NBA --- Resting Celtics head to playoffs with another W

BOSTON -- With the No.2 seed in the Eastern Conference already locked up with a few days to go before the playoffs begin, the Boston Celtics rested most of their starters during the team's 82nd and final game of a long and grueling 2017-18 NBA season.

But Boston, with a robust 55-27 slate heading into Saturday's post-season, still had plenty of firepower left in the roster, just enough to dismantle the hapless Brooklyn Nets, 110-97, at the T.D. Garden in downtown Boston.

Without the injured Kyrie Irving and with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford resting, Boston found an unlikely scoring leader in Aron Baynes, who dazzled with 26 points and 14 boards. Joanthan Gibson finished with 18 while Greg Monroe had 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Boston shot 40.7 percent from the field and connected on 11 of 40 triples.

The Nets, out of the playoffs race with a mediocre 28-54 finish, were led by Nik Stauskas' 18 points. Allen Crabbe punched in 15 markers with 7 boards while D'Angelo Russell chipped in 11.