Robb: With Playoffs In Sight, Worst Of Celtics Schedule Is Over
BOSTON (CBS) – Marcus Smart's buzzer-beating putback on Saturday night against the Toronto Raptors was a fitting end to the toughest stretch of the season for the Celtics.
Dating back to February 20th (Boston's first game after the All-Star Break), the Celtics have played 26 games overall, more than any other team in the NBA in that stretch. During those past two months, the Celtics have not had more than one day of rest between contests, giving Brad Stevens nearly no practice time to mold his new-look roster, featuring three new additions at the trade deadline.
Somehow, the Celtics have managed to go an extremely respectable 15-11 during the imposing slate of matchups, capped by a 3-2 week after playing a daunting five games in seven nights starting last Sunday against the Clippers.
Here's a breakdown of some of the team's numbers during the past month and a half, as Stevens and co. have managed to fight their way into the heart of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Record: 15-11
Home: 7-5
Road: 8-6
Back-to-backs: 7
Record on second half of back-to-backs: 7-0
Now with that brutal gauntlet in the rear view mirror, Brad Stevens has the next week and a half to prepare his troops for a pivotal final five games of the regular season. Three rest days from Sunday through Tuesday mean Stevens will have at least two days to practice with a full squad.
Newcomers like Isaiah Thomas, Gigi Datome, and Jonas Jerebko have not even had the chance to practice with Jared Sullinger since arriving in town, so building some rhythm on the court will be crucial in the next couple days.
Some much-deserved rest is also in the cards for the remainder of the roster leading up the regular-season finale on April 15th. Boston only has one back-to-back remaining on their schedule, which comes in the final two games of the season. With playoff positioning likely to be settled for the two opponents involved in those games (Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors), there's a solid chance the Celtics won't have to face those squads at full strength.
The same could bode true for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who the Celtics face on Friday and Sunday in a home-and-home series.
With just a half-game lead for the eight seed, Boston's improbable run to a postseason berth won't come easy, but the stars may be aligning at just the right time for the young squad. A winning record down the stretch is doable for this group and should be enough to put an exclamation point on a stellar second half of the season.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
