The Associated Press
BOSTON–The Celtics now control their own fate in their quest to secure the Eastern Conference’s top playoff seed.
Isaiah Thomas scored 27 points to help Boston beat back a fourth-quarter charge and defeat the Brooklyn Nets 114-105 last night.
The win clinched the Atlantic Division title and no worse than the No. 2 seed for the Celtics.
It marks their first division title since the 2011-12 season.
More importantly, with Cleveland’s 124-121 overtime loss at Miami last night, a Boston win in its regular-season finale against Milwaukee tomorrow would give the Celtics the No. 1 seed.
But if Boston loses to the Bucks and Cleveland wins its finale against Toronto, the Cavs would own the tie-breaker by virtue of their 3-1 head-to-head record with Boston.
Thomas said being this position “means a lot.”
“It says a lot about this team,” he remarked. “We’ve been through ups and downs . . . we just kept going.
“That says a lot about who we are.”
After last night’s win, several players gathered in the trainer’s room to watch the end of Cleveland’s game with Miami.
When the Cavs tied it late in OT on Deron Williams’ “three” before he completed four-point play to put them up one, screams could be heard from inside.
Clapping was heard again from the same room when the Heat finished their victory–cementing the Celtics’ chance to claim top seed tomorrow night.
Al Horford added 19 points and eight rebounds. Avery Bradley finished with 18 points and five rebounds.
“It shows that we’re starting to play the right way,” Bradley said.
The Nets trailed by 27 in the third quarter before an 18-5 run got them back into the game.
They got as close as six in the fourth, but Thomas and Horford combined for 15 points in the period to help secure the victory.
Jeremy Lin led the Nets with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
Brook Lopez finished with 25 points, and passed Buck Williams to become the franchise’s career leading scorer with a jumper late in the fourth quarter.
He said he didn’t take moving to the top of the Nets’ record books lightly.
“It’s a great honour, obviously a lot of amazing players have played here,” Lopez noted.
“I’m just proud to have my name up there with those guys.”
