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The Boston Celtics have opened their 2023-24 season with an incredible start right out of the gates. They currently have a 2-0 record in the In-Season Tournament and are matched up later today against the Orlando Magic. If they win, they will clinch a spot in the Quarterfinal round. However, there have been some comparisons between this Celtics team and the previous "Big 3" era.
With that said, could winning the In-Season Tournament solidify this Boston Celtics team as the franchise's strongest team since the "Big 3" era? Winning the In-Season Tournament will be great for this team, but the answer is no.
The previous dominant Celtics team with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo completed the 2007-08 journey with an NBA championship at the end. Today's Boston has 17 championships in franchise history and has been working toward Banner 18 since the 2008 NBA Finals.
The old Boston team also finished the 2007-08 regular season with a spectacular 66-16 record. It also had a winning percentage of .805. During the 2008 NBA Finals, it was up against the Los Angeles Lakers and finished the series with a 4-2 win while showcasing its dominance at the defensive end.
This does not mean the current team can't reach that status in its tenure, but it still has a few ways to go before eclipsing the "Big 3" version of the Boston Celtics.
The team currently has a 12-3 record in the regular season with a winning percentage of .800. Moreover, the team ranks sixth in the NBA in offensive ratings (117.7) and second in defensive ratings (107.5).
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla on impressive win against the Milwaukee Bucks
Boston needed a big win entering the Milwaukee Bucks game last Wednesday night. The team was coming off a 3-1 road trip, with the one 121-118 overtime loss coming against the Charlotte Hornets.
Against the Bucks, Boston played its best brand of basketball despite letting go of some of its big lead near the end of the fourth quarter. It finished the game with a 119-116 win. Per the team's Instagram account, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla spoke to his team after the matchup.
"The biggest thing I saw, we got our effort back, and then we got our connectivity back on both ends," Mazzulla said. "Like, we played together on both ends of the floor, and now we gotta continue to work on our execution. But that is the way we have to play. Alright, so great job."
The final road trip game saw the team slacking off in their execution at the defensive end, which allowed the Hornets to make a run and force the game into overtime.
Meanwhile, the Bucks had almost pulled this off if not for some excellent defensive plays from Boston. Additionally, Jayson Tatum nicely finished it all in the closing moments with a double-double outing of 23 points and 11 rebounds.
