Another two Minnesota Timberwolves players free to leave…

The Boston Celtics completed one quest Monday night by returning to the NBA Finals.

Now, they’ll chase an even bigger goal, the one that’s eluded this team for more than a decade — capturing the franchise’s 18th championship.

Yes, despite playing for six conference titles in eight seasons, this marks only the second time Boston has advanced to The Finals during that span. And since winning their first NBA title in 1957, the Celtics’ current 16-year drought is the second-longest in franchise history.

It would be the crowning achievement to what has already been a remarkable season.

”Boston has a great team. They led the league from wire to wire,” Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after his team was swept 4-0 in its first conference finals appearance since 2014. ”They didn’t want this thing to go on any longer. They blocked shots, they got offensive rebounds, they made key shots.”

Boston has excelled in seemingly every possible way in this year’s playoffs.

The Celtics have won seven straight games overall, they improved to 6-0 on the road with yet another comeback victory, 105-102 in Game 4 against Indiana, and they are 3-0 in elimination games. They beat Indiana three times down the stretch, rallying in the last two games with decisive 13-2 and 7-0 closing spurts to end the Pacers’ perfect 2024 playoff run at home — and their season.