After he helped the Celtics claim a 117-103 victory over the Grizzlies, capping a 6-0 road trip, there appears to be nothing that will hold back Jayson Tatum.
After he helped the Celtics claim a 117-103 victory over the Grizzlies, capping a 6-0 road trip, there appears to be nothing that will hold back Jayson Tatum.Justin Ford/Getty
The difference between the Celtics and the Cavaliers, the frontrunner to clinch the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, this season has been their performances at home.
The Cavaliers have been near flawless at Rocket Arena,where they’ve gone 32-5. Their magic number to clinch the top seed over the Celtics is three wins with seven games to play.
The Celtics assured themselves of the No. 2 seed with a historic road performance that was punctuated by their undefeated six-game trip that culminated with a 117-103 win over the Grizzlies.
The Celtics are a league-best 32-7 away from TD Garden with remaining road games at New York and Orlando next week. Wins in those two games would tie the Celtics with the 2015-16 Warriors for the best road record in NBA history.
As much as the Celtics struggled at times at home, with losses to the likes of Indiana, Sacramento, Atlanta (twice), Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston and Dallas, they have dominated on the road, losing once since Jan. 23.
Yet, the statistical difference between the Celtics at home (24-12) and on the road are eerily similar, so much so coach Joe Mazzulla couldn’t really conjure a reason why the Celtics have 12 losses at home and seven on the road.
Offensively, they score 117.3 points at home and 116.5 on the road. They shoot better from the field (46.5 percent to 46.0) and from the 3-point line (37.0 to 36.9) at home. And for those who are deep into analytics, the Celtics effective and true shooting percentages are better at TD Garden.
Defensively, the Celtics allow three fewer points on the road. They force 2.7 more turnovers and they yield 2.5 fewer shot attempts. But there are no other glaring numbers to prove why they are so effective on the road besides the most important number — those in the win column.
That’s why it’s been so difficult for the Celtics to pinpoint why they are so good on the road, unless you look deeper into fourth-quarter execution. The Celtics are a better clutch team on the road than at home.
At home, Boston is being outscored in the fourth quarter, 28 to 26.8 points. And opponents at TD Garden are shooting 36.6 percent from the 3-point line in the final period compared to 31.1 from the Celtics, the NBA team most reliant on the 3-pointer.
On the road, the Celtics are shooting 35.4 percent in the fourth quarter and their free throw percentage is 2.5 percent better away from TD Garden. Boston is so successful away from home because it closes out games better.
“Just the mindset of what we did last year, won a championship,” forward Jayson Tatum said about the road record. “The idea that regardless of your record, you’ve got to win some games on the road if you want to be a champion. Kind of established that mindset during the regular season.”
The Celtics are not going to have home-court advantage if they happen to face the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals and historically, the Celtics have been a better playoff team away from the TD Garden. Last year, they were 7-1 on the road in the playoffs and 9-2 at home.
The staple of a championship team is the ability to win in difficult environments on the road. They have beaten every Western Conference team on the road besides the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I just think we’ve been very focused,” said Celtics center Al Horford. “Even last year, we were good, especially in the playoffs, I feel like we did a really good job on the road, controlling the tempo, being able to play a certain way. Yeah, it’s pretty special, the way that we’re playing and some of the things that we’re doing here.”
It has been special, the Celtics are 15-1 on the road since Jan. 27 but they are also a respectable 9-3 at home in that stretch with two of those losses coming against the Cavaliers and Thunder, games they could have won with better fourth-quarter execution.
The good news for Celtics faithful is the home team is playing its best basketball of the season. Jaylen Brown, listed as questionable for Wednesday’s home game against the Heat, has missed nine of the past 22 games with various injuries. But the Celtics biggest priority is getting their All-Star back on track as the playoffs approach.
Potential history awaits this defending champion, so is indeed much to play for in the final seven games.
The primary reason the Celtics have a chance for consecutive 60-win seasons for the first time since 2007-09 — with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen — is their remarkable road record.
The Celtics have had their struggles at home, but it has not translated away from TD Garden. They return home Wednesday, brimming with confidence that they can beat anyone anywhere.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.