Celtics Wouldn't Mind A Postseason Battle Against Wizards
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- In case you couldn't tell, the Celtics and Wizards don't like each other.
It's made for some interesting and entertaining basketball games this season, and if we're lucky enough, Monday night's 110-102 win by the Celtics at TD Garden won't be the final time these two teams duke it out on the court.
Boston's win gives them a 2.5 game cushion for the No. 2 seed in the East over Washington, setting up a potential Eastern Conference semifinals matchup between the two. A lot has to happen between now and then, and good things rarely happen when teams look too far ahead, especially teams that haven't won a playoff round the last two years.
But still, it's hard not to think about how enjoyable a seven-game series between these two teams would be when late April rolls around.
"It'd be a great one," Celtics forward Jae Crowder said after Monday's win. "I'm sure it'd be a great playoff battle between these two teams, but who knows what could happen? If it comes down to it, it'd be a good one."
It's hard to disagree with that sentiment. The C's and Wizards split their regular season series 2-2, and each game was filled with its own instances of drama and fake bravado. On Monday night it was a second quarter shove fest between Brandon Jennings and Terry Rozier, which really wasn't much of anything but gave the Celtics a bit of a spark nonetheless. There was plenty of jawing back and forth and likely a few unkind words uttered, but nothing like the last time the two teams met in Boston in January, when security guards and Boston police had to stand between the two locker rooms following a heated postgame exchange between Crowder and Washington point guard John Wall.
While there was no phony drama, there was a fire from both sides throughout the 48 minutes, despite the Celtics being up by 20 at one point and the officials nearly hijacking the game with a series of questionable calls and lengthy reviews. Things did get a bit interesting again when Boston's lead dwindled to just six in the final minutes, before Marcus Smart literally ripped any chance of a dramatic last-second comeback from the hands of the Wizards with a pair of big-time plays.
Smart certainly has his flaws, but if anyone says he isn't a gamer, well that's just silly. But he wasn't alone on Monday night. Isaiah Thomas was his usual self with a game-high 25 points, while Avery Bradley added 20 points, nine rebounds and some solid defense. Al Horford was Mr. Everything again with 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Heck, the Celtics even out-rebounded the Wizards, 54-39, pulling down 20 offense boards.
With the playoff-like atmosphere and energy from the Garden crowd, Monday's tilt (and result, of course) was just what the Celtics needed after struggling against two of the worst teams in the NBA over the weekend.
"It was pretty cool. I like it. I like those type of games," said Isaiah Thomas, who led the way with 25 points after missing games in Brooklyn and Philadelphia with a bruised knee. "We knew it was going to be like that. Those guys don't like us, we don't like them. That's what it is."
"There's probably a little bitterness in there, but it's a good old-fashioned battle," said Crowder, who had 16 points and nine rebounds on the evening.
The boost in the standings was the most important part of Monday night, but the Celtics not wilting down the stretch (as they did against the lowly 76ers on Sunday afternoon) has them brimming with confidence as they hit the final stretch of the season.
"We have the ability to refocus and get back on track," said Horford, who made it clear in the locker room after the win that the C's can't simply wait for the playoffs to flip the proverbial switch. "It's important that we all understand how we need to play."
The playoffs are still three weeks away, and there is a lot to be decided. The Celtics are likely looking at a first-round series against the Detroit Pistons or Milwaukee Bucks, and neither opponent can be overlooked, not by this team. But it's OK to give thought to a potential second-round meeting with the Wizards, after the entertaining regular season that just played out between the two teams.
If the C's can finally take care of business and win their first playoff series under Brad Stevens, it'd be a treat to have the Wizards standing in the way of a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.