The Celtics have five days of rest and will begin the second round of the playoffs on Monday.
BOSTON — The Celtics will begin their second-round playoff series against either the New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons on Monday, May 5th.
The Celtics’ full second-round schedule has been released
Game 1: Monday, May 5th (in Boston)
Game 2: Wednesday, May 7th (in Boston)
Game 3: Saturday, May 10th (in New York/Detroit)
Game 4: Monday, May 12th (in New York/Detroit)
*Game 5: Wednesday, May 14th (in Boston)
*Game 6: Friday, May 16th (in New York/Detroit)
*Game 7: Monday, May 19th (in Boston)
The Celtics could face either the Detroit Pistons or the New York Knicks
The Knicks currently hold a 3-2 series lead over the Pistons, but dropped a potential closeout Game 5 on Tuesday night.
The series goes back to Detroit, where the two teams will face off in another potential closeout Game 6. If Detroit wins, the two teams would square off for a deciding Game 7 on Saturday.
Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday will take advantage of the upcoming rest
The Celtics could certainly benefit from five days of rest. Jaylen Brown has been listed as questionable in each of the last three games as he continues dealing with a right knee impingement that’s visibly limiting, while Jrue Holiday has missed the last three games with a right hamstring strain. Joe Mazzulla hasn’t shared much information about Holiday’s injury, but has termed him as day-to-day.
Jayson Tatum, meanwhile, missed Game 2 with a right wrist bone bruise that he later described as “serious” but returned to dominate in Games 3, 4, and 5 with his wrist taped up.
Since they took care of business in Game 5, they’ll get additional time off while their next-round opponents continue to battle.
After they closed out their first-round series against the Orlando Magic, Jaylen Brown sat at the podium and relished the fact that the Celtics have some time off until the next round.
“Oh, that’s, great,” Brown said at the podium postgame of the Celtics looming rest, before asking reporters for more clarification.
“I’m not sure when the earliest is that we’ll play next week — anybody know?”
After he was met with crickets from the media, he smiled and said: “Whatever it is, I’m gonna take advantage of that and be ready to go for whoever’s next.”