Celtics Will Face Bucks' B-Squad In Regular Season Finale
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics' chances of clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference are looking pretty good.
All Boston needs to do is beat Milwaukee in their regular season finale on Wednesday night to clinch the No. 1 seed in the East. With the Bucks set to field a B-squad against the Celtics, that season-ending victory looks a touch easier to obtain.
Milwaukee is set as the 6-seed in the East and don't have anything to play for on Wednesday, so they left four key players behind when they traveled to Boston: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middelton, Matthew Dellavedova an Tony Snell. The team listed Malcolm Brogdon, Rashad Vaughn, Mirza Teletovic, Michael Beasley and Thon Maker as their starting five in the game notes on Tuesday. Of those five, only Brogdon is a regular starter for the Bucks.
So fans heading to Wednesday night's game won't get to see "The Greek Freak," but if that means an easier path to the 1-seed they'll likely be OK with that development. With most of Milwaukee's stars staying back home, the Celtics are 13.5 point favorites for Wednesday's tilt.
Head coach Brad Stevens has already announced that he'll be playing his regulars on Wednesday, but as has been the case with the Celtics all season, no victory is a sure thing. They've had a knack for blowing double-digit leads as of late, so it's never safe to chalk any game up as an automatic W.
The Celtics can still clinch the 1-seed if the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it's best if they take care of business themselves. That task got a little bit easier with the Bucks sending their JV squad to Boston.
With Wednesday night's Bruins-Senators Game 1 on 98.5 The Sports Hub, you can hear Celtics-Bucks on 100.7FM WZLX. Pregame coverage begins at 7:30pm!