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On Thursday night, the Boston Celtics won a thrilling OT matchup against the Detroit Pistons. Along with adding to the Pistons' historic losing streak, Jayson Tatum and company kepy a streak of their own alive.
With this victory, the Celtics are now 15-0 at home this season. Almost a third of the way through the regular season, they are the only team left in the NBA not to lose on their home floor.
There are many things that can be attributed to Boston's success at home this year, but here are some key factors that stand out.
Reasons why the Boston Celtics remain unbeaten at home this season:
1) The play of Jaylen Brown
This offseason, the Celtics signed Jaylen Brown to the largest contract in NBA history. Many were skeptical about giving him such a sizable amount of money, but the All-Star forward continues to be a key piece to the franchise.
Brown has also played a big part in Boston being unbeaten at home. Most players would agree they are more comfortable on their own court, and that is the case here. Brown has seen a slight uptick in production in games played at TD Garden.
In 14 home games this year, Brown is averaging just under 24 points on 51.8% shooting. On the road, that number drops to 21.6 points on 43.8% shooting. His ability to elevate his game at home is a notewrothy factor as they continue their winning streak.
2) Defense
This offseason, the Celtics went all in on the defensive side of the floor. Despite trading away Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies, Boston has managed to improve on that end. They landed Jrue Holiday in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, and acquired Kristaps Porzingis to man the frontcourt.
These moves have paid off for Boston, as they have one of the top defenses in the league. In terms of defensive rating, they sit in third in the league at 110.6.
Between their elite defensive backcourt of Holiday and Derrick White and Porzingis protecting the rim, Boston can get stops whenever they need. Their heightened play on this end has certainly been a catalyst in their success at home this season.
3) Jayson Tatum being one of the top stars in the league
Whether it's at home or on the road, the biggest factor in the Celtics' success this season is the play of Jayson Tatum. He is by far among the main reasons why Boston is not only unbeaten at home, but has one of the best records in the league.
Tatum is putting up averages of 27.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists this season. He came up big in their overtime thriller with the Detroit Pistons, finishing with 31 points, seven rebounds, ten assists and fives steals.
As long as their star player can continue to play at an MVP level, teams are going to have an extremely tough time knocking off Boston on their home floor.
