Ime Udoka on Celtics' Run to Eastern Conference Finals: 'We Are Not a Fluke'

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was proud of his team's victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

Udoka said that his team's record in the second half of the season was proof.

It is easy to forget how the Celtics season was framed a few months ago because of how they are performing in the playoffs.

Marcus Smart said the team's best players don't want to pass the ball in November. The idea of trading Brown or Tatum in order to shake things up was thrown around by those outside of the team.

After slipping back to.500 in January, the Celtics went on a nine-game winning streak, which ended before the All-Star break.

The Boston Celtics had the league's top net rating after the All-Star break. The difference between Udoka's squad and the second-place Memphis Grizzlies was the same as the difference between Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Nobody was second-guessing the Celtics after the first round. They beat the Brooklyn Nets but the nature of their sweep was that they made Kevin Durant look mortal and used their depth to beat a star-laden opponent.

Boston continued to perform on defense even without Khris Middleton, despite the fact that the Bucks were without him.

StatMuse @statmuse

The Bucks had the 3rd best offense in the NBA this season.They have been held under 90 points only twice all season — both in this series.

This Celtics defense is special. pic.twitter.com/49RCC9PgVg

The next round will be difficult for the Heat. The two newest success stories for Miami this off-season are Max Strus and GabeVincent.

The Celtics are currently setting the standard on the court, so they should be considered the favorites.