Celtics’ magic number for top seed shrinks to four after Nuggets, Thunder losses


Well folks, we’ve just about made it to the end of the NBA regular season, and the Boston Celtics are cruising to the finish line with a chance to clinch the top overall seed after locking up the East.

Right now, the Thunder, Nuggets and Timberwolves all have 22 losses. Barring those three teams losing a few games and making it easier for the Celtics, Boston simply needs to win four more games. That’s it. A record of 4-6 over their last 10 games would guarantee homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

For a team that’s a league-best 32-3 at home and an eye-popping 38-8 record against their conference, homecourt for Boston in any potential Finals matchup could be crucial. That’s the only context where Monday’s loss to the Hawks hurts, simply because it’s another game that the Celtics need to win in order to officially shift into cruise control for the next few weeks before the postseason. After navigating injuries and rest days for the past month or so, Boston has a chance to put the regular season to bed and give their starters some R&R.

The last remaining bastion of motivation for Boston has to be locking up the top 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.

The journey to win #61 continues tonight as the Boston Celtics rematch against the Atlanta Hawks on the road, 7:30PM EST tipoff.



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