The good news for the Celtics in their regular-season finale was that Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Mickael Pietrus all returned to the lineup and looked good. The bad news was that even with their 87-74 win over the Bucks, the C's will be on the road for Game 1 of the playoffs thanks to the Hawks' victory over the Mavericks. The first-round opener will take place Sunday night.
In 25 minutes, Rondo had 15 assists to extend his streak of double-digit assist games to 24 straight. Playing his first game since March 15, Pietrus scored nine points in 16 minutes and made his first three shots. Garnett looked rusty but made it through his 11 minutes without incident.
Ray Allen missed his ninth straight game with an injured ankle, but coach Doc Rivers said it was "probable" that Allen would be ready for the playoff opener. Greg Stiemsma also sat out, but he should be fine for Game 1. Of the Celtics who did play, Ryan Hollins had a big night with nine points and five rebounds, and E'Twaun Moore aded eight points, four rebounds and five assists.
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