Forget standings, Celtics just need to play better

It’s time for the Celtics to shift their priorities with just 20 games left after suffering a fourth straight loss Wednesday night.

Forget about the standings. Catching Toronto and Milwaukee are now delusions and even getting the third seed is unlikely at this point barring at least a 15-5 finish.

So after a 97-92 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the goal for the Celtics now has to be focusing on playing pristine basketball — which has been rare in this disappointing season — and getting ready for the playoffs, regardless of their seed. Even if that means they finish fifth and begin their first-round series on the road.

BOX SCORE: TRAILBLAZERS 97, CELTICS 92

As improbable as that sounded in October, the Celtics are in real danger of not hosting a first-round series. And they’ve done that to themselves. Their maddening inconsistency has resulted in being stuck in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff standings and with no real way to escape that scenario.

So just accept it. The Celtics need to stop concerning themselves with their fellow contenders; if they are good enough to reach the NBA Finals, then losing out on home-court advantage won’t really matter.

It’s the ultimate case of betting on yourself but the Celtics have no choice. They blew their chance at the top seed about a month ago, and now even a third seed appears lost.

There’s still a chance. The Celtics trail Indiana by three games with two matchups left. They trail Philadelphia by 2½ games with one matchup left. The remaining schedule is difficult. The reborn Washington Wizards come to Boston on Friday followed by the Houston Rockets and then a four-game West Coast trip begins, starting at Golden State.

If you count the Wizards (currently 11th in the East), the Celtics have just four (FOUR!) games left with teams out of playoff contention, so to expect this team to somehow finish 17-3 and take third is rather absurd.

“We can’t worry about that standings now, it’s too late,” guard Kyrie Irving said. “Obviously the 4-5 spot [is where we are] but 1-2 is pretty much locked up, 1, 2, 3. As long as we get there. I can’t wait for all this other BS about regular season and keep getting better and talking over and over and over again about what we can do to keep getting better in the regular season. I want be at the highest level playing and that’s what I’m here for.”

When asked if he thinks the playoffs will motivate his teammates the same way, Irving said: “We have such a unique group this year. Where they made an unbelievable run last year and just the experience that they had, but it takes a lot more than what they accomplished last year as well.

“Us as a team. We need to win road games. We need to compete at a very high level whether at home or on the road. It takes a very, very high level of IQ of basketball to play against great teams in this league or to win a championship or even compete for one. I think we’re in that phase now where the last 22 games it gets harder. That’s just the NBA. You have to be ready for that, people going at your chest and really testing your pride at both ends of the floor.”

And that’s been the case since the All-Star break. After the Toronto Raptors gashed at the Celtics’ pride on Tuesday, the Trail Blazers grinded out a victory with second-chance points and using mammoth center Jusuf Nurkic, who was a mismatch against anybody the Celtics offered.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens tried a gimmicky zone defense. He played rookie Robert Williams for 29 seconds — in which he overplayed Nurkic on an entry pass and got scored on — and he shortened his rotation to eight players.

The problem was the Celtics missed 23 of 28 3-pointers and with Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris going through simultaneous offensive slumps, they are reduced to three productive offensive starters.

“We’re desperate for a win and to feel good about ourselves,” Stevens said. “I said you feel a lot better leaving [Wednesday than Tuesday] but it doesn’t feel much better because you didn’t win. We need to stay in the moment, stay in the day and that time will come [playoffs] when that time comes and wherever we are, we’ll play.”

The Celtics just need to get themselves together. Their status is no longer the Eastern Conference favorite. They are playing like a team that’s vulnerable for a first-round elimination, totally dumbfounded with how to be consistent.

So the final six weeks of the season should be left to self-reflection and improvement, regardless of opponent, regardless of standings. It’s too late to be worried about seed or matchup, especially when any playoff opponent is capable of beating them in their current state.

“We want to make sure we’re playing really good basketball,” center Al Horford said. “There’s nothing if we’re playing like this and we end up third [seed]. I’d rather be playing really good basketball and maybe not be in that position. I want to make sure that our group, we’re playing the best way that we can and I feel like we’ve found something [Wednesday] with how hard we played on the defensive end.”