NBA Starting Lineups and Match Prediction- San Antonio Spurs vs Boston Celtics

The San Antonio Spurs are a playoff bound team. They will likely be in the playoffs, but the question is which seed they will get? The Spurs are eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 42-31.

On Friday, they lost to the Houston Rockets 111-105. James Harden exploded for 61 points against the Spurs and led the Rockets to victory.

The Spurs had balanced scoring amongst five of their players, but it was not enough. The Rockets won and added to their lead over the Blazers for the third seed.

Their loss to the Rockets was the Spurs' second straight loss. The Spurs lost to the Miami Heat on Wednesday. A losing streak in the West (no matter how small) can hurt a team's seeding. In the West, a team can drop from the fourth seed to the seventh seed during a losing streak.

This is currently happening with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the L.A Clippers, the Utah Jazz, and the Spurs. These teams are close to each other in the standings. The Spurs find themselves in the eighth seed, but with a winning streak, they can jump to fifth or sixth. The Spurs have nine games left in the regular season. Their remaining schedule is easy and the Spurs could get a better seeding. The first of their nine games is against the Boston Celtics.

On Friday, the Celtics lost to the Charlotte Hornets 124-117. The Hornets overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Celtics. Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 31 points. The Celtics had a slight change to their lineup in this game.

Their starting center Al Horford sat out of this game due to left knee soreness. Celtics center Robert Williams filled in for Horford. Their loss on Friday came as a surprise but does not affect their current standing. They remain at the fifth seed. Despite their three-game losing streak, the Celtics have a comfortable lead over the Pistons. However, the Celtics should strive to finish their season on a positive winning note.

At this point, the Spurs might beat the Celtics. If Horford misses another game, it could impact the Celtics. But, there is also a chance that Gordon Hayward and Aron Baynes could return for this game.

Baynes has an ankle injury and Hayward is going through concussion protocol. If Baynes and Hayward return, it will help the Celtics win. The success of the Celtics potentially depends on their health.