On April 14, 2024, longtime Celtics play-by-play broadcaster Mike Gorman stood on the TD Garden parquet floor during his farewell speech, and told the Boston Celtics a simple message.
“Go out and win this thing, will you please? Just go out and win it.”
And as we gear up for the NBA Finals, the Celtics are four wins away from hanging up their eighteenth banner.
Throughout the entirety of the regular season, some called them soft. Others called them weak, and focused on the wrong things. During these current playoffs, when they win a game people label them as “untested” and haven’t faced real competition.
And when they lose, the world labels them as perennial chokers, and that they cannot be trusted.
Despite their 12-2 playoff record, it doesn’t matter for their doubters. What matters is sealing the deal and winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy in their eyes. However, the Celtics accomplishments so far should not go unnoticed.
Jimmy Butler or no Jimmy Butler, in the first round the Celtics exorcised their playoff demons in a satisfying 4-1 series win over the Miami Heat, a team that has eliminated them in three of their last four playoff series meetings.
In the second round, they handled their business versus the tough Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite some poor shooting from the team in this round, they won games in different ways, especially on defense. Winning games in varieties of ways is championship mettle.
The Conference Finals 4-0 sweep versus the Indiana Pacers proved that the Celtics can win in close games. One of the knocks the Celtics consistently heard all year was that they can’t win in crunch time, and fold when it matters most. And yet, in this series they found ways to win.
Again, championship mettle.
Now, they have their eyes set to the final test – the Dallas Mavericks.
Boston defeated Dallas in both of their meetings this year, with the Mavericks looking overmatched. However, the playoffs are a different ball game and Boston must remain their focus.
The resurgence of Kyrie Irving should scare them. He’s playing arguably the best basketball of his career since his days on the Cleveland Cavaliers. One could argue the last time Irving has looked this good dates back to the 2015-16 NBA Finals.
Irving’s history with the Celtics hits Boston on a personal level. Remember, he spoke publicly to the TD Garden during the 2018 opener that he planned to re-sign with the team. One disappointing season quickly changed his mind and he signed with the Brooklyn Nets that following summer. Not only did he betray the team, he betrayed the entire city. Years of back-and-forth antics between Irving and Boston has positioned him as one of the biggest villains in the city’s history.
As a whole the Celtics should win this series with ease. Sure, Dallas has the best player in the series in Luka Doncic. And it’s important to recognize Dallas’ improved defense, their 33-14 record since the trade deadline, and their impressive playoff path thus far. However, I can’t envision a scenario where the Mavericks beat the Celtics four out of seven times.
Will the Mavericks steal a game in Boston? It’s definitely possible. Can Doncic and Irving completely take over and win them a game? They definitely can. But the Celtics are too talented.
There’s a reason the Celtics won 64 regular season games. There’s a reason why they’ve been in title contention for so long. There’s a reason why they have the league’s best defense. Their talent and experience will win them their eighteenth banner.
The city is behind you boys. It’s your time to shine – get the job done.
Beer Garden Sports 