Boston Celtics: Bucks Last Test in the East

The Boston Celtics will be getting their last test in the East with two more games against the Milwaukee Bucks

Now that the Boston Celtics have officially surpassed the Cleveland Cavaliers, and are, at least for now, the top seeded team in the East, they have proven that they are capable of taking down almost any competition in the East. The Celtics have good victories against any team that they may be playing in the playoffs, and that should give them confidence in any matchup.

The one lone exception right now is the Milwaukee Bucks. They are the one potential first round matchup that the Celtics may not be as comfortable against, largely because they have not seen enough of them.

It is even more important to look at games where they are at full strength. For the Celtics to get the best possible idea of what a matchup will look like, they need to be at full strength. Since getting Avery Bradley back from injury, the Celtics have a victory against Cleveland, Washington, Chicago, Indiana and Miami, and that has given them a better idea of what needs to be done in the playoffs.

There could be some issues with figuring things out against a Raptors team that will have Ibaka and Lowry playing together for the first time in the playoffs. But, for the remainder of the season, the Bucks are the last test of the season that they are unfamiliar with going into the playoffs.

More from Hardwood Houdini

The good news is also that the Celtics will get two more looks at the Bucks. Their size could be a major matchup problem, and it is important that the Celtics figure out what the best option to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo is before the playoffs come around.

The Celtics do have a victory against the Bucks this season, but it will be difficult to base anything off of an overtime win all the way back on January 28th. There is a solid chance the Celtics could meet the Bucks in the first or the second round, and this will be the team they are most familiar with once the playoff starts.

Other than the final showdown against the Cavaliers, which is likely to decide who will finish as the top seed, the Bucks really are the only team remaining on their schedule that they need to worry about, and they play them twice.

The timing is actually quite helpful. Not only will the Celtics get to see them with their full lineup, but they get to see the Bucks with their second best player, Khris Middleton. The Celtics want to get an idea of what playing the Bucks come playoff time will be like, and they will be in a much more comfortable position having faced off against Middleton twice.

Of course, the Celtics may not even play the Bucks in the first round, but these two games could also the be difference in getting that one seed. Unless the Hawks are healthy by the time they play the Celtics, these matchups against the Bucks are the only thing that could take control of the one seed out of their hand.

The Cavaliers have been struggling, but they cannot take that losing for granted. These two remaining games against the Bucks are a vital test for a playoff matchup, but it is also one of the final real tests of the regular season.

Next: Why do the Boston Celtics Get Zero Respect

If the Cavaliers turn things around over the last couple of weeks, dropping these games against the Bucks could undo all the ground they have gained recently, and they know how much they need home court to get every edge they can in a potential conference finals series.