Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers

Lore & Background

The Celtics won the East Group C in the inaugural 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament by going in the group stage and winning a three-way tiebreaker via point differential. However, they were eliminated from the tournament with a loss to the Indiana Pacers in the quarterfinals. The Celtics had the best record in the NBA and proceeded through the playoffs in dominant fashion. They defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games during the NBA Finals, winning the franchise's first championship since 2008, and 18th championship in team history, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers to hold the NBA record for most championships.

The result was the most dominant Celtics championship run since 1965, with only three losses in the playoffs and a season total of 80 wins, the second-best mark in franchise history. Following their championship victory, multiple commentators considered the 2023–24 Celtics to be among the greatest teams in NBA history. With a playoff record of 16–3, the Celtics were second only to the 2016–17 Golden State Warriors for the best postseason record since all four NBA playoff rounds became best-of-seven contests in 2003.

This record, however, would only be matched two years later by the New York Knicks. The Celtics are the first team to have the best regular-season record and win the title since the Golden State Warriors in 2017.

Reader's Guide

The Celtics finished the season with a 64–18 record, 14 games higher than the second-place team in the Atlantic Division and the entire Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks.

Did You Know?

• The Celtics drew an average home attendance of 19,156 in 41 home games in the 2023–24 NBA season.
• The Celtics clinched the #1-seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2017 after they beat the Chicago Bulls on March 23, 2024.