Even as they rolled through the second half of their schedule, the Boston Celtics knew there was a notion they should lose.
Tanking a game down the stretch and falling out of the No. 2 seed would have meant avoiding a playoff series with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, who were considered a team to be feared.
Not to these Celtics. They aren’t afraid of anything.
“We feel confident, we feel strong against anybody and we’re going to come to play every single game,” Jaylen Brown said.
Their defense made life miserable for Durant. Now they might get a chance to turn it loose on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Celtics swept their way into the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 116-112 victory on Monday night in Game 4, becoming the first team into the second round. Jayson Tatum scored 29 points and Brown had 22.
