Road to NBA 2022 Finals: A look at Boston Celtics' unpaired turnabout
Eleventh in the East in January. Finalists in May. The Boston Celtics' turnaround has been magical.
FollowThe Boston Celtics were a below-average team for almost half the regular season. Since then, they have statistically been the best team in the league. After starting the NBA season 2021-22, there were questions about whether Jayson Tatum and Jaylen could co-exist and whether Ime Udoka was the fitting coaching appointment. A 30-9 record to end the season and then three straight playoff series wins led to Ime Udoka becoming one of the first rookie head coaches to reach the NBA finals, while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have become a finals calibre tandem.
Despite finishing second in the Eastern Conference, the path to the second round was far from easy. According to many, the Celtics faced the toughest first-round matchup (for a high seed) as they went up against the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving- led Brooklyn Nets.
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The key to Boston's regular-season was its defence, which was by far the best in the league in the calendar year of 2022. This defensive scheme hindered one of the most unguardable players in the league Kevin Durant, as he struggled considerably with low efficiency and turnovers. With Durant struggling and Kyrie failing to step up after Game 1, the Celtics surprisingly managed to sweep the Nets.
The calibre of players didn't get any easier for the Celtics as they faced the Giannis-led Bucks. There was some respite for the Celtics, as the Bucks missed Khris Middleton in the series. Despite that, the Bucks showed their toughness in Game 1, beating Boston at the TD Garden. Boston was able to tie the series at 1-1 and 2-2. However, when Milwaukee took a 3-2 lead back, many thought the Celtics were done. Faced with adversity on the road, Jayson Tatum had one of his finest games, with 46 points to take the series back to Boston for Game 7. Game 7 was a comfortable win, thanks to a balanced attack and a Grant Williams career game.
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Things would not get any more accessible when the Celtics faced the one-seeded Heat in the Conference Finals. Celtics lost Game 1 after a complete collapse in the third quarter and a Jimmy Butler masterclass. Celtics got things back on track with a huge Game 2 win. However, they'd lose their momentum in the next game, as they lost to a Heat team without Jimmy Butler for the second half. The Celtics' defence was there for everyone to see in Games 4 and 5, as they eviscerated the Heat by containing them to less than 85 points in two straight games.
Many thought the series the over at this stage, but Jimmy Butler had other ideas, as he kept the Heat alive with one of the great elimination games: 47 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and four steals. Now, the Celtics needed to go on the road to win a Game 7. The Celtics showed intent to start the game, and despite the Heat making it close, the Celtics led the game throughout to book their finals berth. The Larry Bird Award-winner with a Celtics win was rather apparent as Jayson Tatum was the Celtics' leading man throughout the series.
