We’ll start with the good news, Boston Celtics fans: The C’s just became the NBA’s first Eastern Conference team to reach 50 wins, and if they defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, they have a very good chance of entering the playoffs with the No. 1 seed.
The not-so-good news: Boston faces an uphill battle to live up to that seeding and reach the NBA Finals.
The Cavs figure to be the favorite to come out of the East, regardless of seeding, while the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors also could pose a serious threat to Boston in a second- or third-round matchup. And before we get ahead of ourselves, the first round might not be a cakewalk for the C’s, who still have yet to win a playoff series under fourth-year head coach Brad Stevens.
So, what does Boston’s postseason path look like with five games remaining in its regular season? Let’s break it down, starting with a glance at the Celtics’ likely playoff opponents in the bottom half of the East playoff picture.
Standings (as of Sunday afternoon):
5. Milwaukee Bucks (9.5 games back)
6. Atlanta Hawks (10.5 games back)
7. Chicago Bulls (12.5 games back)
8. Miami Heat (12.5 games back)
9. Indiana Pacers (12.5 games back)
10. Charlotte Hornets (14.5 games back)
Celtics’ remaining schedule:
Wednesday, April 5: vs. Cavs
Thursday, April 6: at Hawks
Saturday, April 8: at Hornets
Monday, April 10: vs. Nets
Wednesday, April 12: vs. Bucks
Most favorable first-round matchup: Bulls
Sure, the Bulls have some talent in Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. But they’re also wildly inconsistent, as evidenced by their blowout loss to the Celtics in mid-March. Chicago might take a game or two, but Boston should have no trouble knocking the Bulls out of the postseason ring.
Least favorable first-round matchup:Â Hawks
The Celtics probably would tell you they want to face the Hawks again after Atlanta bounced Boston out of last year’s playoffs. But the C’s just don’t play well against the Hawks, who have won six of these teams’ last nine meetings. This postseason rematch could be a dogfight the Celtics would rather avoid.
Second-round matchup we’d love to see:Â Celtics vs. Wizards
C’s-Wizards has come out of nowhere to become one of the league’s most unexpected rivalries. There’s a lot of bad blood here, and when you consider these teams are pretty evenly matched — they split their season series 2-2 — we’re totally on board with having Boston and Washington duke it over seven games with a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals on the line.
Prediction:Â Celtics lose to Cavs in Eastern Conference Finals
Brad Stevens has done remarkable work with this Celtics team, which is pretty tough to beat when fully healthy. If Isaiah Thomas continues to score in bunches and his supporting cast stays on the court, the C’s are fully capable of exorcising their playoff demons and advancing to the East finals.
Boston also proved it can hang with the Cavs in a thrilling March 1 win over the defending NBA champs. But the Celtics needed to play a near-perfect game to beat Cleveland, and over a seven-game series, the experience and superior talent of LeBron James and Co. will shine through.
Cavs in six.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
