Shaquille O'Neal tells Boston Celtics what they need to do to clinch NBA title after sealing playoff place

Shaquille O'Neal has warned the Boston Celtics against "complacency" if they are to win the NBA Championship this season.

The Celtics became the first team to clinch a spot in the playoffs courtesy of a 127-112 win over the Phoenix Suns, while the Philadelphia 76ers were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jaylen Brown was the Celtics’ top scorer on the night at TD Garden with 37 points, as well as five rebounds and three assists.

Jayson Tatum added 26 points while Al Horford contributed with a season-high 24 points of his own to move the Celtics to an NBA-best 52-14 record in the Eastern Conference.

“When you have a lead like that, you have to stay motivated,” said Shaq speaking on NBA on TNT.

“There’s two things the Celtics must do to win a championship. One, you got to stay motivated. Their only problem right now they get complacent sometimes and shoot a lot of threes.

“If they can fix those problems like, ‘ok, we’re not hitting jumpers, let’s go to the hole, mix it up’, they will be champions.

“You know when playoffs get ready to start sometimes you say ‘you know what, I don’t want to get hurt, let me just chill out and relax’, so they just have to stay motivated, keep doing what they’re doing, and focus on the mistakes that they make.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was full of praise for his Brown’s match-winning display against the Suns, describing the forward as "fun to watch".

"Man, he's playing so well. Both ends of the floor,” he told Sports Illustrated after the game.

“Everything with him starts with his defensive intensity. I think guarding one of the other team's best players is what gets him going.

“It's a different layer for our team when he's aggressive. Getting to the free-throw line. It's fun to watch."

Mazzulla also found himself part of the action with a viral clip from the match catching him preventing the Suns’ Royce O’Neale from throwing a practice three-pointer when the game was dead as time out had been called.

“I saw a guy going in to try to get a shot,” Mazzulla said. “He hadn’t made one, and I didn’t want him to feel good about himself going to the bench.

“If I’m going to ask the guys to contest, [the] staff has to do the same.

“I just think it’s important. I think it’s a small detail of the game. It’s a little gamesmanship, but you can’t have guys going back to the bench feeling good about themselves.”

The Celtics’ playoff spot was confirmed as 32 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 114-105 win over the 76ers.

The Dallas Mavericks were without the injured Luka Doncic as they went down 126-119 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, helped by 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Jalen Brunson scored 45 points as the New York Knicks cruised to a 105-93 win in Portland over the Trail Blazers, while the Houston Rockets came out on top against the Washington Wizards 135-119.

Paul George scored 28 points and Kawhi Leonard 27 as the Los Angeles Clippers saw off the Chicago Bulls 126-111.

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