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The Latest on the Debuts of Celtics Trade-Deadline Acquisitions
Friday night at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics registered a 133-129 win over the Washington Wizards.
While the team atop the NBA standings improved to 40-12, they were far from their best, admitting afterward to falling into a lull as the All-Star break nears.
But fatigue and boredom during an 82-game regular season are inevitable. That's why the Celtics are focused on sharpening the tools to combat that, using a guiding principle to minimize the damage when there's a dip.
The C's now have three more matchups before the All-Star break, starting with a Super Bowl Sunday contest against the Miami Heat.
Boston's 2-0 against the hosts of Sunday's matchup, including a 143-110 dismantling at the Kaseya Center just over two weeks ago.
While the Celtics have since added Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer, neither of their trade-deadline acquisitions will make their team debut in this Eastern Conference Finals rematch.
Boston's ruled out the former due to left knee soreness. The latter is inactive because of a right ankle impingement.
Regarding Tillman, he conveyed Friday morning at the Auerbach Center that there is no timeline for him to make his Celtics debut. He missed the Memphis Grizzlies' last four games before joining the C's.
Sunday's matchup against Miami will tip off at 2:00 p.m. EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. Follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Brad Stevens Sheds Light on Celtics' Motivations for Xavier Tillman Trade
Celtics Swing Savvy Deal with 76ers for Jaden Springer
Celtics React to Xavier Tillman Trade: 'We Paid a Lot of Attention to Him'
Marcus Smart Shares How Boston Shaped Him, His Message to Celtics Fans
Jayson Tatum Shares What Went Through His Mind Seeing Celtics Fans Celebrate Marcus Smart
Celtics Maturation Molded by Experience: 'It Builds, Like, an Armor'
Celtics Finding Joy in Basketball and Each Other's Company: 'We've Been Blessed'
Fixated on Winning, Jayson Tatum Again Proves He's Not 'Bored Making the Right Play Over and Over'
Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'
Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'
Jaylen Brown Shares His View of What Defines 'Celtics Basketball'
