The C's are back in action on Friday night against the reeling Milwaukee Bucks, but the night has more meaning than just their own game.
The Boston Celtics (51-25) will take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET in Milwaukee, Wisc. With just six games left in the regular season, the Celtics are working to solidify their playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
Boston enters play at 4.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons for the No. 1 seed and 2.5 games up on the New York Knicks for the No. 2 seed.
As noted by NBA reporter Brett Siegel of Clutchpoints, the Pistons will clinch the No. 1 seed if the Celtics lose against the Bucks. That would be an incredible accomplishment for a Pistons team that was 14-68 just two seasons ago, but it's something that the Celtics will try to delay from happening.
Frankly, delaying it against the Bucks should be a relatively simple task. One of the most disappointing teams in the league, Milwaukee is now 30-46 and has been eliminated from playoff contention. They've lost five of their last six and are playing without superstar Giannis Antekokounmpo, who is out with injury.
Milwaukee had made the playoffs for nine straight seasons, though they've seen their win total drop three straight seasons since winning 58 games in 2022-23. Milwaukee won the NBA title in 2020-21.
Without Antekokounmpo, the Bucks are being led by a different cast of characters than in years past. Ousmane Dieng had 36 points in a recent loss against the Houston Rockets while Jericho Sims had 20 rebounds.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesLast time out for the Celtics
--Playing 37 minutes, Jayson Tatum put together the best stat line since his return from a torn Achilles. The All-Star had 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, putting together the first triple-double of his return. He was 9-of-21 from the floor and 4-of-13 from three-point range as the Celtics beat the Miami Heat 147-129.
It wasn't just Tatum though: Jaylen Brown had 43 points while four others were in double-figures, including Sam Hauser, who had 23.
Also in C's news
Big man Nikola Vucevic, who hasn't played since March 6 because of a right ring finger fracture, is out for Friday's game. A big part of the team's plans at the trade deadline, Vucevic will have just five games left in the regular season to try to work back into the rotation before the playoffs. He's averaged just under 11 ppg in 12 games since joining Boston from the Chicago Bulls.
His next chance will be Sunday (3 p.m. ET) against Toronto. That game will be a special broadcast on NBC Sports Boston TV.
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