Celtics into the playoffs
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The Boston Celtics are back in the playoffs. They want to be playing their best when those games start.
They were very good on Wednesday night.
Paul Pierce scored 27 points, Kevin Garnett added 20 and Rajon Rondo had a triple-double as Boston clinched a postseason berth with a 113-99 win over the Denver Nuggets.
It was the Celtics' fifth win in six games and began a six-game stretch at home where they're just 22-12 worse than their 24-13 road record.
"We have been able to get the job done on the road, but this is where we eat. This is where we set our table," Pierce said. "Hopefully, we can just start playing well in this building and gather some momentum going into the playoffs."
Pierce, who missed 10 games with knee, foot and thumb problems, and Garnett, sidelined for 10 with a hyperextended right knee, have been healthy for a while. Pierce scored just five points in a 114-105 loss in Denver on Feb 21 while playing with a sore thumb.
"The Paul Pierce you saw out in Denver wasn't the Paul Pierce that usually shows up to play," he said. "Right now I'm as healthy as I've been all year and this is our time to start playing well."
The Celtics remained tied with Atlanta for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Carmelo Anthony led Denver with 32 points and J.R. Smith had 21.
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