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In one of the most anticipated first-round matchups of the playoffs this year, the Brooklyn Nets will go on the road Sunday to take on the Boston Celtics, a rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series that the Nets won in five games.

Early on in the 2021-22 season, many were ready to give up on the Celtics and some were even calling for the team to split up All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown after the team’s 18-21 start to the season.

From that point on, Boston won 33 of their next 43 games to finish the regular season with a 51-31 record, their first 50-win season since 2017-18. Now, the Celtics are a favorite to reach the NBA Finals and they were able to turn things around because of how great their defense is.

Since the All-Star break, the Celtics are only giving up an average of 107.3 points per game to their opponents, the second-best mark in the NBA over this span, and they finished the regular season ranked second in defensive rating.

Defense wins championships and the Celtics surely have a terrific defense, but getting past the Brooklyn Nets will not be easy, especially since they have two of the best offensive talents of this generation in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

The Nets have had a whirlwind of a season, not only due to injuries, but because of all the drama that surrounded Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

Irving is now allowed to play in both home and road games and while Ben Simmons’ status still remains a mystery, the Nets are a team nobody wants to try and stop simply because of how talented Kevin Durant is.

On any given night, Durant is capable of recording a triple-double and being one of the most elite scorers in NBA history, the Celtics are going to have their hands full in this series.

The 2-seeded Nets defeated the 7-seeded Celtics a season ago, but the roles are now reverse, as the the 2-seeded Celtics will host the 7-seeded Nets on Sunday in the series opener.

Can Brooklyn come away with a road victory on Easter and take the early momentum in this series?

Here's how to watch Saturday’s game, with gametimes and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.

How to watch Nets vs. Celtics

  • WHO: Brooklyn Nets (44-38) vs. Boston Celtics (51-31)
  • WHAT: First Round Eastern Conference Playoffs - Game 1
  • WHEN: 3:30 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 17
  • WHERE: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
  • TV: ABC
  • Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE

Key Stats & Facts For Nets vs. Celtics

  • The Nets and Celtics faced off four times during the regular season with Boston winning three games by an average of 18.0 points.
  • The Celtics finished the regular season ranking second in defensive rating and first in points allowed per game (104.5), while the Nets finished the regular season ranking eleventh in offensive rating and ninth in points per game (112.9).
  • Boston is 28-13 at home this season and Brooklyn is 24-17 on the road.
  • Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been one of the best scoring duos in the league as of late, combining to average 56.3 points per game over the Nets’ last ten games.

Last Matchup:

March 6, 2022 - Celtics 126, Nets 120

In their final meeting of the regular season, the Celtics defeated the Nets 126-120 in Boston. Kevin Durant scored 37 points for Brooklyn, but Jayson Tatum proved he is just as good of an All-Star scorer for his team by going for 54 points on 16-30 shooting (53.3%). Scoring 34 points in the second-half, Tatum was unstoppable in this game and he tied Larry Bird for the most 50-point games in a single season in Celtics history with four total games.

Nets-Celtics Most Recent Games:

  • Nets last game: On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers in the battle for the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament and came away with a 115-108 victory. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combined for 59 points in this game, as Bruce Brown stepped up for the Nets, finishing the game with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
  • Celtics last game: In their final regular season game, the Celtics went on the road and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 139-110. Memphis was resting their starters in this game, but Boston went out and wanted to win in order to clinch the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 31 points on 11-14 shooting.

Latest Injury News:

Nets: Ben Simmons (back) - OUT, Joe Harris (ankle) - OUT

Celtics: Robert Williams (knee) - OUT

Projected Starters:

PROJECTED NETS STARTERS:

  • G Kyrie Irving, 6-2 guard: 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists
  • G Seth Curry, 6-2 guard: 15.0 points, 3.6 assists
  • F Bruce Brown, 6-4 forward: 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds
  • F Kevin Durant, 6-10 forward: 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists
  • C Andre Drummond, 6-10 center: 7.9 points, 9.3 rebounds

PROJECTED CELTICS STARTERS:

  • G Marcus Smart, 6-3 guard: 12.1 points, 5.9 assists
  • G/F Jaylen Brown, 6-6 guard/forward: 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists
  • F Jayson Tatum, 6-8 forward: 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists
  • F Al Horford, 6-9 forward: 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists
  • C Daniel Theis, 6-8 center: 8.2 points, 4.9 rebounds

Betting Odds:

  • The Celtics are currently 4-point favorites over the Nets as of Sunday morning.
  • The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 224 total points.

What to watch for:

  • The Boston Celtics have made the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons now, but they have not advanced to the NBA Finals since 2010.
  • Jayson Tatum has proven to be one of the best offensive weapons in the league this year, averaging 26.9 points per game (7th in the NBA) and scoring at least 30 points in 6 of his last 10 games.
  • Boston is 42-13 this season when they hold their opponents to 110 points or less. The Nets are 38-12 this season when they score at least 110 points.
  • The Nets and Celtics have played a total of 15 playoff games and three playoff series all-time. Brooklyn is 12-3 against Boston in the playoffs and have won all three playoff series against the Celtics. 
  • Complete 2022 NBA Playoffs Schedule, Results, Gametimes, TV, Point Spreads: The best two months in basketball are here as the NBA postseason has arrived, starting with the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday. Here is the complete schedule, with gametimes, TV information and point spreads. We will update this story daily with results and updated betting lines, so bookmark it and follow along for the next two months of a wide-open postseason. CLICK HERE.
  • How To Watch Hawks At Heat Game 1 On Sunday: The Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat will play Game 1 of their first-round playoff series in the Eastern Conference on Sunday. CLICK HERE.