Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner in action
IN PHOTO: Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) on the court against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Joe Harris (12) in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-78. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics have clinched their spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs after the Brooklyn Nets lost 113-86 to the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. The Celtics are currently in seventh place with a 38-42 record, one game ahead of both the Indiana Pacers and the Brooklyn Nets, who are tied for eighth.

The Celtics beat Cleveland home and away in their last two games, although the second seeds were hardly at full strength, preferring to rest their stars for the playoffs. This is the first time in 10 years and just the fourth time in their history that the Celtics will enter the post-season with a losing record.

Their victory on Sunday against the Cavaliers, coupled with a Pacers loss, would have seen them qualify earlier. The Pacers, though, buoyed by the return of Paul George, have been on a five game winning streak and beat Oklahoma 116-104, even with Russell Westbrook scoring 54 points. The Pacers now sit in the eighth and final playoff spot, half a game ahead of the Nets, who own the tiebreaker.

Playing in the post-season will be an incredible achievement for the Celtics, who were 14 games below .500 entering February and traded away their best players in Jeff Green and Rajon Rondo in return for five average players and draft picks. But the team has gone on an 18-11 run since, led mainly by Isaiah Thomas, who’s averaging 19.6 points in just 26.1 minutes per game for the team. But this team, for real, has no superstars.

Each night has seen a different player step up. Be it Isaiah or Marcus Smart or Evan Turner. Coach Brad Stevens also deserves immense credit for seeing this through, having used over 20 different players this season thanks to the to the various trades, and still building a team full of fighting spirit.

The Celtics still have two games left, against the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks. Losing both, coupled with an Indiana Pacers win in their final game, could see the C’s drop to eighth place. They would then face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. A win against any of the two opponents would see them hold onto seventh and face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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