Jeff Maillet

Jul 1, 2024 | nytimes.com | Jeff Maillet

The NBA team with the best regular-season record won the championship for the first time in seven seasons. Congrats to the Boston Celtics, which finished 80-21 this season, including the playoffs. The Celtics cruised past the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 and won the franchise's 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history. And the Celtics might not be done. The franchise is set up to keep the current group intact for the foreseeable future.

May 31, 2024 | nytimes.com | Jeff Maillet

May is National Photography Month, which makes it a good time to celebrate the NBA with photos. It's been a grueling month of playoff basketball: mesmerizing offensive and defensive plays, lots of contact, bodies on the floor and in the air, celebrations and emotions. Which team do you like to win it all? The Celtics have won seven consecutive playoff games and are 6-0 on the road. The Mavericks cruised to a 4-1 Western Conference finals series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Apr 30, 2024 | theathletic.com | Jeff Maillet

Spring is here, and for most basketball fans, it's the start of their favorite time of year: the NBA playoffs!A total of 16 postseason wins will get any playoff team the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Which teams will be playing when the NBA Finals begin on June 6? Will the Denver Nuggets repeat? And what about the Boston Celtics, which had the best record in the regular season? Until a champion is crowned, The Athletic will continue selecting fascinating and insightful images.

Apr 1, 2024 | theathletic.com | Jeff Maillet

The madness of March never disappoints. While your favorite men's and women's college teams are probably eliminated, every NBA team is still playing, jockeying for playoff positioning, a postseason berth or its draft order. But there have been issues in The Association. Complaints about the officiating have escalated, there's a gambling investigation and teams are averaging about four fewer points per game than before mid-February. Will that change when the playoffs begin in April? We shall see.

Feb 29, 2024 | theathletic.com | Jeff Maillet

With the NBA All-Star break over and two-thirds of the regular season complete, the push to the postseason begins now. The defending champion Denver Nuggets - along with many other contenders - are fighting for playoff positioning while others are pressing for postseason berths. The Boston Celtics are the top dogs in the Eastern Conference and have the NBA's best record. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder have been at or near the top of the Western Conference all season.