Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets: Injury Report, Projected Starters, What to Watch For

The Boston Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets on the second night of a back-to-back. The Nets are winless and have the league’s fifth-worst net rating, which means they're losing by an average of 11.8 points per 100 possessions to start the season.

Feb 27, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) controls the ball while Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30) defends during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets on the second night of a back-to-back. Here's your full-season Celtics guide, with the full roster, schedule, salaries, and more. 

Nets (0-3, 0-1 road) at Celtics (2-1, 2-0 home), TD Garden, 7:30 p.m.
TV: NBC Sports Boston
Boston projected starters: Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson
Nets projected starters: Julius Randle, Michael Porter Jr., Day’ron Sharpe, Keon Ellis, Egor Demin

Officials: John Goble (#10) Jonathan Sterling (#17) JD Ralls (#80)

Injuries: BOSTON: Devin Carter (out, illness), Derrick White (probable, right hip synovitis) | BROOKLYN: None

The Nets are winless and have the league’s fifth-worst net rating, which means they're losing by an average of 11.8 points per 100 possessions to start the season. They're coming off an embarrassing loss to the Pacers where head coach Jordi Fernandez was not happy. 

““The performance we put up after the first quarter was just unacceptable,” he said. “112 points in three quarters, you’re not winning basketball games. So it didn’t feel good on either end of the floor.”

The Nets might be coming into TD Garden thinking they're catching Boston on a back-to-back, and it’s a chance to steal a win.

Here’s what I’m watching for tonight.

Who plays, and how much

The expectation has been that Mitchel Robinson and Paul George would be limited on back-to-backs. However, the blowout last night meant only 25 minutes for George and 16 for Robinson, so maybe Joe Mazzulla and his staff think it’s okay to put them back out there for a little while. It’s early in the season, the guys probably feel pretty good, and they have two days off before the next game, which is Friday against the Bulls again. 

Playing them in this game might not mean they play in every back-to-back. Then again, maybe it does. We won’t know until we get there. But I can make a strong case that this is more of a situational decision than it is a long-term one. 

Matching Julius Randle’s physicality

Randle leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists, and he presents an interesting challenge to the Celtics defense. 

Who guards him? 

He’s a beast of a player, and I’m not sure Paul George on a back-to-back is the best option for guarding him. I’m curious if the Celtics put out a different starting lineup, mix up the matchups, or just see how Jordan Walsh does. 

There's merit to putting Walsh on Randle because it could bait the Nets into a lot of isolation and post ups with him, which would negate Michael Porter Jr., who can hit a bunch of shots in a hurry. 

Randle presents an interesting matchup problem for the Celtics and I’m curious to see how they handle it.

Making the Nets guard

Brooklyn will give up a lot of points if the Celtics just keep running actions and don’t devolve into too much isolation play. That can be a risk on a back-to-back, as tired legs decide they don’t want to cut or make reads. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Celtics test their shooting early in the game to see if they can shoot their way to a lazy win. They could carry things over from Monday night, drill a bunch of threes, get the crowd into it, and meander their way to an unappetizing win. 

Or they can come out cold, front-rim everything, and have to struggle with Porter and Egor Demin cashing in transition opportunities, and giving up lobs and putback to Day’ron Sharpe. 

The easiest way to avoid the tight game is to buck the trend, run good sets early, and take advantage of the mistakes the Nets are guaranteed to make in a situation like that. That's easier said than done, though.