Playoffs Coming Into Sight for Boston Celtics
Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
It may sound outrageous, but one single shot has landed the Boston Celtics in the playoff discussion.
The Celtics are headed for the All-Star break having won four of their last five games. Their buzzer-beater win over the Eastern Conference leading Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday is a prime example of how far this young squad has come this season. Qualifying for the postseason has become a real possibility and the Celtics have set themselves up to make that happen.
Evan Turner‘s running floater helped the Celtics knock off the Hawks in what was arguably their most impressive win of the year. In victory, Boston improved to 20-31.
They sit just 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the conference with 32 games left to play. Boston is breathing down the neck of Miami, Brooklyn and Charlotte. They’ll ultimately leap frog those clubs if they continue to play with confidence and develop as a unit. Defeating the Hawks certainly provided a major boost to their confidence.
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“It gives us a lot [of confidence],” Marcus Thornton said following Wednesday’s game. “It gives us a lot, knowing they can be beat on any given night. And we just have to play our basketball and stay the course.”
Boston’s thrilling win over the Hawks made for a playoff-like atmosphere at TD Garden. The Celtics erased an 18-point deficit in victory due to tenacious defense and an attacking offensive mindset. They exhibited great passion, heart and determination. Brad Stevens has his team focused and dialed in. He’s taking it one game at a time, but some players have their eyes set on the playoffs.
“I believe we can make it and I believe we can make noise too, so it’s on us to make that happen,” added Thornton.
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The Celtics will have a great opportunity to set themselves up to make it happen. Four of their first five games upon returning from the All-Star break are against clubs with losing records. 11 of their 18 games in the month of March are against teams with records under .500. The schedule is favorable and that’s a huge bonus for them.
Now by no means are the Celtics a title contender, but making the postseason on the back of corps guys like Turner, Marcus Smart, Jared Sullinger, James Young, Avery Bradley and Tyler Zeller, is hugely important in terms of experience and development as a group.
Also the fact that guys like Turner, Bradley and Sullinger have stepped up in crunch time to make big shots in big moments, is an amazing sight to see. They have faith in themselves. The pressure isn’t getting to them and that speaks volumes in regards to Stevens’ coaching abilities.
Boston’s youngsters are in good hands with coach Stevens. By buying into his outlook on things, the Celtics will keep their priorities in order while keeping a level head as they strive toward the playoffs one step at a time.
“We just want to win the next game and if that ends up with the opportunity to play beyond, that’s how that works,” Stevens said of the team’s outlook moving forward.