BOSTON — The Boston Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns 127-112 to improve to 52-14 and become the first NBA team to qualify for the playoffs this season. The Philadelphia 76ers lost 114-105 to the Milwaukee Bucks, giving the Celtics a 16-game lead over the No. 6 seed and officially clinching a spot in the postseason.
The Celtics have comfortably led the standings for months, with a net rating of 11.3, tied with the 2015-16 Spurs for the fourth-highest net rating in NBA history. They are on track for the franchise's first 60-win season since going 62-20 in 2008-09. At home, they improved to 30 wins and 3 losses, winning 15 of their last 17 games.
Jaylen Brown had a big performance in Thursday's win with 37 points on 14-of-23 shooting, but Al Horford started in place of injured Kristaps Porzigis and made six 3-pointers. tied for a career high. The team tied for the most in a season with 25 3-pointers, just two shy of the franchise record.
The Celtics only have six games left in the play-in tournament against higher-ranked teams as Porzigis continues to deal with a hamstring strain. It was Boston's second win over the Suns in the past week, and its fourth straight after losing briefly against fellow contenders Cleveland and Denver. The Celtics have held their own throughout the season, but the Nuggets are the only team that has consistently beaten them.
Can Boston claim the top seed in the East?
With a 9.5-game lead entering Thursday, the Celtics are on track for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. A playoff tie could be dangerous, as the playoff tournament bracket includes the 76ers and Miami Heat among a group of talented teams. If Joel Embiid returns healthy from his knee injury or Miami returns to its usual late-season form, Boston could be tied for a very dangerous first round. The Celtics won't have an easy path to the Eastern Conference, as other threats like the Bucks, Cavaliers, and New York Knicks lurk.
But they have played like strong contenders in the conference. As of Thursday night, Basketball-Reference.com's Playoff Odds Tool gives them a 75.8 percent chance of making the NBA Finals and a 59.3 percent chance of winning the franchise's first championship since 2008. These odds are based on the remaining 10,000 simulations. This season's numbers may be too optimistic for Boston, but they reflect how statistically dominant the Celtics have been thus far. They entered Thursday with a net rating of 11.3, nearly seven points per 100 possessions better than the second-place team in the East (Cleveland). — Jay King, Celtics beat writer
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