3. Deserving a break

This would come into play particularly if the Hawks and Wizards have to go to a Game 7, but at this point the Celtics clearly need a timeout to regenerate their collective mind, body and soul. The Thomas matter was a harsh intrusion of real life, and there's no way to adequately quantify the effect of Chyna Thomas' loss on the psyche of a team that is exceedingly close-knit.

If they have to jump right back in against Washington and all that drama from the regular season — the Wizards in funeral dress, Jae Crowder's finger in John Wall's face, additional security presence in the hallway between the respective dressing rooms — so be it. At least Game 1 will be at the Garden.

But the Celts need to do all they can tonight to hold up their end of the bargain for a potential respite of a few days. FUTURE REMATCH? Jae Crowder, right, is restrained after a game against the Wizards.