The Celtics rested four of their regulars on the final night of the regular season but that didn't stop one starters from putting on a show. Aron Baynes posted a career-high 26 points and 14 rebounds in just 20 minutes. Shane Larkin added 12 points and 10 assists in his best performance since returning from the flu, as the B squad took down a Brooklyn Nets squad that failed to put up much of a fight in Game No. 82.
Guerschon Yabusele added a career-high 16 points, while Jonathan Gibson posted 18 points off the bench.
GAME: No. 82 of 82:
WHO: Celtics (54-27) vs. Nets (28-53)
WHEN: 8:00 EST
WHERE: TD Garden
RADIO: 98.5 the Sports Hub
TV: NBC Sports Boston
Projected starters
Celtics
PG: Shane Larkin
SG: Jabari Bird
SF: Abdel Nader
PF: Guerschon Yabusele
C: Aron Baynes
Nets
PG: Spencer Dinwiddie
SG: D'Angelo Russell
F: Allen Crabbe
F: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
C: Jarrett Allen
First Half Notes
- It doesn’t get much worse than two teams playing with nothing on the line in Game No. 82, but the Celtics still managed to keep things entertaining early on.
- Aron Baynes was on a mission to get his practice reps in the early going on, posting a double-double in the first half with 18 points and 10 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass.
- Guerschon Yabusele looked sharp in his return from a two-game absence, showing some nice drive in traffic while tally seven points and four rebounds in 12 minutes.
- D’Angelo Russell has some nice potential for the Nets, but I don’t really see him ever fulfilling the promise of a No. 2 overall pick.
- C’s may have had their B-squad out there but the Nets were the team that simply didn’t want to be there for game no. 82. C’s almost matched their total rebounds (20) on the offensive glass (14)
- Al Horford and Terry Rozier will get the night off to rest. Guerschon Yabusele is questionable with a sore left knee.
- Don't look for the rest of the starters to play beyond a stint or two in the first half on the second half of back-to-back with nothing on the line, standings-wise.
- A loss to the Nets would actually serve the Celtics better when it comes to punishing the Cavs in the lottery standings. A victory by Brooklyn combined with a loss by the Knicks to the Cavs would secure the ninth-worst lottery odds for Cleveland in the 2018 NBA Draft.
- The Celtics have lost four of their last five games overall.
- Keep an eye on the usage of Jabari Bird and Abdel Nader in this contest. It will be the last chance for Bird to make a case for a playoff roster spot ahead of the Thursday deadline.