NBA Game Preview: Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics

Feb 1, 2023

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Game: Brooklyn Nets @ Boston Celtics

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Odds: Nets +8, Celtics -8

Total: 226.5

Brooklyn travels to Boston tonight and will once again be shorthanded. Kevin Durant remains out with a knee injury and Ben Simmons and TJ Warren will both miss their third straight game. It hasn’t bothered the Nets too much as they won their second straight game on Monday night, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 121-104. Simmons missed the game after leaving last Thursday’s game against Detroit with knee pain. Since Durant left a win over Miami on January 8, the Nets are now 4-6. He will be reevaluated on Feb. 7.

The Celtics are coping with their own injury problems. Boston has lost three of its last four games while point guard Marcus Smart has been out with an ankle injury. Boston defeated the Lakers 125-121 in overtime on Saturday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

The current Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA, Smart stated on Monday that he is feeling fine but doesn’t want to return too soon. This season, Smart is averaging 11.1 points and a career-high 7.2 assists per game. He has been a catalyst in what is one of the NBA’s best offenses.

Robert Williams III, a center for Boston, missed the victory over the Lakers as well due to a sprained right ankle. He is listed as questionable for tonight. One good thing is that Boston hasn’t played since its win over Los Angeles. LeBron James missed a layup with the score tied, giving Boston the victory. James claimed Jayson Tatum fouled him during the play.

This is the third and final meeting between the Celtics and Nets this season. On January 12, Tatum contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds as Boston defeated Brooklyn 109-98 on the road. That was Brooklyn’s first game following Durant’s knee injury. Jaylen Brown missed that game for Boston because of hip pain. Kyrie Irving, a former Celtic, led the Nets with 24 points. Simmons had nine rebounds, 13 assists, but no points in the defeat.

On December 4, Boston defeated Brooklyn 103-92, also on the road. Brown scored 34 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in that triumph. Durant had 31 points for Brooklyn. That gives the Celtics five straight wins over the Nets. Don’t forget, Boston beat Brooklyn in last year’s NBA playoffs.

Brooklyn is 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS in its last six games. In addition to losing the last five straight against Boston, the Nets are 0-5 ATS in the last five against the Celtics. Brooklyn has actually lost the last nine in a row to Boston.

The Celtics are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games. They have not covered a spread in six straight games. Boston is 8-1 SU in its last nine games at home. The total has gone Under in six of the last nine Celtics games. The offense averaged 103.3 points per game during a recent three-game losing streak. That’s roughly 14 points less than their season average (117.8 ppg). Boston scored 117 and 125 in its last two games and both totals went Over.

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