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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 17: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts after drawing a foul on a basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at State Farm Arena on January 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Boston Celtics are playing the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, April 7, on NBC and Peacock in a game that could have big implications on the Eastern Conference standings and a few different potential playoff scenarios.
The Celtics have been on a roll recently since the return of Jayson Tatum and the continued strong play of Jaylen Brown, and they could soon cement their spot as the second seed in the East for the postseason.
Before the game against the Hornets, which could result in new playoff scenarios for both teams, Boston’s starting lineup for the matchup was revealed.
Additionally, news recently emerged concerning one of the Celtics’ former players, a second-round pick and NBA champion, signing a new contract.
Celtics Playoffs Scenarios
GettyJayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown laugh together during the second half of the game against the New York Knicks at TD Garden on February 23, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts.
While currently the second seed, Boston could all but guarantee they’ll stay in that spot win a win over Charlotte on Tuesday.
The Celtics are 53-25, with a 2.5 game lead over the New York Knicks. With just three games left on the schedule for both teams, Boston would either have to lose the rest of their games and New York win the rest of theirs.
Before they play the Hornets, the NBA announced the potential playoff scenarios in the East, which, only until earlier on Tuesday, could see the Celtics drop to third.
With five game days remaining in the regular season, 19 of the 20 postseason teams have yet to clinch their seed.
Seeding possibilities entering Tuesday ⬇️
However, as mentioned, Boston going winless and the Knicks winning out is the only way either two teams will flip in the standings. The Celtics, however, are nowhere close to finding out who they will be matched up with in the first round, as several different teams in the East have yet to cement their spot in the playoffs.
Celtics Starting Lineup Vs Hornets
GettyAfter a new Jayson Tatum injury return update and return date, he will face a minutes restriction as he joins ‘Jaylen Brown’s’ Celtics team.
In a post on social media and confirmed on NBA.com, the Celtics’ starting lineup was announced for Tuesday against Charlotte.
Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Brown, Tatum, and Neemias Queta will all likely named starters by Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff.
This is the group Boston has been going with over the past few weeks. Despite getting Nikola Vucevic back from injury, and even before he was sidelined, it’s mostly been Queta starting at the center position.
The starting for Tuesday is a strong group, so from the Celtics’ perspective, in a game that could have potential playoff seeding impact, no point in changing what’s worked so far.
Additionally, Boston has no players listed on the injury report, as the team doesn’t even show up on official league records for injuries as of Tuesday. Based on the injuries the team has faced recently, having a fully healthy lineup for Tuesday against the Hornets is great news for the Celtics.
Ex-Celtics Champion Signs New Deal With Rockets
Earlier in the day, it was announced that JD Davison, a former second-round pick of the Celtics back in 2022, had signed a new deal with the Houston Rockets.
“The Houston Rockets are signing two-way guard JD Davison on a new two-year deal, filling their open roster spot heading into the playoffs, agent Corey Marcum of EZ Sports Group tells ESPN,” Shams Charania wrote in a post on X.
The Houston Rockets are signing two-way guard JD Davison on a new two-year deal, filling their open roster spot heading into the playoffs, agent Corey Marcum of EZ Sports Group tells ESPN.
Davison played a total of three seasons with Boston, but only seeing action in 36 total games. In that span from 2022-2025, he averaged 1.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, and one assist on 38.5% shooting.
While he is an official NBA champion, Davison never got a chance to play significant minutes during his time with the Celtics. But now in Houston, previously on a two-way deal, he is now set to play at least two more seasons in Texas, likely to get some run in the postseason as well.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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