NEW YORK — As the Celtics keep picking up victories at 45-12, their lead in the East has ballooned to eight games over the second-place Cavaliers. Not just that, but the C’s also have a five-game lead over the best team in the West in the Timberwolves. Boston also boasts a 32-6 record against teams in the East as it has dominated its conference.
All in all, that means they have a comfortable edge when it comes to getting home-court advantage for the entirety of the playoffs as long as they keep advancing. But the C’s aren’t letting their league-best record get to their heads. Instead, Jaylen Brown said they’re unbothered by the standings.
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“When it comes down to the playoffs, none of that stuff really matters,” Brown said. “I feel like it’s gonna be about matchups, it’s going to be about playing hard. Obviously, home court matters, so that is key. But when you get into the thick of it, you gotta win basketball games regardless of what your seed is. If anything, it puts more pressure on you. But I think we’re an experienced team. We’ve been in these situations before and I think we’re ready.”
While the playoffs are still two months away, it’s natural for the C’s to think ahead. Realistically, their season will be judged on their playoff performance and that only. While an impressive record will live on in the history books, it won’t mean much unless the Celtics hang Banner No. 18 in the TD Garden rafters.
But there is still value in the final couple months of the regular season. The C’s still have to incorporate their new guys in Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer through games and practices. Elsewhere, they can still tinker with certain looks or rosters while they keep winning games. The Celtics will also look to ensure they stay locked in ahead of the playoffs.
“It’s just the way kind of the season has gone,” Al Horford said. “We’ve kind of held our own, continue to work through things. Obviously, Sixers have injuries. Different teams have different stuff going on. So that all goes into account. But I can just speak to we’re continuing to play good basketball. We’re really trying to play the right way. And I feel like Joe is really challenging us to continue to get better. This is a stretch of the season where we can really take it to another level, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
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