Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction & Match Preview - February 8th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22

The visiting Boston Celtics are looking to get even with the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. [Photo: Boston.com]

The Boston Celtics will have a rematch with the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at Barclays Center. Boston lost to Brooklyn in their first meeting in late November and will be looking to split the season series.

Coach Ime Udoka and the Boston Celtics may have finally ended their roller-coaster ride with their current, emphatic and season-high five-game winning streak. They beat the hapless Orlando Magic to a pulp in their last game with a score of 116-83 Sunday.

The Boston Celtics defense, which has ranked first since the turn of the year by a wide margin, held the Magic to 35.8% shooting, including a horrific 19.2% from beyond the arc. Boston had six players in double figures, led by Jaylen Brown. Al Horford also had one of his best games this season, finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block.

Boston is looking like the team basketball analysts expected it to be.

The Brooklyn Nets, on the other hand, are trending the opposite way. Brooklyn is on a season-worst eight-game losing slide and will not have irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kyrie Irving in the lineup. James Harden, who has been ruled as questionable, hasn’t been his usual self due to lingering hamstring issues.

The Nets have lost 8 straight.

Brooklyn would be in the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today. https://t.co/GHNIgV4HAy

Even if “The Beard” plays, the Brooklyn Nets will have to execute with precision to beat the Boston Celtics' stifling defense. Rookie Cam Thomas has been a bright spot for the Nets, but on his own, he would be overwhelmed by the Green Machine.

Match Details

Fixture: Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets | 2021-22 NBA season

Date & Time: Tuesday, February 8th; 7:30 PM ET (Wednesday, February 9th; 6:00 AM IST)

Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Boston Celtics Preview

The Boston Celtics deploy the stingiest defense in the NBA since the start of 2022. [Photo: Bleacher Report] If cleared to play, James Harden could be the only member of the Brooklyn Nets' Big Three to be available against the Boston Celtics. [Photo: New York Post]

The Boston Celtics (30-25) are a season-high five games above .500. They are 11-4 in their last 15 games and have been playing with the kind of defense they vowed to turn their season around. For the entire 2022 so far, the Celtics are first in net rating, first in defensive rating and first in opponent eFG%, per StatMuse.

The Celtics in 2022:

— 1st in net rating
— 1st in defensive rating
— 1st in opponent eFG%
— 13-6 record
— Tatum averaging 26/8/5
— Brown averaging 25/7/4 https://t.co/RP6e1F0SyN

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been playing beautiful music together. Tatum is putting up 26 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists while Brown is averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per contest in 2022. When they play like this, they are as tough to beat as any of the elite teams in the NBA.

Key Player - Jayson Tatum

Due to Kevin Durant’s injury, Jayson Tatum will start in his place for the All-Star Game. Despite stretches of shooting struggles, he has undoubtedly been the Boston Celtics’ best player. With Jaylen Brown missing several games due to injury, Tatum has carried the team night in and night out.

Jayson Tatum over the last 8 games:

➼ 27.9 PPG
➼ 8.0 RPG
➼ 5.8 APG
➼ 50% FG
➼ 40% 3P
➼ 62.6% TS
➼ 122 ORTG
➼ 96 DRTG
➼ Celtics 7-1
➼ Celtics #1 Net RTG

Some of the best all-around ball of his career👀 https://t.co/TBlXEjFe8B

Tatum is averaging 25.6 points, a career-best 8.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists. The 23-year-old forward has also been very aggressive going to the basket, which has resulted in career-high free throw attempts with 5.9. He is also a scoring machine that is starting to grow as a playmaker for the Boston Celtics this season.

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

If cleared to play, James Harden could be the only member of the Brooklyn Nets' Big Three to be available against the Boston Celtics. [Photo: New York Post]

The Brooklyn Nets (29-24) are reeling in a way no one could have expected. Even without Kevin Durant, they were expected to have enough on the road with Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Harden’s game has been up and down while Irving has struggled since starting his season on fire.

Harden has been declared questionable by Brooklyn but could have recovered enough to be medically cleared by game time. Despite trade rumors surrounding him, he is adamant that he is committed to staying long-term with the Nets.

The 12-time All-Star is averaging 22.5 points, 7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per contest. Brooklyn will need everything he can give if he gets to play.

Key Player - James Harden

Assuming James Harden plays after resting and recuperating from a bothersome hamstring, no one on the Brooklyn Nets is more important than him. As the de facto point guard, the 32-year-old guard/forward controls the offensive tempo of the Nets. He’s also tasked with being the scorer he once was without Irving and Durant.

The Nets are reportedly open to a Ben Simmons - James Harden trade, as long as Seth Curry is packaged in the deal.

👀 https://t.co/d4SlKaYB5n

Harden’s shooting has significantly dropped this season. He’s now only 33.2% from long range and 41.4% overall. The Nets will need better shooting from him to keep the team afloat, especially against the Celtics’ top-ranked defense in 2022.

Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup

G - James Harden | G - Patty Mills | F - Kessler Edwards | F - James Johnson | C - Blake Griffin

Celtics vs Nets Match Prediction

The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets are virtually tied for seventh place in the stacked Eastern Conference. Winning the season series could have some critical implications down the stretch, which is why Boston will be raring to even the head-to-head matchup. (The teams play again Feb. 24 and March 6.)

If James Harden is 100% back and plays, he’ll make the Brooklyn Nets more formidable, but the Celtics are the hotter team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way could add more misery to the Nets.

Where to watch the Celtics vs Nets game

NBA on TNT will air the game live. Local coverage of the matchup is available via YES Network.

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