The Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division title, and thus the Eastern Conference’s second seed, with last night’s 114-105 win over Brooklyn at the Garden.
Not that they’ll want to submit this result to the postseason judging committee. After leading by 20-plus points in the third quarter, the Celtics fell prey to an 18-5 Nets run and spent the rest of the night fighting to stay ahead.
They were saved by Al Horford, who scored eight of his 19 points in the last 4:17, and a 27-point performance by Isaiah Thomas. Both combined to score the Celts’ last 15 points.