We clinch a playoff spot tonight. Sit players?

[SHAQATTACK]

Stevens is not the type to take his foot off he pedal .......he has no older players to worry about......

I believe he ll want to gain momentum ,   Play to win ....keep the confidence level high.

Tomorrow will be a heck of test with Raptors

They will be loaded for bear ...their three guards will score 75 points between them .

A win would really boost their confidence ....as the Raptors will be at full strength.

[rondohondo]

The Celtics are a VERY young team and nobody averages more than 33 minutes a game.

I don't see why anybody should need to rest.

isiah's back and smart's ankle could use some rest i am sure

[viulo]

Apart from Smart (because of his ankle) and maybe some injury I don't know about, it doesn't make sense to sit anyone. But managing minutes and experiencing with lineups could be interesting. Like having Jerebko at SF, for instance, or giving minutes to Wallace in case BS figures he might important during the series to defend (make fouls on) Le Bron.
If that costs us both games, all the better - it would give us a chance to face Atlanta. Momentum is important, but losing to Toronto and Milwaukee at full throttle would also undermine what we have accomplished so far. I think not to play as hard as we have in the last few games could be a win/win situation.
I think that's part of the reason Cleveland decided to rest its starters against us and not against Detroit. Imagine if LeBron, Kyrie and Love had lost against us playing 35 minutes each, what would that mean for the series?
This way, the only confidence shattered was of some players who will have minor roles in the series. And even in their case, they will know when they get to the floor will be in very different circumstances than in those two defeats.

[LooseCannon]

I wouldn't necessary rest players to preserve them, but I would give extra minutes to back-of-the-rotation guys for additional preparation in case they are called upon for a random game due to injury or fouls or Stevens deciding that it's the right matchup for just that one game.

[PhoSita]

The Celtics are a VERY young team and nobody averages more than 33 minutes a game.

I don't see why anybody should need to rest.

isiah's back and smart's ankle could use some rest i am sure

Perhaps.  It seems like with both injuries it's better for them to continue gaining confidence playing as they recover from those injuries.  Both players have indicated that to a large extent the mental side of the recovery is the biggest part for them with those particular injuries.

Certainly Brad shouldn't play any of the guys too many minutes, but I don't think there's any reason for him to sit guys.

[crimson_stallion]

These next two games do nothing for the team except cause a potential injury situation

Even though IT, Smart, AB, Crowder don't play alot of min  , they play super hard on the defensive end.  Their bodies must be worn out a little

I say after the Pacers lose tonight, we should sit these 4.  Maybe even Zeller, Bass. Give Sullinger, Datome, Jerebko, James Young some extra min on the court. 

wrong.  the next 2 games gives the C's 2 more opportunities to work on their game.  they're nowhere good enough to coast into the playoffs.

Actually, the next two games determine whether Boston make the playoffs or get eliminated.

That's right, contrary to what people are saying on here, Boston has NOT clinched a playoff spot yet.  They still need to win one more game (or either Brookyn or Indiana needs to lose one more game) because the Celtics are officially in the Playoffs.

If Boston goes 0-2 and Indiana + Brooklyn both go 2-0, then Boston is eliminated.

If we win tomorrow's game against Toronto, then we have clinched a spot.  Then we can rest starters.

Edit:
I stand corrected.  Brooklyn's loss today has officially clinched a spot for Boston.   

[crimson_stallion]

Stevens is not the type to take his foot off he pedal .......he has no older players to worry about......

I believe he ll want to gain momentum ,   Play to win ....keep the confidence level high.

Tomorrow will be a heck of test with Raptors

They will be loaded for bear ...their three guards will score 75 points between them .

A win would really boost their confidence ....as the Raptors will be at full strength.

Yep, and they'll also be fighting Chicago for the 3rd seed so I assume they'll be playing hungry. 

If they have an opportunity to play Milwaukee instead of Washington in the first round, I'm guessing that would be their preference.

[fairweatherfan]

These next two games do nothing for the team except cause a potential injury situation

Even though IT, Smart, AB, Crowder don't play alot of min  , they play super hard on the defensive end.  Their bodies must be worn out a little

I say after the Pacers lose tonight, we should sit these 4.  Maybe even Zeller, Bass. Give Sullinger, Datome, Jerebko, James Young some extra min on the court. 

wrong.  the next 2 games gives the C's 2 more opportunities to work on their game.  they're nowhere good enough to coast into the playoffs.

Actually, the next two games determine whether Boston make the playoffs or get eliminated.

That's right, contrary to what people are saying on here, Boston hasNNOT clinched a playoff spot yet.  They still need to win one more game (or either Brookyn or Indiana needs to lose one more game) because the Celtics are officially in the Playoffs.

If Boston goes 0-2 and Indiana + Brooklyn both go 2-0, then Boston is eliminated.

If we win tomorrow's game against Toronto, then we have clinched a spot.  Then we can rest starters.

Brooklyn lost tonight, that clinched the spot for the Celtics. 

Check articles on NBA sites or the standings on ESPN for confirmation.

[albas89]

These next two games do nothing for the team except cause a potential injury situation

Even though IT, Smart, AB, Crowder don't play alot of min  , they play super hard on the defensive end.  Their bodies must be worn out a little

I say after the Pacers lose tonight, we should sit these 4.  Maybe even Zeller, Bass. Give Sullinger, Datome, Jerebko, James Young some extra min on the court. 

wrong.  the next 2 games gives the C's 2 more opportunities to work on their game.  they're nowhere good enough to coast into the playoffs.

Actually, the next two games determine whether Boston make the playoffs or get eliminated.

That's right, contrary to what people are saying on here, Boston hasNNOT clinched a playoff spot yet.  They still need to win one more game (or either Brookyn or Indiana needs to lose one more game) because the Celtics are officially in the Playoffs.

If Boston goes 0-2 and Indiana + Brooklyn both go 2-0, then Boston is eliminated.

If we win tomorrow's game against Toronto, then we have clinched a spot.  Then we can rest starters.

I think you've missed tonight's Nets loss against the Bulls. They have one game left and they have 2 more losses than Boston already. That means that in worst case scenario, they end up with the same record as the Celtics, and since they Cs have the tiebreaker against the Nets, it's pretty much a wrap, Nets cannot knock us out of the playoffs...

[crimson_stallion]

haha just checked the scores now and noticed the Brooklyn loss, and had already edited my post accordingly!

Great news, now I am a happy camper!!!!