Inside The Celtics

The NBA Announces When the Playoffs Start for the Celtics

The Celtics now know when they'll face the winner of the Heat-Hawks play-in tournament game.

Bobby Krivitsky

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
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"The way we finished games, the last few games, I think, has been big for us. The way we played in the first Toronto game, (and) the way we finished that back-to-back of Milwaukee (and then) Utah.

"And we just had a mindset and approach, a competitiveness about us that you want to have going into a situation like this, and then we've also had an understanding of how we need to play."

That's the sentiment Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla expressed after Boston earned a 120-114 win over the Hawks in Sunday's regular-season finale.

The defending Eastern Conference champions won five of their last six games, including the final three, and finished with the second-best record in the NBA (57-25).

The Celtics have been anxious for the playoffs to start since losing Game 6 of the Finals to the Warriors on the TD Garden parquet. After beating Atlanta on Easter Sunday, Mazzulla conveyed about his team staying present and not skipping steps during the regular season, "I think the only time I've really felt that was the stretch after (the) All-Star (break)," where they lost 5/8 after beating the Pacers and Sixers, adding, "I thought our guys did a great job working out of that."

"We've not been waiting for it but working for it," Jayson Tatum stated after Boston made light work of the Raptors in a 121-102 victory on Friday.

The Celtics ranked in the top five in points scored (117.9) and allowed (111.4) per game in the regular season. And now, the moment they've been waiting working for is finally here.

They'll face the winner of Tuesday's play-in game between the Heat and Hawks in Miami. The NBA announced the defending Eastern Conference champions host the victor of that matchup on Saturday, Apr. 15, in a series opener that tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Further Reading

Celtics Discuss Payton Pritchard's Historical Performance in Regular-Season Finale

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Hawks: Boston's Three-Point Barrage Propels Hosts Past Atlanta

Brad Stevens Provides Update on Celtics' Star Jaylen Brown's Injured Right Hand

Jayson Tatum is Ready for the Challenges that Await the Celtics in the Playoffs: 'We've Not Been Waiting for it But Working for it'

Jaylen Brown Shares What Winning the Red Auerbach Award Means to Him: 'I've Put My Everything Into This Team, I've Put My Everything Into This City'

Celtics Discuss Malcolm Brogdon's Sixth Man of the Year Candidacy

Joe Mazzulla Reacts to the Celtics Clinching the Two Seed in the East

Jaylen Brown on His Relationship with Jayson Tatum: 'We’re a Part of Each Other’s Destiny'

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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