(SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Clippers are in the playoffs and the Boston Celtics hope to be. The two teams will meet Sunday evening at TD Bank Garden.
The Clips clinched a postseason berth with their 119-98 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.
The Celtics are eighth in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game ahead of the surging Brooklyn Nets, a full game in front of the Indiana Pacers and the Charlotte Hornets.
LA has won six straight and owns the fourth-best record in the Western Conference, a half-game in front of the Portland Trail Blazers, who would still get home-court advantage in a first-round series against the Clippers by virtue of winning the Northwest Division.
The Clippers have taken three consecutive road tilts, including the first two on this eastern trip, which ends Sunday. They bested the New York Knicks by 31, then took out of the Sixers by 21.
Chris Paul had 25 points and seven assists to lead Los Angeles. DeAndre Jordan added 17 points and 20 rebounds and J.J. Redick scored 19 for the Clippers
They clinched a franchise-record fourth consecutive playoff berth.
"Getting in (the playoffs) is the goal," Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said. "Whoever gets in wants to win (the title)."
The Clips led the 76ers by 15 after one, 19 at the half and pulled away in the third. They began the period with an 8-0 burst behind Paul and Blake Griffin and going up by as many as 27 points. It reached as high as 32 points in the fourth quarter.
Rivers will be back in Boston where he coached the Celtics to an NBA title in 2008.
The Celtics have won two of three to grab that eighth spot. On Friday, the Celtics earned a 96-92 home victory over the New York Knicks.
Isaiah Thomas posted 18 points and six assists to lead Boston.
Jae Crowder scored 17 points with nine rebounds, Brandon Bass had 16 points and 10 boards and Evan Turner finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Celtics, who had lost four of five coming into the game.
"At this point we just want to win as much as we can," said Crowder. "Whether we grind it out or come out on fire, as long as we get the win it doesn't matter how we do it."
Turner put the C's up 11 with four minutes to play, but the Knicks were valiant. New York responded with the next six points to keep within striking distance and a 3-pointer from Langston Galloway with 25.9 seconds saw the Knicks back four at 92-88.
They were unable to make it a one-possession game, though, until Jason Smith hit a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds to play and the Knicks were unable to get a shot off after Avery Bradley missed his second free throw.
The Clippers have won three straight over the Celtics, including Rivers' first game back in Boston last season.