There are going to be ebbs and flows over the course of an NBA season. Sometimes the ball just isn’t going to bounce your way.
But one thing teams always can be in full control of is effort, and that’s something the Boston Celtics have hung their hats on over the past few months.
The Celtics aren’t the most talented team in the league. Hell, there probably are a handful of clubs in the playoff field better than Boston purely from a roster standpoint. But the Celtics’ commitment to giving their all on both ends of the floor has masked some shortcomings and put them in the conversation of legitimate NBA Finals contenders.
Ime Udoka’s team is one win away from being the first group to advance to the conference semifinals. After Boston’s Game 3 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night, team leader Jayson Tatum confidently put the Celtics in a league of their own when it comes to work ethic.
“My message is nobody plays harder than we do,” Tatum told reporters, per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. “We’re the hardest playing team in the league, 1-15. When I step on the floor, I’m trying to set the tone. When Al’s (Horford) diving on the floor, there’s no excuse for me or JB (Jaylen Brown).”
The Celtics’ effort has been on full display in this first-round series against the Nets, as Boston simply looks like it wants it more than Brooklyn does. As such, we shouldn’t be at all surprised if the C’s send Kevin Durant and company packing Monday night.
