given they were here just two seasons ago. And when they haven’t made it to the final hurdle, the Celtics have made the Eastern Conference finals six times since the 2016/17 season, winning it twice.
But winning it all? That is unfamiliar territory given the franchise has not won the Larry O’Brien trophy since 2008. Yet they now have another chance to end the wait as a Finals series against the tricky Dallas Mavericks looms. However, there’s a sense that if the Celtics can’t get over the hump now, when will they? With extra firepower brought in through two major trades and a superstar handed a big contract, there can be no complaints about the roster.
Couple that with a dominant record in the regular season and a soft playoff run, it’s now-or-never territory for the Celtics. Over the past eight seasons, Boston have been one of the most successful teams in the NBA. A powerhouse of their conference, the Celtics are an easy tip for pundits when it comes to predicting who will finish towards the top in the East.
Once again Boston dominated their conference rivals as a 64-18 regular season record secured the No. 1 seed. It was the Celtics’ best regular season since 2007/08, the same season they last won a championship.
Boston continued their dominance into the playoffs and go into the Finals having won 12 and lost twice across the first round, conference semi-final.
