Celtics Are ‘Teasing Their Fandom,’ Says Former Boston Reporter

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The Boston Celtics look for their 12th straight win when they travel to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, March 5.

Heading into a showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, March 5, the Boston Celtics have strung together 11 straight victories. They own an eight-game lead over the second-place Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference despite Milwaukee’s sudden resurgence and six-game win streak.

Boston opened plenty of eyes on Sunday afternoon by thrashing the Golden State Warriors in a 140-88 victory. After that convincing victory on Sunday, former Boston Globe writer and Celtics beat writer Bob Ryan said the team is “teasing their fandom” during this impressive win streak.

Bob Ryan Points Out Impressive Stats During the Celtics’ Win Streak

The Celtics are on a much higher level than anyone else in the NBA right now. They haven’t lost since February, 1 when the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers, playing without LeBron James and Anthony Davis shocked them in a 114-105 victory at TD Garden.

Since then, Boston has won 11 straight. During that streak, the Celtics have two victories by 50 or more points. Their closest game was a 110-106 win at the Miami Heat on Super Bowl Sunday. The numbers have been staggering, prompting Ryan’s comment about teasing the Boston fans.

“I looked it up, and guess what?” Ryan asked on the “Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman” podcast. “They are the first team with three 50-point wins in a season in the history of the league.

“Here’s another one for you guys. In their 11-game win streak is another 50-pointer. They are winning by an average of 22.1 points per game over their last 11 games, which is an all-time record.

“They are teasing their fandom terribly. The expectation level, don’t you think, has risen exponentially during this particular 11-game win streak? They’ve got to win it for the fans, which is unfair to them because we all know it ain’t that easy. When the playoff start, there’s new dynamics, and they have something to prove.”

Jeff Goodman Says This is the ‘Worst Thing’ for the Celtics

Are the Celtics really this good? At 48-12, one would think so, but all the hype and blowout victories could put some added pressure on a Boston franchise that hasn’t won a title since 2008.

Goodman said this win streak isn’t doing any Celtics any favors.

“This is the worst thing that could have happened,” he said. “It is. They are the prohibitive favorites. You don’t want to be the prohibitive favorites going into the playoffs when, mentally, you haven’t been able to get over that hump.

“This could be great for them at the end of the day. This could be great, but right now, tell me you’re not a little bit concerned about this group. Again, they’ve got a couple of men in Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, who have won one.

“I like having Jrue on this team more than anything else because he can talk to them. They respect him. He’s won a ring.”

Ryan agreed, but said he’s less concerned than Goodman.

“You are 100 percent correct,” Ryan told Goodman. “I am concerned, but I’m a little less concerned because I do like the things they are saying. I like what’s coming out of Tatum’s and Brown’s mouths. I want to believe that they truly get it, they way that they are now telling us that they get it.

“Getting it is what the issue is.”

Mike Thomas is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Boston Celtics. He previously worked as an NBA and NFL writer for Sportscasting and was the Sports Editor for The Herald News in Fall River, Massachusetts for 16 years. More about Mike Thomas