With losses at Phoenix, Los Angeles (Clippers) and Denver sandwiched around a memorable win over Golden State, Boston opened the final month of the season in third place in the Eastern Conference, three games behind conference leading Cleveland and a half game back of Washington.
After a wire to wire 100-80 victory over the struggling Chicago Bulls on Sunday, and a strong second half to defeat the young Minnesota Timberwolves 117-104 on Wednesday, the Celtics bounced back to match their season high of 18 games above .500; bringing them to within two games of Cleveland and putting them back into second place a half game ahead of Washington.
Boston looks to capitalize when it returns to the road this weekend for a game this evening with hapless Brooklyn (12-54) and then on Sunday afternoon at slumping Philadelphia (24-43).
More opportunities await beginning on Monday when Boston begins a six game home stand against the Washington Wizards (41-26), the only team on the menu with a substantially winning record. The homestand continues with games on Wednesday vs. Indiana (35-33), Friday vs Phoenix (22-46), next Sunday vs Miami (33-35), a week from Wednesday vs. Milwaukee (33-34) and a week from Friday vs Orlando (24-44).
Boston will then have just six games (three home, three away) remaining in the regular season, the key game being a final tilt against Cleveland at home on Wednesday, April 5.
Notes: Former Celtic Rajon Rondo enjoyed a few light moments in his Sunday return to Boston, in particular a pleasant exchange of smiles after seven-footer Kelly Olynyk discovered that it was his former 6-foot-1 teammate who had just fouled him. Rondo led both teams with six assists against just one turnover in just 19 minutes in that game.
And on Wednesday, 6-foot-10 Celtics center Al Horford led both teams in assists for the second time in the last four games. The first year Celtic had eight assists against Minnesota and 6 against Golden State.
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