Boston @ Brooklyn preview
Barclays Center
Last Meeting ( Mar 3, 2023 ) Brooklyn 115, Boston 105
When the Boston Celtics return to the floor on Saturday night, the intrigue will revolve around how their offense follows one of the most historic showings in team history, a 155-point night.
Boston will oppose the Brooklyn Nets in New York.
Riding a three-game winning streak, the Nets are hoping their defense can make enough plays to stop the unbeaten Celtics from putting up more big offensive numbers.
The Celtics are 4-0 for the first time since starting the 2009-10 season with six straight wins, and they have seen their point total increase each game. After posting wins over the New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards, the Celtics started hot and rolled to a 155-104 home victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
It was the 10th time the Celtics scored at least 150 points and the first instance since Nov. 25, 1992, against Washington. The performance raised Boston's scoring average to 127 points per contest.
Jayson Tatum led eight Celtics in double figures with 30 points, his third 30-point showing of the season. Thirteen Boston players saw playing time, and all of them scored.
"We've got so many weapons," Celtics guard Derrick White said. "You've got so much talent around you, it makes the game easy."
The Celtics shot a blistering 76.2 percent (16 of 21) in the opening quarter while hitting 8 of 10 3-point attempts. They had 75 points by halftime for the second straight contest.
"I think it's more about not being bored," Celtics guard Jrue Holiday said. "It's not getting complacent and locking into every game and each opponent."
The Nets are returning home to play 11 of their next 14 games. They just completed a four-game road trip by winning the final three contests, against the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls.
Brooklyn followed up its 109-105 win in Miami on Wednesday with a 109-107 victory in Chicago on Friday, the Nets' fourth game decided by five points or fewer. It also was Brooklyn's first game in East Group C of the NBA's in-season tournament, which continues with a visit to Boston on Nov. 10.
Dorian Finney-Smith scored a season-high 21 points for the Nets, his fifth straight game in double figures. He made five 3-pointers and is shooting 50 percent from behind the arc this year (18 of 36).
Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges added 20 points and hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 5:55 left for the Nets. In the fourth quarter, Brooklyn scored 31 points, shot 56.5 percent and hit four 3-pointers, its second straight strong final period. The Nets outscored the Heat 34-22 in the fourth on Wednesday.
"We've grown from game one to game five," Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said after his team also scored 21 fastbreak points. "It's good to see our guys come together, what it takes to win."
The Nets played a fourth straight game without Nic Claxton (left ankle sprain), and he is unlikely to play on Saturday.
The Celtics, including their four-game sweep of the Nets in the opening round of the 2022 playoffs, have won 10 of the teams' past 11 meetings.
--Field Level Media