Will the Celtics Prioritize Push for the 1 Seed or Rest? Joe Mazzulla Sheds Light on Boston's Approach

The Celtics are two games back of the Bucks with four left in the regular season.

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The Celtics are 9-3 in their last 12 games, including arguably their best performance this season, a 140-99 steamrolling of the Bucks.

After their stellar two-way performance Thursday in Milwaukee, travel delays resulted in them not arriving in Boston until 1:30 p.m. Friday, six hours before their game against the Jazz.

But as Jaylen Brown articulated after beating the Bucks, the defending Eastern Conference champions are fixated on honing in and reinforcing winning habits entering the playoffs. They also didn't want the value of their victory against Milwaukee diminished with a loss to Utah.

So, rather than leaning into the excuses offered to them on the second night of a back-to-back, Jayson Tatum, who wasn't supposed to play Friday, suited up, motivated to be there for his teammates amid the chaos.

"Everything was kind of thrown off," the four-time All-Star expressed after registering a game-high 39 points in Boston's 122-114 win against the Jazz.

"But we looked at it as a challenge. I wasn't really supposed to play today, but we was talking on the plane, it was like, 'we all in this together.' So, (I) just wanted to go through it with the guys and rock out and play and figure it out. And it was fun. It was fun figuring it out. Regardless of how the last 24 hours was, it was rewarding."

As well as the Celtics are playing as of late, a surprising amount of slip-ups against sub-.500 competition is at the root of why they'll likely finish second in the East. After the Bucks beat the Sixers 117-104 Sunday, Milwaukee's two games ahead of Boston. Each has four matchups left on their regular-season slates.

At the Auerbach Center on Monday, asked whether the Celtics will prioritize resting players or making a final push for the one seed, head coach Joe Mazzulla conveyed the following.

"I really want to win. I like winning."

Joe Mazzulla talks managing minutes in final stretch of the regular season, & whether or not the #Celtics are focused on competing for the No. 1 seed 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/miqFvphc8Z

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 3, 2023

"I'd say game-by-game situation. I really want to win. I like winning."

While the Bucks are in the driver's seat for the top spot in the East, Mazzulla reinforced that Boston's primary focus is internal.

"There's nothing we can do about it. It's out of our control. What we can control is playing the way we played; the last 11 games, we're 8-3, number one in both offense and defense and so we're doing a lot of good things; we just have to keep that going. I thought over the last 48 hours, the first game, we were very detailed, we managed the game well. In the second game, it was just more of a mindset win, and so we have to put that together as we get ready for the last stretch and into the playoffs."

Further Reading

[Film Room] What the Celtics Did to Slow Down Giannis Antetokounmpo in Blowout vs. Bucks

Joe Mazzulla and Will Hardy Discuss Becoming Head Coaches, What the Former Learned from the Latter and Hardy's Evaluation of the Celtics

Jayson Tatum Discusses Closing in on Another Milestone

Celtics Discuss Blake Griffin's Impact in Their Win vs. the Jazz

Jayson Tatum Wasn't Supposed to Play vs. the Jazz, But Celtics' Travel Delay Added to His Motivation to 'Go Through it with the Guys'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Jazz: On a Chippy Night in Boston, Counterpunches Propel the Hosts to Victory

The Celtics are Proud of Their Growth, Including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Maturation: 'I think We're a Better Team'

Former Warriors' Director of Performance Keke Lyles Shares His Perspective on Load Management, Changing Stephen Curry's Movement Patterns, And What's Helped Jayson Tatum's Durability