Celtics Clinch No. 2 Seed in East with Blowout of Pelicans

Boston secures top-2 playoff position for second consecutive season

Apr. 11, 2026 at 4:23am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting fragmented, overlapping shapes and planes of green, white, blue, and gold, representing the action and energy of a basketball game between the Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans.The Celtics' dominant victory over the Pelicans solidifies their position as a top contender in the Eastern Conference playoffs.Boston Today

The Boston Celtics have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs after routing the New Orleans Pelicans 144-118 at home on Friday night. This marks the second straight season the Celtics have secured a top-2 seed in the East.

Why it matters

The Celtics' win over the Pelicans, who are out of playoff contention, solidifies their position as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference heading into the postseason. Securing a top-2 seed provides Boston with home-court advantage in the early rounds of the playoffs.

The details

The Celtics dominated from start to finish, leading by as many as 30 points in the blowout victory. Boston shot an efficient 56% from the field and 47% from 3-point range, with six players scoring in double figures led by Jayson Tatum's 32 points.

  • The game was played on Friday, April 11, 2026.

The players

Celtics

The Boston Celtics are an NBA franchise based in Boston, Massachusetts and play their home games at TD Garden.

Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are an NBA franchise based in New Orleans, Louisiana and play their home games at the Smoothie King Center.

Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum is an All-Star forward for the Boston Celtics.

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What they’re saying

“We came out focused and ready to take care of business tonight. Securing a top-2 seed is a great accomplishment, but we know the real work is still ahead of us in the playoffs.”

— Jayson Tatum, Celtics Forward

What’s next

The Celtics will now await their first-round playoff opponent, which will be determined in the coming days as the regular season concludes.

The takeaway

The Celtics' dominant win over the Pelicans demonstrates their status as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference, setting them up for a deep playoff run as they aim to capture their 18th NBA championship.