Celtics projected to be top-four seed in playoffs amid season-high win streak

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The Boston Celtics are one of the hottest teams in basketball as the 2022 NBA trade deadline approaches.

The C's defeated the injury-depleted Brooklyn Nets 126-91 on Tuesday night to extend their win streak to a season-high six games.

Boston's latest run has vaulted it from 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings up to seventh. The Celtics also are just three games behind third place.

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Where are the Celtics projected to finish at the end of the regular season?

FiveThirtyEight's analytical model has Boston ending up as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. What's more interesting is it gives the Celtics an 18 percent chance to reach the NBA Finals, trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks (36 percent) and Miami Heat (19 percent) among East teams.

Here's a look at the model (via 98.5 The Sports Hub's Sean Grande):

Since Jan. 1, the Celtics lead the league in net rating, defensive rating and opponent eFG percentage. They also have a 13-6 record over that span. The C's rank No. 4 in net rating for the season as a whole.

One key to the Celtics' recent success has been health. After battling plenty of injuries and COVID-19 cases earlier in the season, the C's have had a mostly healthy roster over the last month-and-a-half. The availability of center Robert Williams has been crucial, too. He's had injury issues his entire career but has been on the court for most of Boston's game this season.

The Celtics still have plenty of work to do before getting into the top four and then staying in that spot, but you have to like their chances of pulling it off by the end of the season given their excellent play of late, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

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