The Celtics' Friday night blowout to the Cavaliers was more than just another blowout. It made history in the worst possible way for a franchise that is traditionally one of the NBA's most successful. Boston lost to Cleveland by 44 points. That is a number that is stunning in any scenario whether it be the playoffs, regular season, or even preseason.
What makes this loss special however is that Boston is the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Typically teams with the top seed are good enough to avoid losses of this caliber. The Celtics however have made history with the worst loss ever for a No. 1 seed.
The Celtics' 44-point loss is the largest margin of defeat for a No. 1 seed in NBA playoff history.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 20, 2017
What's even scarier about this stat is that Boston at one point was down 50 points. Somehow it could have been worse. Sometimes it's obvious when a game is over early, but there's usually at least a chance of an insane second-half comeback. Nobody had that feeling in this one especially when it was announced Isaiah Thomas wouldn't be returning due to injury.
While the stat itself is insane there isn't too much reason to freak out about it. It's just one game that is going to eventually be nothing more than a trivia answer. It does however speak volumes to how much better the Cavs have been than Boston this series.