The Boston Celtics remain atop ESPN’s weekly NBA power rankings, hanging on to the top slot over the Denver Nuggets for another week. Maintaining their lofty perch after having held it the week prior courtesy of a pair of wins over the New Orleans Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets after dropping an away-and-away series with the Atlanta Hawks, it seems probable that Boston could finish the 2023-24 regular season No. 1.
“While there were lots of reasons to believe that Boston’s new-look starting lineup would be successful this season, it has been every bit as good — and then some — as the Celtics could have realistically hoped for,” writes ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.