Nets vs. Celtics preview: An NBA Cup home-and-home

The Brooklyn Nets return to Brooklyn looking for their first home win of the season.

Summarized by AI ⓘ

What is the story about?

The Brooklyn Nets took a trip to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Wizards. Both teams are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but the Nets were the better team on Sunday evening as they cruised to a 23 point victory. This will come in handy later, but the Nets lead the season series 1-0.

The opponent tonight is hanging in despite everything. Although the Boston Celtics are missing their heavy hitter this year, they’re still hanging around. They almost blew a 24 point lead

on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, but as Brandy told us, almost doesn’t count.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 7:30 p.m. ET.

Injuries

No Cam Thomas or Haywood Highsmith. Nolan Traore is out with a left ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in 10 days. Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore are back in Brooklyn after a four-game stint with Long Island.

No Jayson Tatum.

The game

An NBA Cup home and home! These teams will do it again on Friday night in Boston.

Nic Claxton keeps putting good games together. Clax had another good outing as his 17/8/7/4 helped guide the Nets to victory. For Nic, he’s looked especially great as of late and works as a great hub in the mid post area that can either execute dribble handoffs well, or use that DHO option as leverage to create something even better for himself:

As Claxton continues to get more and more comfortable, we’ll see his game continue to blossom.

So… not to criticize after a 23 point victory, but Jordi Fernandez should never have a game where Egor Dëmin and Drake Powell both play under 20 minutes. This season is all about finding out if those two are proper building blocks for the next era of Nets basketball, and the best way to find that out is to have them playing real minutes against NBA talent. Fernandez has pressed a lot of the right buttons as Nets coach, so I can’t be too critical in a moment like this.

This is essentially a gap year for the Celtics. However, they’re making the most of it and have unlocked something new and exciting. From Nate Moskowitz at CelticsBlog:

“Anyone could’ve predicted Boston would take a step back this season. What matters is that they’ve embraced being a different team.

They’ve established themselves as an aggressive defense that’ll get on you early and often. Without multiple cornerstones on that end, they’ve maintained the seventh best defense in the league.

Youth and inexperience bring volatility, but Boston can count on Minott, Walsh, Gonzalez, and Queta to provide consistent energy and defensive intensity. These four have become the spark that keeps the Celtics competitive, and they could form the foundation of a new identity built to match the speed and relentlessness of the modern NBA.“

For the Nets, that means they’ll need to be very mindful of ball control tonight. The C’s are ninth in opponent’s turnover rate and any chance to showcase that athleticism and rock the Barclays Center rims is something they’ll happily take advantage of. Turnovers are the best way to get into a rhythm and if Boston can get easy buckets early in the game off of Brooklyn mistakes, they’ll control the flow of this contest.

Player to watch: Jaylen Brown

It’s always fun to watch a player shine in a new context. With Tatum recovering from an Achilles tear, Brown has moved up the responsibility chart on offense. So far, he’s looked real comfortable as the lead option. His usage rate is at a career high and he’s averaging over 27 points per game on .504/.342/.768 shooting splits on 32 minutes a night. Brown has scaled his game up in a spectacular fashion and is one of the most dynamic players in the Association this year. He’s on the way to a well deserved All Star appearance and if he keeps this up, might have a darn good case of being All NBA first team.

Off the court, JB has continued to make Boston home and is a beloved figure in the community. To be a true franchise player, you have to be exemplary on the court and in the community. Brown has gradually grown into a leadership role over the years and is someone that represents the Celtics well in all aspects. As he continues his journey, he’ll go down as someone beloved by Celtics fans and the greater Boston community.

Michael Porter Jr will look to put another good outing together on offense. MPJ filled up the stat sheet to the tune of 34/9/7 on 60 percent shooting from the field. Porter Jr naturally has had the ball in his hands a lot more this season, and we’ve really seen his playmaking shine through. Porter will need to continue on that track if the Nets want to figure out what they have in him going forward. Tonight, he’ll be the centerpiece of Boston’s attack as they will look to punish any lapses in defense from MPJ. Even in a diminished state, Boston is still a dangerous foe and it will take a lot for the Nets to win.

From the Vault

WWE Monday Night Raw was at Madison Square Garden last night, and it was the last time John Cena will be on RAW and at MSG. With that in mind, let’s revisit the Last Real Champ’s greatest moment in New York