Celtics Finish Season with a Bang in Memphis, Secure 2 Seed
April 10, 2022
Coming into the final day of the regular season, there were big questions about what the Celtics would, and should do, in terms of jockeying for position in the standings. After losing to the Bucks on Thursday night it appeared that Boston would be locked into the 3 or 4 seed. But things changed when the Bucks decided to rest their starters on Sunday against Cleveland, re-opening the door for the C’s to steal the 2 seed. Now the question became, do the Celtics actually want the 2 seed? And the answer was a resounding ‘yes’, as Boston played their regulars and beat up on the Grizzlies backups, 139-110.
There was speculation that the Celtics may choose to rest their starters and essentially tank the game to avoid a potential first round matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. In fact, this appears to be exactly what Milwaukee decided to do in the 11th hour. But the Bucks had the luxury of falling to the 3 seed and facing a Bulls team that has been going in the wrong direction for months now. The Celtics choice wasn’t so simple. A loss, mixed with a Sixers win against Detroit (the Sixers did indeed win) would have meant Boston would fall all the way to the 4 seed and a date with the Toronto Raptors. Toronto has quietly been playing some of the best basketball in the league over the past few months, and they boast a hell of a coach in Nick Nurse. Although the Celtics are the better team, that series would have been a pain in the ass.
Ultimately, the Celtics decided to control what they could, to take care of their own business, and go for the best possible seed. It sends the message that the Celtics are confident in their team, and they aren’t worried about manipulating matchups. It likely means a series with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets, but so be it. Boston has been the best team in the NBA for the entire second half of the season. They shouldn’t be scared of any team in the league, and clearly they aren’t. Now if Boston can get out of the first round, they will hold home court advantage in a potential second round series with the Bucks. Could this decision come back to bite the Celtics and look silly if they lose to the Nets? Absolutely. But at the same time, the Nets have been struggling just to avoid being in the 9-10 matchup, even at full strength. They’ve been one of the worst defense in the league. They have one iconic player and another very good player. Beyond that, they don’t have much. Don’t be fooled by the glitz and glamor of the Nets. The Celtics should absolutely win this series if they play their best basketball. I’m glad to see they feel the same way.
As for the game itself, the Grizzlies had nothing to play for, and after looking very sharp in a tune up on Saturday, they chose to rest all of their starters and key players. The Celtics, behind their starting lineup (sans Robert Williams III of course) looked extremely sharp themselves, and showed that they are more than ready for the playoffs. Jayson Tatum led the way, finding his shooting groove - he’s been a little off in April after going nuclear in March - with 31 points with 9 rebounds on 11/14 shooting and 6/8 from three in just 26 minutes. He caught fire late in the 2nd quarter, culminating with a step-back three while being fouled that ended with him chirping Ja’s father, Tee Morant who was sitting courtside. The two were going back and forth for much fo the night (in good fun… I think). Jaylen Brown also looked good, adding 18, 4, and 3 in just 23 minutes. The frontcourt continued to mesh well together as Daniel Theis put up 11 and 10, while Al Horford had 13 and 6. The Celtics showed their defensive mettle as well (when they wanted to), and had the lead up over 20 in the second quarter, rolling to a 72-49 halftime lead. Boston was able to coast to the finish, getting the entire bench involved, as all 14 players who got into the game would end up scoring.
So the Celtics end the season 51-31. Truly an incredible record for a team that was 23-24 in mid January, struggling just to get into the top 8, and forcing people like myself to ponder their very existence. Watching this team find their identity and thrive for the past few months has been an amazing experience, and by any metric they have played like one of the best teams in NBA history for half a season. Very few people saw this turnaround coming, but it was a privilege to witness. Whatever happens next, this ended up being a season to be very proud of and the Celtics and their fans should feel very confident with this front office, coaching staff, and these players going forward. We’ve got the pieces in place and we are set up extremely well to be competing for titles for years to come; that much has become abundantly clear. It took a while to get there, but we’re here, and it feels damn good. Any Celtics fan who is bummed out about possibly facing the Nets should reflect on where things stood a few months ago.
Now as for what happens next, we will have to wait and see what happens in the play-in tournament. The Celtics secured the 2 seed in the East with their win by virtue of winning a tiebreak over Milwaukee and Philadelphia, who also finished 51-31. That means the Celtics will face the winner of the 7-8 matchup which will take place on Tuesday night in Brooklyn. The Nets will host the Cavaliers in a single game, and the winner will secure the 7 seed and take on the Celtics in the first round. It certainly seems like a foregone conclusion that Brooklyn will win and the Celtics will get a dose of reality when they face the preseason favorites in round one. But at the same time, it’s a one game playoff and anything could happen. The Cavaliers have been a great surprise all year long and they may be getting healthy at the right time. They’ll be underdogs, but the idea of them topping this clearly flawed Nets team on Tuesday night is not outside the realm of possibility. Either way, we’ll know the matchup by Tuesday night. It will either be the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers with Rookie of the Year favorite, Evan Mobley, OR much more likely, it will be the underachieving Brooklyn Nets, and arguably the best player in the world, Kevin Durant. Regardless of the opponent, Al Horford was clear in his postgame interview, “I think it's clear that we understand what's ahead. But like I said, it's about us. We're ready, man. We're ready to go.” Bring on the playoffs.
Check back here late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning for a full King Chuddy breakdown of the Celtics first round matchup once the opponent is known.
Ben Handler