At the end of a draining six-week stretch in which the Boston Celtics didn’t have more than a day off in-between games, Thursday night's final tune-up before the All-Star break versus the Los Angeles Clippers offered to be a get-away game.
Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum could have had their minds in Chicago, especially the 21-year-old Tatum, set to make his first All-Star appearance this weekend. Their teammates could have had their plane tickets for a tropical destination ready to go, ready to escape the New England cold and the strenuous workload they have faced over the first half of the season.