Boston is officially skipping the play-in tournament for the fourth straight season.
The Boston Celtics are officially skipping the NBA play-in tournament for the fourth straight season.
In order to clinch a playoff berth (i.e. a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference), Boston arrived at Kaseya Center on Friday night needing both for itself to beat the No. 9-seeded Miami Heat and for the No. 7-seeded Atlanta Hawks to fall to the L.A. Clippers, per NBA Communications.
That’s exactly what happened.
The Celtics bested the Heat (losers of six straight now) on the road, while the Clippers vanquished the Hawks.
Securing the East’s No. 2 seed, however, is not yet a guaranteed outcome for Jayson Tatum and co.
The 42-23 New York Knicks, currently the third seed, are lurking. That Tom Thibodeau-coached club, led by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, has struggled with health issues of late, but so has Boston. The Knicks could make a concerted push to lap the Celtics late.
So who will the Celtics face in the first round of the playoffs?
While the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons duke it out for the Nos. 4-6 seed, the Hawks, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls are looking like the East’s play-in seeds. Technically, none of the conference’s 15 franchises have officially been eliminated, but the Bulls currently have a sizable lead for the 10th and final seed in the East over the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets. That trio is itself markedly ahead of the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards.
As has been the case since the 2020-21 season, the Nos. 7-10 seeds will have to face off in a pre-playoffs play-in tournament format. The Nos. 7 and 8 seeds will play for the right to earn the seventh seed in the postseason and the right to face the reigning champion Celtics in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs proper. The Nos. 9 and 10 seeds will play for the right to suit up against the loser of the 7-8 matchup, for the chance to nab the eighth seed and a (likely) date with the mighty Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Boston’s quest to become the first team to repeat as a champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2018 officially got a little easier.
