On Friday night, the Boston Celtics advanced to an impressive milestone. By thoroughly dismantling the Charlotte Hornets, they secured their 60th victory of the NBA season. In doing so, this will be the 15th time in franchise history that the Celtics have accomplished this. It’s how they are cementing their status as the top dog in the league this year.
Among all of those teams, this year’s 60-win accomplishment is extremely impressive! It’s the first time we’ve experienced consecutive successes since the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. For context, seven of the Celtics’ last fourteen 60-win seasons resulted in an NBA title. This track record goes a long way towards explaining the optimism surrounding their postseason hopes this year.
In a contest overshadowed by astounding individual performances, it was Payton Pritchard who stole the show for the Celtics with his 22-point outburst. Teammate Sam Hauser helped out a ton with 20 points, while Derrick White chipped in 19 points to the scoreboard. Veteran Al Horford was instrumental in that success as well, notching a double-double of his own with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Celtics showcased their three-point shooting prowess during the game, setting a league record for three-pointers in a season earlier this month. They hit seven three-pointers just in the third quarter. This explosion allowed them to extend their precarious one-point halftime lead to a huge 91-75 lead as they entered the fourth quarter. Coach Joe Mazzulla opted to rest his starters in the fourth period, reflecting his strategy for managing player fatigue as the playoffs approach.
Here’s to the Celtics as they prepare for their biggest test yet! In return, they’ll face the winner of the play-in tournament game between the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.
The Celtics are obviously lobbying hard for the league’s regular-season finale – a Sunday date with Charlotte. They hope to find themselves building up steam as they move into the playoffs! They’ll be doing so without their top dog, Jaylen Brown. He’s done for the time being with a sore right knee, an issue that’s been plaguing him for the last month or so.
Seth Curry would be the best player on the floor, powering the Hornets with 17 points. He grabbed headlines by nailing his 82nd three-pointer of the season, locking himself atop the NBA’s percentage leaderboards.
“What an amazing season once again,” said Jayson Tatum, who chipped in 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the game, a playoff and regular-season record. “Something to be proud of, for sure. But now, just sort of changing gears and preparing our minds and our bodies for what lies ahead.”
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