Celtics: Tatum shines, clinch spot
Jayson Tatum dropped a season‑high 32 points as the Celtics clinched a top‑6 seed in the East — Payton Pritchard poured in 28 with 6 rebounds and 6 assists, and Neemias Queta added 17 and 8 boards in the same stretch. Those performances came in late‑March games that helped Boston lock postseason positioning as the regular season winds down. ( )
Mar. 29, 2026 — Boston beat the Charlotte Hornets 114-99 at Spectrum Center, marking the Celtics’ 50th win of the season. (africa.espn.com) The victory officially clinched Boston a spot in the 2026 playoffs, according to NBA and AP recaps. (nba.com) (africa.espn.com) Boston played that game without Jaylen Brown, who missed a second straight contest because of Achilles tendinitis. (africa.espn.com) The win put the Celtics at roughly 50-24 on the season and parked them in second place in the Eastern Conference standings. (africa.espn.com) Boston had gone 9-2 since Jayson Tatum’s return to the lineup, and Tatum reached the milestone of becoming the youngest player in Celtics history to hit 14,000 career points during the stretch. (nba.com) The regular season is scheduled to end April 12, 2026, with the NBA’s three-day play-in tournament set for April 14–17 and the first round of the playoffs beginning April 18. (nba.com)
