Brooklyn @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 6, 2018 ) Boston 87, Brooklyn 85

The Boston Celtics play their final tune-up before the postseason when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday in the finale of the regular season for both teams. The Celtics are locked into the No. 2 seed for the upcoming Eastern Conference playoffs but have lost four of their last five after a 113-101 setback at Washington on Tuesday.

Jaylen Brown, who will be relied upon to carry a depleted Boston squad in the postseason, scored 21 of his 27 points in the first quarter of the loss. Brown's fellow starters combined to shoot 10-of-40 from the floor as the Celtics - who will face either Milwaukee, Miami or Washington in the first round of the playoffs - shot 37.9 percent as a team. "There has to be concern," forward Al Horford told reporters. "We know it's the second-to-last game of the season. We have to be better." The Nets are playing out the string but they're playing it out well while enjoying their first three-game winning streak of the season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), NBCS Boston

ABOUT THE NETS (28-53): Among those ending with a flourish is guard Allen Crabbe, who made 8-of-11 3-pointers en route to a career-high 41 points in Monday's 114-105 victory over Chicago. "Things are maybe turning that corner that we wanted to get a little early in the season, but it's better late than never," Crabbe told reporters of Brooklyn's current run. The Cal product needs four 3-pointers to become the first player in franchise history to make 200 in a season.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (54-27): With Kyrie Irving (knee) out for the postseason and Marcus Smart (thumb) sidelined for another two weeks or so, Brown has become the go-to guy down the stretch. He made 6-of-10 3-pointers in Tuesday's loss, which came two games after a 7-of-10 effort in a win over the Chicago Bulls, and has scored at least 19 points in five of nine games since returning from a concussion. Fellow starting guard Terry Rozier had filled in admirably in place of Irving but is just 10-of-38 from the floor in four games since returning from an ankle injury.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Brooklyn is 1-14 against division opponents.

2. Celtics C Greg Monroe is 19-for-24 from the field over a three-game span.

3. Boston won each of the last eight meetings, including the first three this season by a total of 12 points.

PREDICTION: Celtics 103, Nets 101