It's all adding up to a division minus a race

Kevin Garnett (left) and Rajon Rondo gang up to steal the ball from Sixers guard Andre Miller. (David Kamerman/Globe Staff)

If the Philadelphia 76ers are truly the biggest challenge to the Celtics in the Atlantic, then the division may already be won.

The Celtics improved their lead in the Atlantic to six games with a 102-78 win over the Sixers last night at TD Banknorth Garden, running roughshod over what was supposed to be a much-improved team. On their march to the franchise's 17th NBA title, the Celtics set an NBA record last season by winning the Atlantic by 25 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

They're on pace to win the division by an even greater margin this season.

"They've got a system over there that's working," said Sixers guard Andre Miller. "They're better than last year. They're playing good basketball . . . I'm not surprised [about the early division lead]."

Six-game leads are unusual for baseball teams in July, never mind for NBA teams that have yet to play a quarter of their games. With a win last night over the Atlanta Hawks, the Toronto Raptors improved to 8-7, becoming the only other Atlantic Division team with a winning record. But with the first full month of the season not yet over, the Raptors are already six games back. And the Elton Brand-bolstered 76ers (7-9) are 7 1/2 games behind the division leaders.

"We know everybody wants to beat us," Celtics guard Ray Allen said when asked to handicap the division race. "When they do beat us, they're going to use that to turn their season around and they're going to prove just how good they are by beating us. We don't want to hold that distinction of getting a team going. We have to protect what we have every night. Being the defending champions, that's a responsibility for all of us . . . We know everybody's in contention."

Or not.

With a surprising 13-2 start last season, the Celtics took a 4 1/2-game lead over the Raptors, who were 9-7 at the end of November. So if a 25-game lead by season's end seems unreasonable, consider the Celtics are already off to a headstart.

"I'm not surprised," said Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks. "The way this team plays, they play with an urgency every game. And I'm assuming it's Kevin Garnett that starts it that way, but they have other good players as well. They play with an urgency every play, every possession. The second group, when they come in the game, they play like that as well."

Despite the praise from opponents, and despite the early lead, Celtics players and coaches are cautious of putting the division to rest just yet.

"They are going to find their way," Rivers said. "Right now, they are just trying to find their way. When teams are doing that, you don't want to give them a break, you don't want to be the team that gets them going. By the end of the year they'll be in there - they will. So, right now, they're not, and we want to take advantage of that."

Philadelphia's offseason addition of Brand seemed to have an impact on Garnett as well. Garnett said he had this one circled on his calendar as a statement game.

"We really wanted to make a mark," said Garnett. "Philly's one of these teams that's definitely more improved, they're one of the dangerous teams in the East."

Garnett could be right, but with an under-.500 record, the Sixers haven't shown they can compete with the Celtics just yet. And if the trend keeps up, Boston could find itself in even more rarefied territory than it did last season.

"At this stage of the season," said Cheeks, "they just look comfortable."