It was simple to understand why some were picking against the Boston Celtics going into their first-round NBA Playoff matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.
They were up against arguably the best scoring tandem the NBA has ever produced while also being without their best interior players for the series.
Nevertheless, the Celtics’ success on defence has contributed significantly to their 2-0 series advantage after two games.
Sure, the Celtics have their own offensive threats in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but this is a team that has been defensive-first all season long.
The team’s “best” perimeter defender won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award as they concluded the regular season with the No. 1 defensive rating.
The Celtics have “kept” the Nets to just the 8th best offence in the playoffs through the first two games.
That should be seen as a resounding victory for a club with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant leading the way.
The Boston Celtics are Currently in the NBA Playoffs and are Proving That Defense Matters
The Boston Celtics are demonstrating the importance of defence while competing in the NBA playoffs.
The Celtics have consistently been among the NBA’s top defensive squads, and they are demonstrating this in the postseason.
The Celtics had the best rate of any playoff team in the opening round, allowing just 95.8 points per 100 possessions.
The Celtics have also excelled at three-point line defence, allowing opponents to shoot only 33.3 percent from beyond the arc throughout the playoffs, which is the lowest percentage of any club.
The Celtics are hardly the only team demonstrating the importance of defence in the postseason. One of the top defensive teams in the playoffs has been the Houston Rockets.
In their first-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets only gave up 98.1 points per 100 possessions, which ranked second among all playoff teams.
One of the Thunder’s main advantages was also neutralised by the Rockets, who limited them to only 32 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Conclusion
Boston, which many predicted would win the 2022 NBA title, advanced to the second round of the playoffs after a strong 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics didn’t seem particularly alarmed by Brooklyn’s flashy star power, containing Kevin Durant and, to a lesser extent, Kyrie Irving with a sea of arms and tight defence.
Brooklyn’s non-shooters were generously used by Boston to throw two or even three bodies against Kevin Durant.
