Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Celtics eager to prove they’re in right place
BOSTON — Ever since the Celtics broke up their Big Three in 2013, they’ve sat idly this time of year while LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard have battled for NBA championships.
With Isaiah Thomas leading the charge, the Celtics have rejoined the fray. Now it’s time to see if they belong.
The Celtics beat the Wizards 115-105 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night. That earned them their toughest test yet, maybe the hardest in basketball: a series against James and the well-rested Cavaliers.
This is the Celtics’ first trip to the conference finals since 2012, the last year of an era fueled by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The top-seeded Celtics are seeking an 18th NBA championship and first since beating the Lakers in the 2008 Finals.
The defending champion Cavaliers won three of the four meetings between the teams in the regular season, including a dominant victory in early April with the Cavaliers back at full strength after some early-season injuries.
“We know it’s going to be tough, but at this point anything can happen, and we really believe it,” Thomas said. “We got the No. 1 seed and they didn’t give us a chance.
“They don’t ever give us a chance and we just keep going.”
However this postseason ends for the Celtics, it looks as if it’s just the beginning for the group. But make no mistake — the Celtics want to win now.