Celtics vs Nets tonight: Boston chases third straight win at TD Garden
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The Boston Celtics (2-1) host the Brooklyn Nets (0-3) at TD Garden on Tuesday night.
- Tip-off is 7:30 PM ET on NBC Sports Boston. Boston plays its second game in two nights.
- Derrick White is available after a hip scare. Devin Carter is out with an illness.
The Boston Celtics want a third straight win on Tuesday night. They host the winless Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden in Boston. Tip-off is 7:30 PM ET, and NBC Sports Boston carries the game.
Boston enters the game with a 2-1 record. Brooklyn enters it with an 0-3 record. The Celtics are the clear favorites at home, but they play on tired legs.
What happened
Boston crushed the Chicago Bulls 134-99 on Monday night. The Celtics built a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Chicago never closed the gap.
Payton Pritchard led Boston with 28 points off the bench. He hit seven three-point shots in the game. His third quarter was the highlight, with 19 points on 5-for-5 shooting from deep.
Jayson Tatum added 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. He played only 28 minutes in the blowout win. The short night helped Boston save energy for Tuesday.
We previewed the Bulls game before tip-off. Boston is 2-0 at home so far this season. The home crowd has been a real help in the early games.
Brooklyn lost 136-109 to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. The Nets stayed close for the first 24 minutes. They fell apart in the third quarter and never recovered.
Nolan Traore led Brooklyn with 17 points and five assists off the bench. Josh Minott added 15 points and eight rebounds, also off the bench. Both young players gave Brooklyn energy in a losing effort.
Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez did not hide his anger after the loss. He called the effort after the first quarter "just unacceptable". He said a team that gives up 112 points in three quarters cannot win games.
Injury news: White is good to go
Derrick White is the big injury story for Boston. The guard hurt his right hip against Chicago. The team called the problem right hip synovitis.
Synovitis means swelling inside a joint. White played only 18 minutes against the Bulls. He scored just five points in that quiet night.
White was first listed as probable for Tuesday. He was then cleared to play before tip-off. NBC Sports Boston reports he is officially available for the game.
Devin Carter is the only Celtic who will sit out. The guard is out with an illness. Athlon Sports reports he will miss his fourth straight game to start the season.
Two more Celtics faced a back-to-back question. Paul George and Mitchell Robinson both played on Monday. Neither man is on the injury report for Tuesday.
George played 25 minutes against Chicago. Robinson played 16 minutes in the same game. The blowout win kept both players fresh for night two.
Projected starting lineups
Boston will start Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, Jordan Walsh, and Mitchell Robinson. That group gives Boston size and shooting. Tatum leads the attack, and Robinson anchors the paint.
Brooklyn will start Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Michael Porter, Julius Randle, and Day'Ron Sharpe. Traore earns his first start of the season. He replaces Keon Ellis, who moves to the bench.
Brooklyn has no other injuries to report. The only Nets on the sideline are players on G League duty. That means Brooklyn is close to full strength for this road test.
Why it matters
Boston has a strong record on the second night of back-to-back games. Coach Joe Mazzulla's Celtics are 38-15 in that spot. That record should calm fans who fear tired legs.
A back-to-back means two games on two nights. Players get less rest and less practice time. Boston handled that test well in past seasons.
Boston also owns the recent history in this matchup. The Celtics won three of four games against Brooklyn last season. Brooklyn has just one win against Boston since March 2023.
That one win came at TD Garden last season. Brooklyn won that game 113-105. The Nets know they can win in this building.
Julius Randle is the player Boston must stop. He leads Brooklyn with 22.0 points per game. He also leads the team with 7.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
Randle leads Brooklyn in all three main stats. He scores, rebounds, and passes at a high level. Boston must find a strong defender to slow him down.
Sports Illustrated notes Jordan Walsh as a possible answer. Walsh has size and energy on defense. Putting him on Randle could force Brooklyn into slow isolation plays.
Brooklyn must also fix its defense. The Nets own the fifth-worst net rating in the league. Net rating measures points scored minus points allowed per 100 possessions.
Brooklyn loses by 11.8 points per 100 possessions so far. That number shows how bad the early losses have been. A win in Boston would change the mood fast.
Boston opened the season against Detroit in an opening-day matinee. That early test started a strong home run. Boston now wants to keep that home run going.
Players to watch
Payton Pritchard is the hottest Celtic right now. He scored 28 points against Chicago. He hit seven three-point shots in that game.
Pritchard comes off the bench, but he plays like a starter. His shooting can break a game open in minutes. Brooklyn must find him early on defense.
Jayson Tatum remains Boston's main star. He scored 23 points against Chicago. He also grabbed seven rebounds and passed for six assists.
Michael Porter can score in bunches for Brooklyn. He can hit a run of shots in a hurry. Boston cannot leave him open from deep.
Nolan Traore gets his first start on Tuesday. He scored 17 points against Indiana. His speed gives Brooklyn a new look in the backcourt.
Brooklyn's slow start is part of a wider early-season story. We previewed the Nets against Cleveland in an earlier game preview. The Nets need a steadier effort this time.
How to watch
The game tips off at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, October 27. The venue is TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Fans in Boston can watch on NBC Sports Boston.
Coverage starts at 6:30 PM ET with Celtics Pregame Live. Fans in the New York area can watch on YES Network. The game also streams on DAZN.
What happens next
A Boston win would lift the Celtics to 3-1. It would also give them three wins in a row. The team would then get two days off before Friday.
Boston faces the Bulls again on Friday. That game gives Chicago a fast chance at revenge. Boston will want the same result as Monday.
A Brooklyn win would be a big surprise. It would give the Nets their first win of the season. It would also end a long losing run against Boston.
Brooklyn must play four strong quarters to win. The Pacers game showed one good half is not enough. The Nets need steady defense from start to finish.
The next few games will shape both teams. Boston wants to bank wins while it is healthy. Brooklyn wants to prove its slow start is just a blip.
Tuesday night is a test of depth and focus for both teams. Boston has the form, the home crowd, and the rest edge from Monday's blowout.
Brooklyn has the hunger of a winless team. Randle is a star who can take over a game.
The team that plays four full quarters will leave TD Garden happy.
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