The Boston Celtics are heading back to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons after a four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. And while the Celtics were likely always seen as the favorite to make it out of the East, especially once it became clear the Milwaukee Bucks' acquisition of Damian Lillard was not working out quite as well or quickly as once thought, the Celtics' run to the Finals has been particularly one-sided.

Even before the playoffs, the Celtics dominated the Eastern Conference, with the team far outpacing any other team in the race for the No. 1 seed. And considering the dogfight that existed in the Western Conference, it was also relatively easy for the Celtics to cruise to the best record in the NBA, as they became the only team to exceed 60 wins in the regular season.

The dominant regular season, combined with three playoff series that did not go past five games, has put the Celtics' 2023-24 season up with some of the best teams of all time. As lifelong Celtics fan Bill Simmons pointed out on Twitter, the Celtics have a combined 76-20 record this season (64-18 in regular season and 12-2 in playoffs). That makes them one of just nine teams in NBA history to have 20 or fewer combined losses entering the Finals over the past 40 years.

Here is the full list:

  • 1996 Chicago Bulls: 83-11
  • 2016 Golden State Warriors: 85-14
  • 1997 Chicago Bulls: 80-15
  • 2017 Golden State Warriors: 79-15
  • 1986 Boston Celtics: 78-16
  • 1987 Los Angeles Lakers: 78-16
  • 2013 Miami Heat: 78-20
  • 1992 Chicago Bulls: 78-20
  • 2024 Boston Celtics: 76-20

Celtics among all-time most dominant NBA teams

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Of the eight teams that have reached the NBA Finals without losing more than 20 combined games between the regular season and playoffs over the last 40 years (not including the 2024 Celtics), all but one have won the NBA Championship.

Let's break down the teams one by one:

  • 1996 Chicago Bulls: The 1996 Bulls famously won a then-record 72 games in the regular season and cruised to an NBA Championship, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in the Finals.
  • 2016 Golden State Warriors: The 2016 Warriors broke the '96 Bulls' record for wins by triumphing in 73 games that year. However, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA history in the Finals by erasing their 3-1 deficit and defeating the Warriors for the title in Game 7.
  • 1997 Chicago Bulls: While not quite as dominant as 1996, the '97 Bulls won 69 games and overcame the Utah Jazz — despite Michael Jordan memorably suffering from the ‘flu' in Game 5 — in the Finals.
  • 2017 Golden State Warriors: After their shocking Finals loss a year earlier, the Warriors signed Kevin Durant and obliterated the competition, winning 67 regular-season games and all but one playoff game en route to their second title in three years.
  • 1986 Boston Celtics: One of the most famous teams in NBA history (and certainly Bill Simmons' favorite team), the '86 Celtics won 67 games in the regular season and breezed through the Eastern Conference before defeating Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets to win Boston's last title for more than 20 years.
  • 1987 Los Angeles Lakers: The '87 Lakers, who won 65 games in the regular season, prevented the Celtics from repeating as NBA Champions with a six-game victory over Boston in the Finals.
  • 2013 Miami Heat: A year after winning their first title together, the ‘Heatles' repeated as champions in dramatic fashion against the San Antonio Spurs after a 66-win regular season.
  • 1992 Chicago Bulls: The 1992 Bulls won 67 games in the regular season and survived a seven-game series with the New York Knicks in the second round and back-to-back six-game series in the ECF and Finals to win the second of the Bulls' six titles in the '90s.

And then there are the 2024 Celtics, who have a chance to become yet another NBA Champion on this list and avenge their Finals loss to the Warriors two years ago.

The Celtics' opponent appears to be the Dallas Mavericks, who are leading the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, but we will know for sure soon enough. The Finals will begin in Boston on Thursday, June 6.