The 2017-18 Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA, leading the Eastern Conference with a 35-14 win-loss card. That record is also good for third-best in the league. Not surprisingly, 23 of those 35 wins have come by way of outrebounding their opponents in historic fashion.
These Celtics are not only good — they are the best in team history with a 23-0 winning streak when outrebounding their opponents. That’s the longest streak in franchise history, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
#Celtics at #Clippers
10:30 ET on @ESPNA key to victory for Boston: The Celtics are 23–0 this season in games in which they outrebounded their opponent, the longest such streak in team history.
— Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports) January 25, 2018
Bill Russell’s Celtics have never done it. John Havlicek’s Celtics have never done it either. Neither did Larry Bird’s Celtics nor Paul Pierce’s. It’s only Kyrie Irving’s Celtics that can lay claim to this streak in what is turning out to be one of the Celtics’ finest in recent history.
Boston is in eighth place in rebounding, tied with San Antonio and Phoenix, and are outrebounding their opponents by only +0.3. But that minuscule rebounding margin is only due in large part to their recent four-game losing streak that had the Celtics either tying or losing the rebounding battle in each of the four games.
If not for that recent four-game slide, the Celtics would be atop the NBA standings right now. Boston was able to right the ship with a win over the L.A. Clippers Wednesday night. In that game, the Celts banged the boards to the tune of 47 rebounds compared to 40 for the Clips.
The Celtics don't have someone who averages better than 8.0 rebounds per game, but they have nine players who haul down at least 3.6 boards per contest. Al Horford paces the team with 7.8.
If the Beantown Boys want to keep winning, one of their biggest keys to victory is winning the rebound battle.
The Celtics have the chance to extend that 23-0 streak when they face the league-leading Golden State Warriors on Saturday at the Oracle Arena.
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