Celtics down to two options for first-round opponent
And then there were two for the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics.
Sitting atop the Eastern Conference, Wednesday night came with mere viewing from the Celtics’ offices, as the team watched the NBA play-in tournament unfold with two games. And with the loser of the game between the Heat and 76ers and the winner of the Bulls and Hawks game earning a chance to compete to be the No. 8 seed in the East, it will be the Heat or the Bulls who will earn a trip to Boston when the dust settles on Friday night’s winner-grabs-eight showdown in Miami.
Miami’s potential trip back to the No. 8 seed came by way of a one-point loss to Philadelphia, and at a significant cost, as the Heat lost superstar Jimmy Butler to a knee injury. The Heat have already ruled Butler out for Friday’s game with Chicago, too.
The Bulls, meanwhile, extended their season with a blowout victory over the Hawks. Led by what was a 40-point opening quarter as a team, Chicago’s scoring was headlined by a game-high 42 points from Coby White on a 15-for-21 shooting night. But like the Heat, the Bulls also suffered an in-game loss from a health standpoint (though not as serious as Butler’s injury in Miami), with Alex Caruso injured with what the Bulls have called a ‘significant’ injury.
More on the Celtics
– Jrue Holiday earns monster extension just ahead of postseason
– Derrick White picks up noteworthy honor
– Celtics fill final roster spot for playoffs
When it comes to what awaits the Celtics, there’s obviously no shortage of recent history with the Heat, with the teams linking up in the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the last four seasons, including back-to-back showdowns in 2022 and 2023. The Celtics won the ’22 series, while the Heat returned the favor in ’23. Both series required seven games.
But with Boston’s roster reloaded with the offseason additions of both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the Celtics handled the Heat in the regular season, with wins in all three head-to-heads this season.
The Celtics also swept their season series with the Bulls three games to none, and have not lost to the Bulls since Nov. 2022.
