<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <h3>Defensive Specialists</h3> </p> This year's Celtics are No.1 in field goal defense at 40.5 percent. Only one other team, Orlando, was as low as 43 percent entering last night's games. That's a Grand Canyonesque divide. The Celtics are No. 1 in points against, more than 4.5 points better than the Spurs, for years the gold standard (and still pretty good, by the way).</p> </p> The Celtics have the top 3-point field goal defense (Orlando is next) and their win-loss differential of 13.5 points is well ahead of anyone else. Just to put it in perspective, the 72-win Chicago Bulls had a differential of 12.2 and the 1971-72 Lakers, who won 33 straight, had one of 12.3. The 1985-86 Celtics, for my money still the best team in NBA history, had one of 9.4.</p> </p> "I've been impressed with how hard they are playing," Danny Ainge said. "And I've been impressed with how well they have come together defensively." -- <font color="#000000">Boston Globe</font></p> </div></p>
