Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 After 59 games, the 2023-24 Celtics hold the 8th-best NBA point differential (PD) all-time . The 71-72 Lakers own the top number at 12.28 , while this version of the Celtics lies at 10.73. At #11 in the list are the 07-08 Celtics (10.26) and the 85-86 Boston crew sit at #14 (9.41) . Both of those Boston teams were Champions . So, does this bode well for Banner 18 this season? Maybe! We know regular season dominance gets you home court - but little else . The post season in the NBA is a whole other deal. But particularly lately, this season's Celtics have been d ominant, confident - and they are playing the right way at the right time in the season . They are well-poised to bring Banner 18 to TD Garden. But how about a little luck and storing Kristaps Porzingis in a plastic bubble for the rest of the regular season. 

  NBA.com listed the Boston Celtics 20-game win streak as 1-of-10 Things we've learned halfway through the 2023-24 season (per Shaun Powell): " Celtics are clutch at home.  The  1985-86 Celtics  are considered one of the greatest teams of all time and they  went 40-1 at home . In that lone loss, they fell to an ordinary Blazers team, Larry Bird shot 6-for-29 and Boston had 26 turnovers. So anything’s possible. This year’s Celtics team is headed in the same direction in terms of home protection, having run the table so far. Jayson Tatum and pals have beaten the Bucks, Sixers and Wolves and dropped 155 on the Pacers at TD Garden. Denver’s up next ( 7:30 ET, ESPN ). If the Celtics mirror ’85-86 and maintain home-court advantage for the playoffs, how many teams are capable of beating them in a best-of-seven?" That 1985-86 Celtics crew is considered by many, including myself, to be the best NBA team of all-time. Bird, Parish, McHale, Johnson, Ainge, Walton, Sichtin...

 Let me decide the outcome of NbcSportsBoston's (partnered with Strat-0 -Matic ) " Settle the Argument" as to the top Celtics team of all time. The contest is down to the Semi-Finals with the 1972-73 team matched up against the 1985-86 crew. As much as I loved the '73 team , they have little chance of taking this. The starting-5 is undersized by any measuring stick. Dave Cowens (6'8.5"), Paul Silas (6'7"), John Havlicek (6'5"), Don Chaney (6'5") and JoJo White (6'3") matched up against Robert Parish (7'1"), Kevin McHale (6'10"), Larry Bird (6'9"), Danny Ainge (6'5") and Dennis Johnson (6'4") ? Despite their lack of size, the ' 73 Celtics get the nod on rebounding (total of 4,802) over the '86 crew (3807), but the latter group takes points, assists and field goal percentage.  Then there are the benches . Bird & Company had Bill Walton, Jerry Sichting and Scott Wedma...