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Boston Celtics: Why avoiding the play-in is critical, and growing more likely

By Justin Trombino

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 23: Jayson Tatum #0 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics celebrate after scoring against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at TD Garden on December 23, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brian Fluharty-Pool/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 23: Jayson Tatum #0 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics celebrate after scoring against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at TD Garden on December 23, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brian Fluharty-Pool/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics have been on a roll throughout the month of April. Winning seven of their last eight games while defeating a handful of challenging teams during that stretch. Due to this recent surge of victories, the Celtics have positioned themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, as the regular season is nearing its end. If Boston can keep up this level of production, they will not be one of the teams to participate in the play-in tournament.

The Boston Celtics climb back up the ladder and sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-26 record. However, at the beginning of the week, the Celtics were all the way down in seventh place. But due to one of their most recent victories over the Trail Blazers, Boston was able to land into the fifth seed after losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. Although it sounds far too cliche, the statement is still true: every game matters from here on out. And for the Celtics, they know that entirely too well.

As great as it would be for Boston to avoid the play-in tournament all in all, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said that the team will not jeopardize their players’ health for better playoff positioning. He also says that he doesn’t really have a reaction to the play-in tournament. However, you can see Stevens’ stance on it with some of his recent comments.

"“It is what it is. That’s the way they’re going to determine playoffs. I don’t really have a reaction to it. I understand the entertainment value when it comes to play-in games. That said. We will not prioritize our seed over our players’ health, that’s for sure. If there’s somebody that needs to sit, (Jayson) Tatum, Jaylen (Brown), whoever. I think we’ve been pretty consistent with that with Kemba (Walker) as well. We’ll land where we land. Hopefully, we’re still playing and we get a chance to move on.” – Brad Stevens, via Matt Vautour of MassLive"

However, there’s a strong possibility for the Boston Celtics to climb the ladder and finish the regular season atop the Eastern Conference. As it looks right now, the Celtics are tied for fourth with the Atlanta Hawks. And with 16 games remaining to be played in the regular season, there’s plenty of time for the Celtics to solidify a top playoff seed.

The final stretch of the season is going to be challenging, but yet manageable for the Celtics, in an ever so tight Eastern Conference. That said, the Celtics will lose some of the momentum they’ve built during their last eight games when they face off against the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets in back-to-back games this upcoming week. With the conference being so tight, Boston will slide down a bit in the rankings.

The Boston Celtics can finish the regular season as being one of the top teams in the East.

The good thing about the final stretch of the season for the Boston Celtics is that they play the Nets and Suns next week. Getting the two most challenging games right out of the way should give the Celtics the time they need to rebuild their winning momentum as they approach the playoffs.

The Boston Celtics are a team that can go on a run at any time. As we’re seeing now, the Celtics have won five games in a row and are climbing back up the conference. Their momentous play when it matters most has been impressive and makes them look like true contenders in the Eastern Conference.

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There are some tough games to be played that could determine the outcome of the C’s playoff seed before the season ends. The games against the Heat, Hornets, and Knicks, who are all in the playoff mix in the East, won’t be a cakewalk of a stretch by any means. As well as a game against the Trail Blazers, who the Celtics just defeated by only one point in the final seconds of the game.

All the Celtics need to do in order to finish the season strong is to stay out of their own way and continue playing the great team basketball we’ve seen over this April stretch of games. The Celtics can only control what they can. And taking it one game at a time without looking ahead has worked well for the C’s thus far throughout April.

Looking ahead (but not too far), the Celtics can look forward to the return of Evan Fournier, who’s been sidelined due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. It’s been over a week since Fournier was placed with the health and safety protocols tag. So it should only be a short matter of time before he’s allowed to rejoin the Celtics once again.

All in all, the Boston Celtics have done a great job to better position themselves in the Eastern Conference. With a fully available team, the Celtics are going to be one of the toughest teams to beat down the stretch of the regular season and in a playoff series.

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