The Boston Celtics did not come all this way to slump their shoulders in the absence of any one player. Sure, beating them may be incrementally easier now that Robert Williams III will miss at least several weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee. But, you’re still going to earn every single score and every single stop. Williams III anchored a defense that became the identity of a Celtics team that has gone 24-5 since being 1 game below .500 on the morning of January 22.
Boston allows the opposition to score 105.9 points per 100 possessions this season — that’s the best defense in the NBA by a slim margin. Over its last 29 games — a stretch that catapulted the Celtics from a playoff hopeful to a bona fide championship contender — Boston allowed just 103.6 points per 100 possessions.
The difference between that and the 2nd best defense is the same difference as the 2nd best defense and the 19th best defense.
Celtics at Raptors: Shorthanded Boston falls to Toronto 115 – 112 in overtime https://t.co/llTZoaNut3
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 29, 2022
