BOSTON — By the end of the day Sunday, the Celtics could be playoff-bound.
The magic number for Boston, which entered the day in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, sits at two. That means if the Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in their Sunday matinee and the Indiana Pacers lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their 6 p.m. matchup, the C’s would clinch a playoff spot.
The odds are stacked in the Celtics’ favor. The Cavaliers, who already have the No. 2 seed in the East locked up, are expected to rest their starters, and the Thunder are battling the New Orleans Pelican for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference (the Pelicans own the tiebreaker), making their matchup with the Pacers a crucial one.
UPDATE (2:01 p.m.):Â Cavaliers coach David Blatt confirmed that starters LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith all would be held out of Sunday’s game for rest purposes.
The Celtics scored a 99-90 win over the Cavs on Friday. James and Love started that game for Cleveland but did not play at all in the fourth quarter.
Thumbnail photo via David Richard/USA TODAY Sports Images
