Boston Celtics Have Proven They Should Never Be Counted Out

The Boston Celtics lost to the Brooklyn Nets last night 101-93, their ninth loss in the past thirteen games.  Luckily, the Celtics have a pretty good hold on the Milwaukee Bucks for the seventh seed in the NBA playoffs.  With the Bucks’ loss to the Orlando Magic, the Celtics remain three games up on them.  With four games in the season remaining, Boston is clearly struggling to get anything going as they prepare for the playoffs.

That being said, this is a formula that has been seen before. Doc Rivers has always been one to choose rest over seeding, and the Celtics have shown that they can pull together and make a spirited run in the playoffs.  In 2009, the Celtics finished the season going 27-27 and everyone  predicted they would be bounced in the first or second round.

The Celtics surprised everyone by pulling together and making it to the NBA Finals where they would eventually lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in game seven of the series.  Just last year Boston struggled to get things going, starting the season poorly and were two games under .500 before turning the season around with Rivers placing Kevin Garnett into the center position.

The Celtics finished with the fourth seed in the playoffs, and even better, Boston was able to push the Miami Heat to the brink of elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals.  The only problem this time is that there is no Rajon Rondo to anchor the offense, and while Boston was hot out the gate after the loss of Rondo, they have clearly struggled in the games since.  Not having a quality point guard other than Avery Bradley hurts the team, and they need Jason Terry to step up and show that he is the player the Celtics thought they were getting when Danny Ainge signed him to replace Ray Allen.

The Celtics have games against the Heat, Magic, Indiana Pacers, and Toronto Raptors left, and they need to show some consistency as they try to work in a new starting lineup that puts Jeff Green into the rotation.

Whether Doc chooses to rest players or play them, the Celtics need to pull together and find a way to be ready for the playoffs as they most likely will face the team in their division who has owned them, the New York Knicks.  However, the Celtics must never be counted out!  This team has shown time and time again that they have heart, and when it’s playoff time, that’s when they bring their best.