Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction & Match Preview - February 24th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
Coming off the All-Star break, the Brooklyn Nets will host the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center on February 24th.
Prior to the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics suffered a 111-112 loss to the Detroit Pistons. After being handed their first loss in nine games, the Celtics will look to redeem themselves on the road in their next game.
The Brooklyn Nets also head into this encounter on the back of a loss prior to the All-Star break, going down 103-117 to the Washington Wizards. That defeat also meant that the Nets saw their two-game winning streak snapped. However, with recent additions to the roster, the Nets still look like a terrifying team as they gear up to be at full strength.
Thursday night's matchup will be the third installment of the four-game season-series between the two teams. With the series tied at 1-1, the Celtics may have the opportunity to steal a victory away on the road.
Match Details
Fixture - Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets | 2021-22 NBA Season
Date & Time - Thursday, February 24th, 2022; 7:30 PM ET (Friday, February 25th, 2022; 6:00 AM IST)
Venue - Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Boston Celtics Preview
Coming off their first loss in nine games, the Boston Celtics found themselves at 34-26 before the All-Star break. While the loss against Detroit was disappointing, it could be attributed to a number of reasons.
One contributing factor could be the absences of Marcus Smart and Robert WIlliams III. Smart is a key cog in the Celtics' defensive scheme. Additionally, Williams provides a significant inside presence coupled with solid rim-protection as well.
Ime Udoka said Marcus Smart and Rob Williams both practiced today. They’re expected to play tomorrow. Jayson Tatum was given today off, but Udoka said everyone is good to go.
With both those two players out, the Celtics saw some major shifts in form, allowing Detroit to score 112 points in their last outing. The Celtics usually hold opponents to an average of 103.45 points per game. The Boston Celtics also lost the battle of the boards in that encounter, as they were outrebounded 30-47.
However, the game still came down to the wire. Featuring back-and-forths from both sides, a clutch steal off an inbounds pass would put Boston in a position to win. Unfortunately, a game-winner attempt by Jayson Tatum resulted in a miss.
Key Player - Jayson Tatum
A key player for the Boston Celtics in their upcoming road game will be their superstar Jayson Tatum.
Tatum is coming off a well-deserved appearance at the 2022 All-Star Game. However, with the spotlight shining squarely upon Steph Curry and LeBron James, the Celtics forward had a quiet showing.
Although Tatum missed the game-winner against the Pistons, he was a key factor in sparking the Boston run which made it a close encounter. Recording 22 points, four rebounds and five assists, the 23-year old combined with Jaylen Brown for 53 points on the night.
Considering that Brooklyn will be significantly shorthanded, Tatum will have a number of opportunities to dominate on the scoring front.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
G - Marcus Smart | G - Jaylen Brown | F - Jayson Tatum | F - Al Horford | C - Robert Williams III
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Brooklyn Nets Preview
The Brooklyn Nets made major moves at the trade deadline when they acquired Ben Simmons and a few other pieces in exchange for James Harden. However, the franchise continued to be active on the recruiting front in the buyout market following the All-Star break, adding former Raptors guard Goran Dragic.
Just in: Goran Dragic is signing with the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
However, the side is far from being at full strength as superstar Kevin Durant continues his recovery from a long injury lay-off. While Simmons and Dragic will both undergo reconditioning to get back to game-fitness, coupled with Kyrie Irving's limited availability. Everything points towards this Nets home game being played under similar circumstances to their loss against the Wizards prior to the mid-season break.
However, one promising piece of news coming out of Brooklyn is that recent changes to New York's vaccination mandate may see Irving become eligible to play home games soon.
New York City has a plan to phase out the vaccine mandate in the coming weeks, Mayor Eric Adams says, at which point Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving would be cleared for home games.
Spokesperson adds that current rules remain in place.
Key Player - Seth Curry
A key player for the Brooklyn Nets in their upcoming home game will be Seth Curry. Acquired as part of the Ben Simmons trade package with the Philadelphia 76ers, the 31-year-old looks to be a great addition to the Nets roster.
Although Curry had a fairly middling performance of 12 points and four assists in the game against the Wizards, he has shown a lot of upside since joining Brooklyn.
Fun fact — After 2 games Seth Curry is a +41, which is almost twice as much as James Harden was on the Nets this season (+23).
(Submitted by @andeee622) https://t.co/sYU60G3Xnk
Shooting efficiently from beyond the arc, the backcourt duo of Seth Curry and Patty Mills presents a serious floor-spacing threat to any defense.
While this will only come to fruition once the Nets are at full strength, the current makeup does allow Brooklyn to put some pressure on opposing teams.
Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup
G - Patty Mills | G - Seth Curry | F - Kessler Edwards | F - Bruce Brown Jr. | C - Andre Drummond
Celtics vs Nets Match Predictions
The Boston Celtics are favored to win this matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.
Although the Nets have homecourt advantage, their overall roster strength pales in comparison to a healthy Celtics squad. The Nets are also still awaiting the return of key players like Durant, meaning Brooklyn is in a vulnerable position right now.
Their problems are only exacerbated when considering how limited they will be against a defensive unit such as Boston's. Boasting the second-best defensive rating in the league (105.6), the Celtics can lock down and stifle most offenses. This puts Boston in a very favorable position to suffocate the Nets and secure the win Thursday.
Where to watch Celtics vs Nets game?
The Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets matchup will be nationally broadcast on TNT. The game will also be locally broadcast on the YES network, and will also be available to stream on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Additionally, fans can listen to the game by tuning into 101.9 FM/ 660 AM.
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