BOSTON — Realistically, the Celtics have little to play for down the stretch of the season. They’ve long clinched the best record in the NBA, and their last two opponents are still scrapping to maintain seeding in the East standings. So it’s hard to get up for a game with the stakes so low.
Still, the Celtics lost in blowout fashion first to the Bucks then the Knicks. The starters didn’t have their normal juice, which was evident in the 118-109 to the Knicks that looks better because of a late run from the bench. Regardless, the last two losses could have some C’s fans worried about the playoffs. But Kristaps Porzingis poured some cold water on that notion, calming down any detractors.
“Maybe we’ll get our (expletive) kicked again one more time to start the series, who knows?” Porzingis said. “And then it’s a wake-up call for us. But most likely if I have to bet, we will show up at the level we need to show up. But it’s on us. I don’t think it’s a habit for us.”
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Now, it’s also true the Celtics haven’t played their best basketball in the past two games. But the overall 62-18 record is a better indicator of their play than some late-season dud performances. C’s coach Joe Mazzulla also pointed out what a unique position it is to be this ahead in the standings compared to a team fighting for playoff positioning.
The Celtics still have two more games left in the regular season with the Hornets on Friday and the Wizards on Sunday. Expect the C’s to rest their starters with so little to play for against a pair of teams at the bottom of the standings. That’s a luxury they’re afforded because of their stellar play all season — especially compared to teams like the Knicks who need to scrap their way to the finish line.
Once the playoffs start, too, the Celtics likely won’t have any trouble upping their intensity. That’s when the games will naturally be more important as the C’s eye their third straight deep playoff run. And with the sky-high expectations as the best team in the NBA, the players know what the stakes are going forward.
“We cannot trick ourselves into that kind of mode, it’s realistically very tough,” Porzingis said. “Later we did turn it up as we felt a little bit like, ‘Ok, this is not who we are obviously.’ But they really showed up today and we just didn’t.”
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