Celtics Hope To Gain Momentum Against Bulls
BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Celtics are hoping to stay healthy, but would also like to make a late season push for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
They get their shot Thursday night in a very important meeting with the Bulls in Chicago, a game they hope will be a tune-up for the playoffs.
"Playoffs are like the main course, this will definitely be an appetizer," forward Kevin Garnett said.
"Some guys haven't been in a lot of big games," captain Paul Pierce said after Tuesday night's 99-82 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. "It puts you in the moments where you say, 'this is the atmosphere were going to be in every night once the playoffs start.' You don't have a lot of games like that on the schedule."
Celtics Talks About Their Playoff Push
The Celtics trail the Bulls by three games for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with five games remaining. Boston leads the Miami Heat by half-a-game for the second.
"We're working on things here," Garnett added. "One of the things were working on is be more efficient in the second half. We have to get more stops, we have be better defensively to start games."
Read: Brian Scalabrine: Bulls More Confident After Perkins Trade
"You can see what they're all doing. They're in some ways sharpening their tools," head coach Doc Rivers said. "They know where they're at."
But do not think the Celtics will focus more on their games against playoff teams (Bulls, Heat and New York Knicks) and not on the two they have remaining against the Washington Wizards.
"We want all these games," Garnett said. "All these games are important to us now, not just the Chicago's and the Miami's."
