Even after Tuesday’s 112-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics trail the Cavs by 4.5 games in the race for the top seed in the East. But Tuesday’s game proved the Celtics can do damage away from home.
Cleveland is on pace to earn the top seed and home-court advantage, but Boston has now beaten the Cavs on their home court. While the Cavaliers have the second-best home record in the NBA with a 24-4 mark, trailing only the 21-3 Oklahoma City Thunder, the Celtics have the best road record at 20-6. They’ve actually been better away from the TD Garden, where they’re 16-9.
Boston was almost unbeatable on the road in last year’s playoffs, dropping only Game 4 of the NBA Finals while going 7-1. By contrast, both the Miami Heat and the Cavaliers took a game in Boston, and the Indiana Pacers took them to overtime.
It’s been a trend. In 2023, the Celtics were 5-6 at home in the playoffs, and 6-3 on the road. In 2022, they were 6-6 at home, and 8-4 on the road.
Perhaps the Celtics simply focus better in front of a hostile crowd. Maybe the intensity and screaming of Boston fans makes the home team tighten up in big moments. Maybe Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown like eating at restaurants in other cities. Maybe they’re worried about disappointing Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in person.
For whatever reason, home-court advantage hasn’t been an advantage at all for the Celtics. The bad news for the Cavaliers is that their fantastic season could lead to their first top seed since 2016 — and put them right where the Celtics want them. At home.