THE BOSTON CELTICS visited the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday in a heavily anticipated showdown between conference leaders a third of the way through the 2022-23 NBA season.
It quickly turned into a statement from the best offense in the league. The Celtics steadily increased their lead from 10 to 20 to 30 to an unfathomable 40 points after Jayson Tatum hit a free throw midway through the third quarter in a 125-98 victory.
And the Suns aren't alone. The entire league has witnessed Boston's aggressive offense.
Since the Celtics' offense sputtered in the team's 2022 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, there has been a singular focus on making sure the same fate doesn't befall them again.