Boston Celtics: These 3 starters will be out Thursday vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Is it possible that the Boston Celtics are conceding the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed on Thursday night?

The Cs visit the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to take on the defending champion Bucks, but they won’t be at full strength.

Three starters will be out of the lineup for Boston. That includes Robert Williams, who we know will be missing in action until the second round of the Eastern Conference postseason at the earliest.

The other two absentees, Jayson Tatum (right knee tendinopathy) and Al Horford (lower back soreness) shouldn’t worry fans considering health is more important than seeding at this point in the season anyway.

The Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers can all still nab the Eastern Conference No. 2 seed.

It’s a tight race here at the end of the season atop the Eastern Conference standings. While the Miami Heat have the top seed locked up, the next few seeds are still to be determined with 2-3 games to play for the east’s current No. 2 – No. 4 squads.

The Cs, Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers may all want to avoid the No. 2/No. 7 seed matchup considering a (nearly) healthy Brooklyn Nets squad appears to be the overwhelming favorite to win just one NBA Play-in game to qualify for the playoffs.

Udoka has downplayed seeding in what will be his first postseason as Boston Celtics HC, but losing in the first round changes the narrative for several teams atop the conference heading into the offseason.

A hapless ouster at the hands of a dominant Brooklyn Nets squad could have Brad Stevens seriously reconsidering the roster he has put forth, while winning at least one postseason series would quiet (or at least delay) those talks.

Tonight is not unwinnable because of the absence of the ‘Time Lord’, Horford, and Tatum. But if the Cs want to avoid the Nets, this is a subtle way to help ensure that.