The Boston Celtics dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday afternoon 129-117 to extend their win streak to five games.
Here are three instant overreactions from the C's victory, which brings them to 22-7 on the season:
1. The Celtics have three All-Stars.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
Jaylen Brown dropped a career-high 34 points (13-for-20 shooting) on Friday while Jayson Tatum added 30 of his own (11-for-20). It was just the latest example of the huge step these two young guns have taken in their development this season.
At this point, it isn't outlandish to say the Celtics have three players worthy of participating in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. Brown, Tatum, and Kemba Walker each are averaging over 20 points per game and are deserving of All-Star recognition. In fact, Walker and Brown probably are shoo-ins, and Tatum is right on the cusp.
LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App.
2. C's are an elite rebounding team.
Boston Celtics
Verdict: Overreaction
What the Celtics have been able to do on the boards despite lacking a legitimate big man has been nothing short of spectacular. They entered Friday's game as the No. 9 team in the league in rebounds per game, and much of that has to do with both Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter stepping up in the absence of Robert Williams, Vincent Poirier, and Marcus Smart.
Boston also out-rebounded Cleveland (No. 21 in rebounds per game) in their win, 43-38. While it was another impressive showing, this undersized unit is bound to regress to the mean unless they work out a trade for a center before the deadline.
3. Boston is the hottest team in the league.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
The C's now own the longest active win streak in the NBA with their fifth consecutive victory on Friday. They haven't been close games, either, outside of their six-point win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Over their last five, Boston's margins of victory have been 6, 21, 26, 16, and 12. The Celtics will look to continue their dominance on Saturday night when they host the Toronto Raptors, who they beat 118-102 on Christmas.
Blakely's Eastern Conference All-Stars: Post-Christmas edition
Don't miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Raptors-Celtics, which tips off Saturday at 6 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live, and then Mike and Tommy have the call at 7 p.m. You can also stream the game on the MyTeams App.