BOSTON – For as long as the NBA has been around, the final few weeks of the season have been a tug-of-war for franchises seeking to balance rest with rhythm. And as tempting as it may be for the Celtics to go all-out for the top seed even as Toronto continues to separate itself from the rest, Boston will be wise to err on the side of rest.
Put it this way: Of the starting lineup Boston had on opening night, only one player from that group (Jayson Tatum) is a definite starter for the team’s next game with each of the other four -- Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford -- all out for some or all of Boston's 99-97 loss to Indiana.
Before injuries derail what has been a special season, the Celtics need to pump the breaks on these injuries right now and the easiest way to address that is to not play certain guys.
So don’t be surprised to see the Celtics enter the playoffs with some not-so-gaudy stats in the final month, but a roster that is well rested and because of that, better equipped to play what they hope will be a lot of basketball well into the month of June.