But how much of the Celtics' success is of their own making, and how much can be attributed to questionable competition? Sunday's game against the Miami Heat will be a test of how much the C's really have improved over the course of the season.
The Heat outlasted the Celtics 115-107 in the second game of the season, dropping Boston to 0-2 as the Celtics went on to lose eight of their first 12 games. The Celtics never really felt like they found their stride in December and January, despite two four-game win streaks and a five-game win streak that stretched into early February.
The Celtics are now riding another four-game winning streak and need to continue to win to stay ahead of the 76ers in the Atlantic Division standings, but their 10-16 record against teams .500 or better remains cause for concern. How the Celtics fare against the Heat will help determine whether Boston has truly emerged as a championship contender.
The Celtics have been in a similar situation two previous times this season, although against an opponent nowhere near as good as the Heat. With the Celtics on a roll, the Sixers twice welcomed them to Philadelphia and twice sent them home with double-digit defeats.
The first defeat halted the Celtics' five-game win streak, but it was easy to forgive at the time because the Celtics were less than 24 hours removed from an overtime victory over the Rockets. Many people assumed the next contest two weeks later would be a different story for a proud and motivated Boston team.
The Celtics indeed began to play better in the weeks that followed, entering the March 23 game in Philly with five victories in eight games. Then the Sixers trounced the Celtics by 33 points.
The game against the Heat presents another opportunity to see if the Celtics' turnaround is real or merely another quirk of the schedule in the league's — and the Celtics' — crazy season.
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