As the 2021-22 NBA regular season came to an end, there was jockeying for playoff positioning at the top of the Eastern Conference. With the Brooklyn Nets looking likely to come out of the play-in tournament, the general assumption was that it would be better to avoid them in the first round. The Milwaukee Bucks ultimately dropped out of the No. 2 spot on the final day of the regular season with a loss in a game they didn't try to win, with the Boston Celtics getting that seed to set up the date with the Nets once they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But instead of this backfiring, the Celtics went out and took care of business against the Nets, sweeping them away in impressive fashion. While the games were all close and perhaps the series goes differently if Brooklyn pulls out Game 1, ultimately, Boston got the job done.

After the sweep, Celtics guard Marcus Smart admitted the team laughed at all the people who suggested Boston should have ducked Brooklyn. The Celtics aren't ducking anybody:

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Indeed, the Celtics have been the best team in the NBA for months now, so they're not afraid of anybody. They proved that with this sweep of a team that everybody thought could still be a contender despite all the trials and tribulations in the regular season. Boston's defense is absolutely vicious and can stop anybody, with the Defensive Player of the Year in Smart leading the way.

That offense ain't half bad either, and the Celtics are looking like they should be the favorite to come out of the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will surely have something to say about that, but that switch in the standings on the last day of the season could wind up mattering because of home-court advantage in the next round. That series will be fascinating to watch.