On a night where the Celtics couldn't find the basket, the 42-percent shooting Jae Crowder hit a fadeaway jump shot to beat Toronto, 95-93, and clinch the No. 7 seed.
NBA scores 2015: The Celtics clinch No. 7 seed with a Jae Crowder game winner
Boston’s burly forward nailed the game winner, but his real impact is his defense, not his shooting.
The Celtics had shot 38 percent from the floor while Crowder was 3-for-8 before the shot from the corner with two Raptors draped over him. With its seeding in place, the shot means Boston can play loose and without stress on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday when it ends the season against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Crowder was been part of the story for Boston all game, but not for his shot-making. He has his flaws -- he’s a bit of a tweener and his three-point shot has hovered around 30 percent with no signs of improving -- but his hard-nosed defensive approach fits into a Celtics defense that is top 10 since the All-Star break.
When Crowder arrived from Dallas in the Rajon Rondo trade, he immediately joined Avery Bradley, a like-minded guard who signed a four-year deal with Boston last summer to be a cornerstone moving forward. First-round draft pick Marcus Smart started the season injured and has struggled to perform offensively at an NBA level, but his defense has grown more comfortable as the weeks progress. While Boston lacks a true rim protector, those three have stymied countless opponents expecting an easy path to the paint.
Boston couldn’t out shoot the Raptors on Tuesday for the duration of a game -- the Celtics shot 44 percent and hit nine three-pointers. But they deflected passes, forced 18 turnovers and encouraged long jumpers. A few of them went in despite the Celtics’ best efforts, but sometimes that happens. Crowder’s did, after all.
After a one-year hiatus from the playoffs, Boston is back and locked into a first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers beginning this weekend. That's not a matchup it can likely win, but the reward and experience of being in the top half of the NBA is important for the Celtics' young roster. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James for four or five games will break this defense at some point, but anything they can learn in the process is a step in the right direction.
3 other things we learned
And then there's a 99-95 Pacers win against the Wizards on Thursday, which was a spectacle solely due to its absurdity. Tied at 81 in regulation, the two squads mustered an eight-point -- eight -- first overtime that was followed by the decisive second period. It was a huge win for the Pacers, putting their playoff fates in their own hands in the season's final day. To show this, Paul George even broke his minutes restriction by 200 seconds or so, finishing with 10 points on 10 shots. Indiana isn't expected for some grand playoff upset, but after a wasted season without George, a playoff appearance would give the program a bit of hope headed into the future.
The Clippers are finely tuned for the playoffs. Los Angeles still has an outside shot at the No. 2 seed in the West, but with the way the Clippers are playing, their playoff positioning is likely of little importance to them right now. The 112-101 beating of the Suns on Tuesday was their 14th win in 15 games and Los Angeles has almost never looked better. Seven players scored in double figures, led by Chris Paul's 22 points and six three-pointers. But the Clippers are no longer judged by what happens in the regulation season -- it's this weekend onward that counts.
The playoff picture is far from settled, so prepare for a wild final day. The Pacers need to beat the Grizzlies on Wednesday -- no small task -- to take the No. 8 seed, or they need the Brooklyn Nets to lose to the Orlando Magic. Most of the rest of the Eastern Conference is stable, but the West is a total nightmare. The No. 1 (Warriors), No. 4 (Trail Blazers) and No. 7 (Mavericks) seeds are the only ones finalized on the season's penultimate day. If the Spurs win, they'll take the No. 2 seed after performing their typical mid-season Lazarus act. But they have to beat the Pelicans, who probably need a win of their own to take the No. 8 seed over Oklahoma City. And if the Spurs lose, the Rockets could sweep in and take the No. 2 seed, dropping San Antonio all the way to No. 6. Somehow the Clippers factor in here, too. Everything is jumbled right now, but only for one more day.
Play of the Night
I imagine Donald Sloan had good intentions when he tried to destroy the rim with a tomahawk dunk, but this could hardly have ended worse. Kris Humphries ends up with a magnificent block.
4 fun things
If Paul George wants to go see Kevin Hart, this fan has the hook up for him.
No, that didn’t count, Marcin. We promise.
Final scores
Celtics 95, Raptors 93 (Celtics Blog recap | Raptors HQ recap)
Pacers 99, Wizards 95 (Indy Cornrows recap | Bullets Forever recap)
Clippers 112, Suns 101 (Clips Nation recap | Bright Side of the Sun recap)
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