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Minus Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, the Boston Celtics walloped the OKC Thunder 135-100 on Wednesday. The win pushed Boston’s record to 60-16 and earned them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Jayson Tatum and his teammates are a whooping 12.5 games ahead of second-placed Milwaukee Bucks (47-29) in the Eastern Conference’s hierarchy.
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The 60-win plateau has not been breached by the C's since the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. Back then, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce made them perennial title contenders as the team’s Big Three. Boston lifted its 17th Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2008, the first year of the Allen-Garnett-Pierce era.
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Longtime Celtics fan Dan Greenberg immediately reacted that it was just the third time he saw his team win 60 games. Fans on X, formerly Twitter, promptly reacted:
“I'm not chopping onions. You're chopping onions.”
X user FSG #1 HATER made it abundantly clear that the Green Machine has not done anything yet:
“And it all means nothing if they don’t raise banner 18”
Matt D-M gave a perspective on the gap between this year’s team and the previous versions that breached the same number:
“I was only 3 years old and didn’t know a Boston Celtic was the last time they finished with a 60 win season.”
David Jordan wasn’t quite as impressed but grateful:
“I’m blessed to have seen quite a few 60 win teams.”
Fifty.eth couldn’t contain his excitement:
“Progress looks good on the Celtics!”
The win against Oklahoma also means that Boston has a 7.0 game lead over the Denver Nuggets (53-23), the pacesetter in the West. If Jayson Tatum and Co. go on to the 2024 NBA Finals, the C's will have home-court advantage over anyone coming out of the West bloodbath.
Celtics fans are still concerned with their team leading into the playoffs
While getting the home-court advantage was a big accomplishment, it does not guarantee anything for the Boston Celtics. They were the second-ranked team last season and they fell to the giant-slaying ways of the No. 8 Miami Heat.
More worryingly, Boston also lost two games in succession to the hapless Atlanta Hawks, a team that is languishing in 10th place in the East. Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford also had a tough time sending home the Hawks last season.
The Celtics whimpered out of the playoffs over the past few seasons. They know that winning a home-court edge throughout the playoffs was a big accomplishment, but they still have to prove their mettle on the court. Boston fans can’t wait to see them compete and put the cherry on the cake after winning 60 games for the first time since 2008-09.
Boston Celtics Nation! You can check out the latest Boston Celtics Schedule and dive into the Celtics Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.
