This team and the last 3 Celtics championship teams share a common trait

There’s no way around it. Game 4 was an absolute dud for the Celtics. They suffered their worst NBA Finals loss ever, falling 122-84, in a massacre that was as lopsided as it sounds. But as is the case after most embarrassing losses, there’s often a silver lining. In this case, it’s courtesy of Celtics radio play-by-play announcer Sean Grande. Grande noted, at 1:06 a.m., that the last three Celtics championship teams all lost a close-out game on the road before responding to win the title in Boston the next game. The losses may not have been quite as jarring, but they did happen. In 1984, the Lakers beat the Celtics, 119-108, in Los Angeles in Game 6, then Boston closed out the series with a 111-102 triumph at home. Two years later, in 1986, the Rockets flattened the Celtics, 111-96, in Houston in Game 5. Boston then dominated Game 6, 114-97, to win it all in convincing fashion. In 2008, the Lakers outlasted the Celtics, 103-98, in Game 5 in Los Angeles, then Boston obliterated Los Angeles, 131-92, in Game 6 for banner 17. That Celtics beatdown happened to be the second-largest margin of victory (39) in a Finals game ever, behind only the Bulls over the Jazz (42) in 1998. Friday’s game was one point closer. If the Celtics still finish on top, their 38-point loss would be the largest of any team that went on to win the championship, surpassing Miami in 2013 (36 points in Game 3). Grande also noted that June 17 is the date the Celtics won their last title in 2008, so it would be exactly 16 years to the day if they can finish the job. They’ve lost No. 6 Bill Russell, No. 17 John Havlicek, and No. 24 Sam Jones in the years since. Of course, perhaps the most important stat of all is that NBA teams are 156-0 when taking a 3-0 lead in an NBA playoff series. Game 5 is Monday at 8:30 p.m. in Boston.