BOSTON — As they finish out the regular season this weekend, the Celtics have nothing to play for in the standings. They’re locked in to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
But they still don’t want to lose.
“Regardless of who’s playing, I want to win,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said before Friday’s game against the Raptors.
A few inexcusable losses to inferior teams cost the Celtics the No. 1 seed, but Mazzulla has otherwise praised the Celtics’ professionalism throughout the season. No matter who’s on the floor — even Friday’s short-handed edition — he feels like the Celtics always have a great chance to win, a testament to their depth. Even as they do their best to give their regulars proper rest before the most important games, the Celtics are deep enough to win every night.
Friday was the latest example. Without Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, and at the last moment, Jaylen Brown, the Celtics weren’t the least bit worried. They still had Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Al Horford, Robert Williams and a collection around them that make up the best bench unit in the league. Tatum scored 21 points, and didn’t even need to play the second half. Sam Hauser and Co. handled the rest as they took care of business with a 121-102 win over the Raptors, completing a two-game sweep of their rivals up north.
After the Raptors lost to clinch the No. 9 seed and the Nets beat the Magic to seal the No. 6 seed, it’s guaranteed the Celtics will face either the Heat or Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. Those two teams will face off in the 7-8 play-in game on Tuesday night.
Hauser, who started for Brown, led all scorers with 26 points on six 3-pointers and the first three dunks of his career, while Payton Pritchard added 22 points off the bench in his return from a heel injury.
