Navigating a balance during stretch run
MILWAUKEE — Celtics big men Al Horford (toe) and Kristaps Porzingis (hamstring management) missed Tuesday’s 104-91 loss to the Bucks, but both were essentially held out to rest as the team navigates the finals days of the regular season with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference secure.
The Celtics have just three regular-season games remaining, then have a week off while the play-in tournament is taking place. Teams in this situation sometimes look to simulate a playoff game at least once down the stretch. But coach Joe Mazzulla said he is unsure how Boston will proceed.
“We’re in a unique position,” he said. “There’s no real right or wrong answer. You’ve got to kind of check a bunch of boxes between health, rhythm, getting better. So if it presents itself, it’ll be good. But at the end of the day, there’s a bunch of different ways to get better around this time and there’s no right or wrong because of the uniqueness of it.
“So, sometimes it’s been film, sometimes it’s been walkthroughs, sometimes it’s been playing, sometimes it’s been a little bit of everything. I think the guys have done a good job of that throughout the season and so we’ve just got to keep that up more than anything else.”
In the previous two games, Mazzulla sat his starters for most of the fourth quarter even though the game’s outcome remained unclear.
“I just thought at the time that was the best thing for our team,” he said. “We still kind of put those [bench] guys in that position and work on the things that we need to work on, you know? So it wasn’t like we planned that going in at the time, but it was what’s best for the team.”
Guard Derrick White said that when the postseason begins, the Celtics cannot just snap their fingers and vault into playoff mode. But he’s confident they’ll be ready.
“Just having good preparation, a lot of time in practice to get our mind right,” White said.
Playoff eligible
Celtics center Neemias Queta on Monday had his two-way contract converted into a standard NBA deal, making him eligible for the postseason. Queta has appeared in 26 games for the Celtics this season, averaging 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds.
“It validates him,” Mazzulla said. “It validates his work. It validates the things he’s done throughout the season. It validates the staff, the development team in the G League.
“I think all of that goes into, when you sign guys like that, that’s the goal to be able to convert that. So that’s a testament to everybody that’s involved, starting with him.”
Weekly history
Porzingis was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks during his team’s 4-0 stretch.
The Celtics became the first team in NBA history to have four players win the award in the same season. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and White were previously honored.
“Please save the player of the weeks for me please, guys,” White quipped. “You can have the other things.”
Maine Celtics cruise
The Maine Celtics cruised to a 106-86 win over the Oklahoma City Blue in Game 1 of the NBA G League Finals.
Point guard JD Davison had 23 points and 12 assists to lead Maine. Center Neemias Queta had 20 points and 13 rebounds and forward Drew Peterson added 20 points and 11 rebounds. Game 2 of this best-ofthree series will be played in Oklahoma City on Thursday night. Game 3, if necessary, will be played in Portland on Monday.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.co m. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.