Now or never? What happens if Celtics lose NBA Finals despite historically easy path

Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Oh Lord. The Boston Celtics look primed to hang their first championship banner in the rafters since TD Garden blared Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" over pregame highlights of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in 2008.

The Celtics pulled out the broomsticks against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In three of the four games, ESPN Analytics gave Indiana a win probability of over 90 percent late in the fourth quarter. Each time, Boston flipped a switch and plunged daggers into the Pacers' hearts.

After Boston clinched the Eastern Conference, ESPN's Lisa Salters asked Celtics elder statesman Al Horford how hungry he is to win a title. The veteran didn't hesitate with his response.

"Starving. Starving," Horford said. "We're ready for it. We can't wait."

Or, as Phil Collins would put it, they've been waiting for this moment for all their lives.

What would an NBA Finals loss mean for the Celtics?

The Celtics are heading back to the NBA Finals, but what happens if they fail?

If the Celtics fall short, there will undoubtedly be detractors calling for Boston's star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to be split up. Some may even go as far as suggesting the entire starting lineup should be stripped down for parts.

Regardless of how the NBA Finals play out, Boston will not undergo much change. The Celtics have the deepest and most talented roster in the league and Lucky the Leprechaun is short on gold. Boston is projected to have an $85 million luxury-tax bill, according to Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz.

While Boston won't go chasing after stars, they could look to add rotational pieces and cut the luxury tax bill. All of their key contributors will be under contract next year, with only Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. set to hit free agency.

The loss, however, could affect the team mentally and emotionally more than anything else.

After everything it took to get to this point, another loss in the NBA Finals would be gut-wrenching. The Celtics have been building for this moment, piece by piece. There were plenty of hiccups along the way. Coaching instability, heartbreaking losses, and locker room turmoil almost led to a complete roster deconstruction.

These Celtics have gotten close to a championship before, and they know how difficult it is to make it here. Boston has made six Eastern Conference Finals appearances in the last eight seasons. Yet, only two of those resulted in a trip to the NBA Finals. This year, they were fortunate to have a postseason path that consisted of three teams that were all rendered rudderless by injuries.

They were last on this stage in 2022, when their young and inexperienced stars were outwitted mentally by the battle-tested Golden State Warriors. This time, things are different. Boston is no longer the brash and reckless team they were two years ago. They've failed, acquired scars, and learned how to become calloused and calculated in clutch time.

Boston's star forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum first became teammates during the 2017-18 season, when they were just 20 and 19 years old, respectively. They have matured in the league together since then, slowly adding to their skillsets every year.

With additions of guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics dominated their opponents en route to a league-best 64-18 record. The 2023-24 Celtics finished with an 11.3-point differential, fifth-best in NBA history. Their ability to generate space, launch a barrage of relentless 3-pointers, and suffocate opposing offenses led to a league-leading 64-18 regular season record.

Skeptics have claimed the Celtics had a historically easy path to the NBA Finals, but the criticisms aren't entirely fair. Boston has also been down a key starter — Porzingis suffered an injury in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs. Boston finished their run to the NBA Finals with a 12-2 postseason record. They had a 9-1 record without Porzingis.

Ultimately, none of the praise or criticism will matter. The 2023-24 Celtics' legacy will be determined by their victory or their defeat in their next series. Their likely opponent, the Dallas Mavericks, are no slouches themselves. Boston's dominant defensive guards will have their hands full with the duo of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.