Celtics host Nets, 2nd seed hangs in the balance

New Jersey heads into Boston tonight, for the first of [the Celtics] last five games before the playoffs kick off. With the Celts vying for the second seed, they are at the helm of a 4-game win streak and looking to make it five. New Jersey is nowhere to be seen in the playoff race, and should, hopefully, be a cakewalk, and if nothing else some good practice for a lot of the young guys.

The C's, in their closing games, will face off against Miami in Boston, then the Cavs in Cleveland, 76ers in Philadelphia, then back home to close the regular season against the Wizards. Each game should be tantamount to playoff caliber, as 3 out of the five are all a 6th seed or higher (Phillie, Cleveland and Miami).

Second place now hangs in the balance, with the Magic nipping at our heels (The Celts are 4 games back, Magic 5) and with Dwight Howard playing at full bore, tonight's game means a lot more than it usually would.

The Nets haven't been a contender all season, with a record of 32-45 they clocked in at the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference. It's no surprise the Nets are so far behind, with nobody to carry the team accept for Vince Carter, but they should not be taken lightly. With nothing to lose, they could easily try to spoil our attempt to clench second place.

Tonight the Magic host Memphis, 12 behind in the Western Conference with a record of 22-55. In the remaining games the Magic will see New York, New Jersey, Milwaukee, and finally Charlotte. Their schedule is easier than ours by leaps and bounds, but what the hell? Complaining will get us nowhere.

All we can hope for now, in the wake of Garnett sitting for the remainder of the season, is that the team can come together as a whole, a tough it out for 2 more weeks. The 2nd seed is something we should put on the back burner, while it is important, we have little to no chance at first and that's all that really matters. The Celtics shouldn't play for second, they should simply play to win. The important thing is to finish out strong before gearing up for the playoffs.