The 2023-24 Boston Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, are a juggernaut.
Entering Thursday’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets, they’re outscoring opponents by an average of 11.2 points per game. And that’s after a gut-wrenching loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
That point differential may sound like a lot (and it is), but you can’t fully appreciate it without a little context.
Those are all-time great teams. Those are teams led by Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan.
And there are these Celtics. Right in the middle. Among the all-timers and cruising toward, potentially, a sixth Eastern Conference Finals appearance for Brown, a fifth conference finals appearance for Tatum and a second NBA Finals appearance for both.