The Boston Celtics will have an interesting matchup in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
After finishing the regular season as the second seed, the team were waiting for their first round matchup as it was going to be the winner of the Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks play-in game.
Led by Wendell Carter Jr. and Paolo Banchero, who combined for 36 points, the Magic secured a dominant 120-95 win and will meet the reigning champions in the first round of the playoffs.
While it is great news the Magic have made it to the postseason, two years in a row, but their first round matchup is against a very stacked Boston Celtics team.
Joe Mazzulla’s men finished the regular season as the second best offense and fifth rated defense in the league.
Despite having a few of their players out of the lineup at various times of the season, the team did well to finish as the second seed and are once again determined to win the championship.
Heading into the first round, Jaylen Brown‘s health is a concern as reports have emerged that the 2024 Finals MVP has had to use injections to recover from his knee injury.
Former Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce suggested a tactic the team could use to help with the recovery of Brown, who has admitted the injury has been tough to manage.
Pierce believes Jaylen Brown should sit out
Paul Pierce, who was a champion with the Celtics stated the team should sit Brown out for the first-round against the Magic.
He revealed the team was stacked and could get the job done against the Magic even without their star.
Speaking on ‘Ticket and The Truth,’ Pierce said: “I would even think about not even playing Jaylen Brown in the first round like just to let him heal cause I think they’re that good.
“They didn’t play without a lot of different guys throughout the season.”
Pierce who was one of the best Celtic players, revealed he also had to take injections at stages in his career, but that did not stop him from playing.
“He didn’t have surgery on the knee so the news I’m getting on the knee is he had an injection, I done had that in the middle of the season and I kept playing. I had that and I never missed no time but whenever you get them injection its always a cause of concern.”
Jaylen Brown is going to be vital in the playoffs
After a stellar postseason last year, Brown carried from where he left off with another great year with the Celtics this campaign.
He averaged 22 PPG, 5.8 RPG and a career best 4.5 APG in 63 games this year.
Brown had earlier revealed he used to watch clips of Pierce before games and that seems visible as his offensive rating was the best he has ever had in his career.
Him and Jayson Tatum, who has often been overlooked by the league, have had a sensational career as a duo.
Both have cemented their legacies as all-time greats in franchise history and another ring would not only add to it, but also put them ahead in the conversation of the greatest duos in the league.
Playing through an injury in the playoffs is always tough, but Brown is a special player and if the Celtics manage a sweep and give him enough time to rest for the next round, he could wreak havoc and help the team massively.
