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Heat icon reveals major Celtics concern amid championship bid
Image credit: ClutchPoints

The Boston Celtics have had a couple sluggish games in the NBA Playoffs so far this postseason, but for the most part, they have taken care of business. The Celtics played the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, and they won the series in five games. Boston dropped game two at home, but other than that, they were on cruise control in round one. Now, the Celtics are playing the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the series appears to be headed in the same direction.

Boston won game one against the Cavaliers before dropping game two at home, just like what happened against the Heat. Then, when the series shifted over Cleveland, the Celtics took care of business in both Games 3 and 4. They are now up 3-1 in the series and are one win away from punching their ticket into the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Celtics were far and away the best team in the East, and the NBA, all season long as they finished the regular season with a 64-18 record. The New York Knicks finished in second place in the East, and they ended up being 14 games behind the Celtics. Insanity.

In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets finished tied with the best record at 57-25, seven games behind the Celtics. Boston was the best team in the league all year long, and they are the favorite to win it all because of that.

The Celtics are in a good spot right now, but former Heat big man Udonis Haslem does have a concern about their playoff run. Boston isn’t really being tested right now, as the majority of the top teams in the league are in the West. Haslem thinks that it could be a bad thing if the Celtics don’t get tested before the NBA Finals.

“[The Celtics] haven’t been battle tested yet…,” Haslem said on ESPN. “I don’t know if you want to get battle-tested in the Finals by [the Nuggets] or [the Timberwolves]. It might be too late.”

Udonis Haslem brings up a good point. The Celtics could be caught off guard once they get to the NBA Finals and they are playing a team that is above the competition they saw from the East. That will be something to think about as the postseason continues.

It would be a shock to see the Celtics lose before the finals

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) celebrate after a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics seem like a lock to go to the NBA Finals and they haven’t even made the Eastern Conference Finals yet. The competition in the East just isn’t that great this season, and no one is expecting any other team besides Boston to win the conference.

If Boston can finish off the Cavaliers, which they are expected to do on Wednesday as they are big favorites at home, then they would play either the New York Knicks or the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. That series is currently tied up at two, and both teams are good, But are they good enough to take down the Celtics? Probably not. Boston seems poised for a run to the finals.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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