12.20.2008

Two Wins from Immortality

Two more consecutive wins would make the Celtics 27-2, the best start in the history of the NBA, besting the 26-2 starts posted by the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers and the 1969-70 New York Knicks, who both lost their next games.

Two more consecutive wins would also give the Celtics 19 wins in a row, or one more than the 1981-82 Boston Celtics, which is currently the franchise mark.

Someone recently talked about the "statistical legacy" that will be left by KG and company, and, indeed, it is remarkable. 66-16 last year, including 25-5 against the Western Conference. Best defense over several statistical categories. First team in NBA history to start consecutive seasons playing .900 ball after 20 games.

And now possibly more.

There's a difference between saying that records don't matter and understanding that records can be representative how great something is. Some records don't matter much. 70 wins isn't that much more than 66, and getting those few extra wins probably isn't worth running your starters into the ground before the playoffs begin.

That doesn't mean we can't appreciate all that this group of players has done and continues to do on a basketball court. When you are that good, records are gonna fall, and when we all look back some day, the number of those records may help us determine where this team belongs in Celtics history, especially if the records are combined with multiple championships.

The 1986 team's mantle of greatness may be up for grabs before the the KG Era is over.

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