The Celtics destroyed the 76ers on Sunday night, 128-96 in Philadelphia, taking a 3-1 stranglehold on their first-round series. While it feels like they already have one foot in the second round, and losing this series would be a complete catastrophe, the Cs still need to come out on Tuesday with a sense of urgency.
It may feel like they completely vanquished this Philly team and sent them to Cancun for all intents and purposes, but they aren’t dead yet. We’ve seen the Celtics let their guard down before, and sometimes, it almost feels like they need a little adversity to hit their stride fully, but this isn’t the time for that.
In fact, this is a critical time to take care of business with the rest of their East rivals struggling. The Pistons are in a shocking 2-1 hole and fighting for their lives against the 8-seeded Magic. The Knicks are locked in a 2-2 battle with the Hawks that is taking its toll on both teams. And the Cavaliers looked lifeless on the road, dropping both games in Toronto to even that series up at 2-2 as well.
The Celtics are the only team in the East that looks fully in control of their matchup, and they have to take advantage of that opportunity to the fullest.
Celtics need all the rest they can get ahead of round 2
Ultimately, if the Celtics lose Game 5 at home, it would be extremely frustrating, but they’d still be in the driver's seat to win the series. The real problem is that they’d be putting at least one full game of extra tread on their tires, and costing themselves several days of precious rest while the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders are scrapping and clawing to advance.
Whoever Boston plays in the next round(s), it’s going to be a challenge, and having a few days of extra rest could make all the difference. For example, if the Knicks have to go seven against the Hawks and win, they may have to quickly turn around with only a day off before coming to Boston to face a well-rested Celtics team.
That almost feels like a potential schedule-win in Game 1, which could set the tone for the entire series. The Cs will be hungry and ready to roll, while their opponent could still be catching their breath from round one.
These are the kinds of margins that decide playoff series’ and can end up determining finalists and champions. The Celtics have gotten lucky with some enemy struggles, but they’ve also earned this chance with their own hard work. The last thing they want to do now is squander it.
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