Folks, the NBA regular season is almost done, and the Boston Celtics are dominating the finish line, possibly securing the top overall seed after winning the East.
The Thunder, Nuggets, and Timberwolves have each suffered 22 losses thus far. Boston only needs to win four more games, barring those three teams dropping a few of games and making things simpler for the Celtics. That is all. In the playoffs, homecourt advantage would be guaranteed if they finished 4-6 in their previous ten games.
With over three weeks left in the regular season—their last game is on April 14 against the Washington Wizards—Boston had already secured the Eastern Conference heading into Monday’s game in Atlanta. Following a lot of rhetoric in January about avoiding getting comfortable during the regular season’s slumps, this Celtics squad has effectively navigated the competition and secured the conference with plenty of time remaining. While Boston has earned their hall pass, they should still aim to finish the season well and with a winning record.
With a league-best 32-3 home record and a stunning 38-8 record against their conference, Boston’s home court might be important in any prospective Finals game. The only reason Monday’s loss to the Hawks matters is that the Celtics need to win this game in order to formally put the next few weeks leading up to the postseason on autopilot. Boston has an opportunity to end the regular season and give their starters some much-needed rest after dealing with injuries and rest days for the last month or two.
seed in the entire league, a feat that’s very much on the table for them. With the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder losing on Wednesday, things become a lot clearer on the Celtics front. Before their matchup tonight in Atlanta, Boston will have ten games remaining, with 72 games under their belt. After tonight, they will have the same amount of games remaining as Denver.
Keeping fresh legs and avoiding injuries for the postseason has been a focal point for this team, and that should drive them for their last four wins. That’s all it is, just four more wins and they can fully prepare themselves for the playoffs and potential first round matchups. Now is not the time to play with your food, no matter how tempting it may be. Boston tapping into their killer instinct before a deep playoff run would put the cherry on top of what’s been an amazing season.
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