While opening March at 6-1, the Celtics …

While opening March at 6-1, the Celtics have outscored a more challenging batch of opponents by 72 combined points. During this stretch, which has pitted Boston against six teams headed to the postseason (including the Play-In Tournament), the Celtics own a 10.8 net rating with a defensive efficiency that would rank in the top five over the full season. The latter part becomes more impressive when considering Boston has run into four top-10 offenses, plus the Warriors’ 11th-ranked group, since the beginning of the month. The Celtics benefited from a first-half Stephen Curry injury while beating Golden State on Wednesday night, but they have still needed to deal with all types of stars lately, including several All-Star starters.