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Celtics Earn 2-Seed; Showdown with Nets Likely Awaits
In Sunday's regular-season finale, the Celtics led wire-to-wire, making light work of a Grizzlies team resting most of their rotation players. Jayson Tatum finished with a game-high 31 points, shooting 11/14 from the field, including 6/8 from three.
As a result, Boston finishes second in the East. It's an impressive accomplishment, but the reward is likely a first-round matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.
As the conference's seventh seed, Brooklyn hosts the Cavaliers in a play-in game Tuesday. The Celtics will play the winner of that matchup. To come out of the East, they'll likely have to go through the Nets, Bucks, and then, probably, the winner of the Heat-Sixers series.
It was the most challenging path possible, but resting their top players to avoid Brooklyn would have flown in the face of the culture the Celtics have spent all season establishing.
Ime Udoka made that clear before Sunday's game. While discussing seeding and not resting players for tonight's matchup, he said: "Let's do what we do and let the chips fall where they may." In other words, they're more focused on themselves, and they're not afraid of the Nets.
Boston won the season series against the Nets, 3-1. That includes a Mar. 6 victory at TD Garden in which Tatum scored 54 points against a Brooklyn team that had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who had missed the last two matchups against the Celtics.
Further Reading
Gary Payton Endorses Marcus Smart for Defensive Player of the Year
What Stood Out from the Celtics' Loss vs. Bucks: Boston Impresses While Playing Short-Handed
Robert Williams Says He's in a Great Place Physically and Mentally as He Works Towards His Return
