The Boston Celtics are one of the hottest teams in the NBA with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games.
Boston's 102-93 road victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night extended the team's win streak to a season-high four games.
One of the Celtics' best performances of the season came on Dec. 31 with an impressive 123-108 win over the defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns at TD Garden. That victory has served as a catalyst for the Celtics, especially on defense, an area where few teams -- if any -- have played better than Boston over the last six weeks.
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Here's where the Celtics ranked in several important defensive stats entering Friday night's game against the Pistons (via 98.5 The Sports Hub's Sean Grande).
Since Dec. 31
- Defensive rating: 1st
- Net rating: 1st
- Scoring margin: 1st
- Scoring defense: 1st
- Opponent FG%: 1st
- Opponent assists: 1st
- Blocks: 2nd
- Rebounding: 5th
Defense wins championships, so Boston's recent uptick in performance on that end of the floor is no doubt encouraging. The Celtics' 105.9 defensive rating for the entire season ranks fourth-best in the league, trailing only the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. Boston also ranks sixth in net rating (3.5) entering the weekend.
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The Celtics are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference standings, but they sit just 3.5 games behind the Cavaliers in third place. If Boston's defensive play remains this strong (or close to it) for the remainder of the season, this team should be able to finish as the No. 6 seed or better and avoid the play-in tournament as a result.