In one of the most anticipated first-round playoff matchups this year, the Brooklyn Nets will take on the Boston Celtics on Sunday, a repeat of last year’s first-round playoff series that the Nets won in five games.
As the 2021-22 season began, many were ready to ditch the Celtics, with some even calling for the team to split All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown after the team’s 18-21 start to the season.
From that point on, Boston won 33 of their next 43 games and finished the regular season with a 51-31 record, their first 50-win season since 2017-18. Now the Celtics are favorites to reach the NBA Finals and they’ve been able to turn things around because their defense is so good.
Since the All-Star break, the Celtics have been averaging just 107.3 points per game to their opponents, the second-best mark in the NBA over that period, and they finished the regular season second in defensive standings.
Defense wins championships and the Celtics certainly have great defense, but getting past the Brooklyn Nets won’t be easy, especially since they have two of the best offensive talents of this generation in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
The Nets have had a tumultuous season, not only because of injuries but also because of all the drama surrounding Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
Irving is now allowed to play in both home and away games and while Ben Simmons’ status still remains a mystery, the Nets are a team that nobody would want to try and stop just because of Kevin Durant’s talent.
Durant is capable of a triple-double any night, and as one of the most elite scorers in NBA history, the Celtics will have their hands full in this series.
The 2-seeded Nets defeated the 7-seeded Celtics a season ago, but the roles are now reversed as the 2-seeded Celtics will host the 7-seeded Nets in Sunday’s series opener.
Can Brooklyn walk away with a road win at Easter and carry the early momentum in this series?
Here’s how to watch Saturday’s game, with game times and TV, lineups, bios and other important details.
How to watch Nets vs Celtics
- WHO: Brooklyn Nets (44-38) vs. Boston Celtics (51-31)
- WHAT: Eastern Conference Playoffs First Round – Game 1
- IF: 3:30 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 17
- WHERE: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: ABC
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
Key stats and facts for Nets vs Celtics
- The Nets and Celtics faced each other four times during the regular season, with Boston winning three games with an 18.0 point average.
- The Celtics finished the regular season second in defensive scoring and first in points per game allowed (104.5), while the Nets finished the regular season eleventh in offense and ninth in points per game (112.9) finished.
- Boston is 28-13 at home this season and Brooklyn is 24-17 on the road.
- Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been one of the top-scoring duos in the league lately, averaging 56.3 points per game in the Nets’ last ten games.
Last encounter:
March 6, 2022 – Celtics 126, Nets 120
In their final meeting of the regular season, the Celtics defeated the Nets 126-120 in Boston. Kevin Durant scored 37 points for Brooklyn, but Jayson Tatum proved he’s an equally good all-star scorer for his team by scoring 54 points on 16-30 shooting (53.3%). Tatum scored 34 points in the second half and was unstoppable in that game, and he tied Larry Bird for most 50-point games in a single season in Celtics history, totaling four games.
Nets Celtics Latest Games:
- net last game: On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers in contention for the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference Play-In tournament and walked away with a 115-108 win. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combined for 59 points in that game as Bruce Brown came on for the Nets and finished the game with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
- Celtic’s last game: In their last regular season game, the Celtics took to the streets and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 139-110. Memphis rested their starters that game, but Boston went out looking to win to grab the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 31 on 11-14 shooting.
Latest injury reports:
nets: Ben Simmons (rear) – OUT, Joe Harris (ankle) – OUT
Celts: Robert Williams (knee) – OUT
Expected starters:
PROJECTED NETWORK STARTERS:
- G.Kyrie Irving6-2 guard: 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists
- G Seth Curry6-2 guard: 15.0 points, 3.6 assists
- F. Bruce Brown6-4 forward: 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds
- F Kevin Durant6-10 forward: 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists
- C Andre Drummond6-10 middle: 7.9 points, 9.3 rebounds
PROJECTS CELTICS STARTER:
- G Marcus Smart6-3 guard: 12.1 points, 5.9 assists
- G/F Jaylen Brown6-6 guard/forward: 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists
- F.Jayson Tatum6-8 forward: 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists
- F Al Horford6-9 forward: 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists
- C Daniel Theis6-8 middle: 8.2 points, 4.9 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Celtics are currently 4-point favorites over the nets as of Sunday morning.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 224 total points.
What to look out for:
- The Boston Celtics have now made the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons, but have not made the NBA Finals since 2010.
- Jayson Tatum has proven to be one of the best offensive guns in the league this year, averaging 26.9 points per game (7th in the NBA) and at least 30 points in 6 of his last 10 games.
- Boston is 42-13 this season if they keep their opponents to 110 points or fewer. The Nets are 38-12 this season if they score at least 110 points.
- The Nets and Celtics have made 15 combined playoff games and three all-time playoff series. Brooklyn is 12-3 in the playoffs against Boston and has won all three playoff series against the Celtics.
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