The Boston Celtics didn't look like a first-place team for most of last week with three losses to lower-tier teams in the New York Knicks, Miami Heat and even a lopsided defeat to the Orlando Magic. They were on the verge of dropping their fourth straight to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, but a controversial no-call on a LeBron James shot in the final seconds allowed the Celtics to escape in overtime.
So the Celtics remain the best team in the NBA, but by a smaller margin as their contending rivals in the Eastern Conference are gaining some ground.