The Boston Celtics are heading to the NBA Finals after 12 years. They came close a few times, the closest being in 2018 when they pushed LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to 7 games. That team had a great run, but Marcus Smart believes that if they could beat the Cavs, they could have taken on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors and beat them.
In the 2018 Finals, the Cavs took on the Warriors in the Finals for the fourth year in a row. But this time, the series was one-sided as possible. The Warriors swept LeBron and the Cavs and celebrated their second title in a row in some style. There was no answer to the Warriors as went past every team without ease. But the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, doesn’t think that’s the case.
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Smart and the Celtics were one game away from reaching the NBA Finals, but they just could not get past LeBron James. Game 7 of that series was also very close, but the experienced Cavs and LeBron pulled away in the end.
But Smart says that if they went past the Cavs, they would have beaten the Warriors in the Finals. He says, “If we went to the championship instead of LeBron and those guys, we definitely would have beat Golden State that year.”
LeBron James and the Cavs got swept by Stephen Curry and the Warriors
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Smart is a very confident player and he would certainly believe that his team could have beaten the Warriors. But he may have to look at the Finals once again. The Cavs were severe underdogs and rightfully so. Game 1 was the Cavs best chance to beat the Warriors, but a huge blunder by JR Smith cost them the game. After that, the series was a wrap.
That Warriors team was one of the greatest to ever be assembled. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry were top of the top 5 players in the game. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were all-stars. They had an excellent bench mob where everyone knew their role to perfection. Along with that, they had a hall of fame coach in Steve Kerr and one of the best front offices in the league.
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The closest team that came close to beating the Warriors that season was the Houston Rockets. They pushed them to 7 games, but the Warriors prevailed in the end. If the Cavs and the Rockets were no match for the Warriors, it’s hard to believe that a young Celtics squad could have stood a chance against this team.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Essentially Sports
