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Boston Celtics · Approximately 15 minutes before their nationally-televised encounter against the Boston Celtics, the Golden State Warriors modified their defensive strategy, opting for an approach that protected the paint, but left the soon-to-be-named Finals Most Valuable Player on the perimeter, free to fire away without restraint. As anticipated in his response, Jaylen Brown required all of 15 seconds to begin exposing the flaws in that experimental gameplan. Offered the opportunity to showcase their big-game command against a team riding a similar heatwave, Boston found little interest in entertaining Golden State’s recent momentum, ballooning their 22-point opening quarter lead into a 52-point demonstration by game’s end. The 2022 NBA Finals rematch concluded with Boston draining 25 3-pointers and earning the third-largest victory in its storied franchise’s history on March 3, 2024. Buoyed by Brown’s masterful first frame — where he scored 19 of his 29 points and drained five 3-pointers — Boston cruised to consecutive win No. 11, allowing Jayson Tatum to celebrate his birthday with a win. Taking advantage of the Warriors’ weariness from travel, the victory margin also allowed Boston to empty its bench, with 12 different scorers entering the fray. · State of Mint