Coming into the 2021-22 NBA season, not many expected the Boston Celtics to be the ones representing the Eastern Conference in the 2022 NBA Finals. After all, teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets were the favorites to win it all.
Moreover, the Celtics had a slow start to the season. It wasn't until after the NBA Trade Deadline that the Celtics truly hit their stride and went on a superb winning streak. Since then, the Celtics haven't slowed down.
As of now, the Celtics haven't only qualified for the NBA Finals but hold a 1-0 lead over the experienced Golden State Warriors. Many are calling this first win over the Warriors nothing but a fluke. After all, the Celtics won the game even without Jayson Tatum performing at his best.
At the same time, renowned NBA analyst Skip Bayless has refused to call this win a fluke. Instead, he believes that the Celtics didn't steal the game, they simply overpowered Stephen Curry and the Warriors:
"Boston did not steal Game 1. They TOOK it. SEIZED it. OWNED it down the stretch."
As Skip mentioned in his tweet, down the stretch, the Celtics were injected with new energy as they utterly dominated the Warriors. The likes of Al Horford picked up the slack in the absence of Jayson Tatum.
Does this mean that the Celtics have a genuine chance of winning the title this season? Most likely. Their head coach, Ime Udoka, is 100% confident in his team's ability.
In a recent interview, Udoka threw shade at other amazing teams in the East, announcing them as too dependent on a single superstar. While the Celtics also have two clear superstars on their team, they aren't heavily reliant on them.
If and when the said superstars fail to perform on the floor, other players ensure to play well. Thus creating a superb environment and culture, which is quite essential in a team's quest to win an NBA Championship.
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