A March home game preceded a three-game road trip. A chance to prolong a winning streak following a dominant 9-1 month in February. What was the result? A decisive victory.
It was March of 2016. A 36-point triumph for the Golden State Warriors’ upcoming 73-9 victory.
On Sunday afternoon, the Boston Celtics were faced with the same situation. And it was against the Warriors, led by Stephen Curry.
Boston blasted them out by 52 points thanks to a flurry of three-pointers.
“That’s what we used to do with teams,” Curry remarked.
Curry was referring to Boston’s deep-range onslaught, which rained down ten triples on the guy who invented the shot. For nearly a decade, this was the club that dominated the league in three-point shooting.
Obviously, Golden State is in a much different position than it was eight seasons ago, as are the Celtics. It is not about the history of the two teams. Boston may be taking their place.
This year’s Celtics team is not the same as the Golden State club. They’re about seven wins off that pace, and they’re not coming off a championship run. But they may be approaching the same degree of supremacy.
The city of Boston expects greatness. In certain cities, victory is the sign of a great game. A playoff appearance marks a successful season. Victories are celebrated. In Boston, winning is the absolute minimum.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been so good with the Celtics that anything less than a championship is considered unacceptable. Even when Boston reached the Finals in 2022 and lost to Golden State, it was a disaster – one that is being discussed two years later.
2022 NBA Finals: Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics
Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
The high standard that Boston sets for its sports teams is a positive. Fans care.
